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Thursday, 28 March 2024

Traditional Japanese lantern shop struggles amid virus

Duration: 01:44s 0 shares 1 views

Traditional Japanese lantern shop struggles amid virus
Traditional Japanese lantern shop struggles amid virus

Millions of Japanese and overseas visitors usually enjoy cherry blossom festivals and viewing parties beneath the pink trees at this time of year.

But this year the coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on the festivities.

Libby Hogan has more

It's springtime in Tokyo, but many of the country's cherry blossom festivals are cancelled.

The coronavirus outbreak has put a damper on one of Japan's hallmark festivals.

Any other year, it would draw in millions across the country and from abroad.

Tokyo and other cities would be full of 'hanami' or 'flower-viewing' parties - eating and drinking as the flower petals fall.

It's not just revelers that are disappointed.

Norio Yamada crafts the paper lanterns that would illuminate the light pink flowers as the sun sets.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) YAMAZAKIYA GENSHICHI LANTERN STORE OWNER AND CRAFTSMAN NORIO YAMADA, SAYING: "Lantern shops that are involved in cherry blossom festivals are struggling due to many festivals canceling at the last minute.

I have heard that many are having a hard time." Yamada's shop sits in Tokyo's Asakusa neighborhood, a tourist hotspot.

There, he carefully paints Chinese characters on the lanterns in bold black strokes.

His family has done this for eight generations making lanterns to decorate temples, shrines and to line festival streets.

He's been preparing 1,300 lanterns for Asakusa's biggest event this May.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) YAMAZAKIYA GENSHICHI LANTERN STORE OWNER AND CRAFTSMAN NORIO YAMADA, SAYING: "I've been working for 2 months for the Sanja (SAWN-jaa) Festival.

If the festival gets cancelled, the impact will be very big." (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) YAMAZAKIYA GENSHICHI LANTERN STORE OWNER AND CRAFTSMAN NORIO YAMADA, SAYING: "The business slump has just started.

I think people in my industry will start to feel the impact later on.

We need to think about the long-term (business impact) and not the short-term.

If more events, including the Olympics, are scaled down, Asakusa will be in trouble.

I only wish for this to end." Japan and Olympics officials are under rising pressure to postpone the games now that COVID-19 has criss-crossed the globe.

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