Akihabara looks different than usual (due to the effects of COVID-19)

There is currently a problem that threatens the entire country of Japan.
It's the new coronavirus.
The virus first appeared in Wuhan, China, and then spread to Japan.
In Japan, the first cases of infection were reported in Tokyo, and now cases are appearing all over the country.
Therefore, there are probably many people who do not want to go out in order to prevent infection with this new coronavirus.
As a result, the number of tourists from overseas is also decreasing.
Akihabara, a popular otaku spot visited by many foreign tourists, is one of the spots that has been affected to a certain extent by the new coronavirus.
So, I decided to write an article about the current state of Akihabara.

The current situation in Akihabara affected by COVID-19

Akihabara townscape

The photo was taken on a Saturday afternoonHowever, there were still fewer people around than usual.
There are about the same number of people as on a weekday morning.
Well, it was easy to walk around, but I still prefer the lively Akihabara.

Normally, this is the time of day when many people are sitting on benches and playing with their smartphones.
But there are still not many people.

Villa Villa Street also seemed less crowded than usual around lunchtime on a Saturday.
The number of maids handing out flyers remained the same, though...

Even though it was lunchtime, there were few people on the street where restaurants were located.

This is the street where you will find Animate Akihabara Main Store and Toranoana Akihabara Store.
In front of the Don Quijote Akihabara store, the area is usually so crowded with people walking that you might bump into each other, but as you can see from the photo, there were very few people passing by.
However, even in such situations, the maid continued to speak to customers without wearing a mask.
Seeing this, we will not give in to the coronavirus infectionProfessional spiritI thought that was amazing!
Maids are strong!!

Akihabara stores affected by COVID-19

The duty-free store Laox Akihabara Main Store has been hit particularly hard by the effects of the new coronavirus.
At one point the shutters were closed and the store was closed, but it seems to be open for business now.
In front of the store, a salesperson was holding a sign announcing a big sale and working to attract customers.
However, there were no Chinese or other Asians in sight, and the store was empty.
Normally, especially on weekends, there are large buses parked in front of the store and it's common to see a crowd of Chinese people nearby...
Currently, the large bus is nowhere to be seen, and I took some photos of the street where Laox Akihabara Main Store and Edion AKIBA are located, but as you can see, there are few pedestrians.

Again, this was taken around noon on a Saturday.

Information on places where you can use alcohol disinfectant

I'll just post a list of places where I happened to find alcohol disinfectant.

It was located in front of the escalator entrance to the Akihabara UDX restaurant "AKIBAICHI."

It was located in front of the entrance to "ADOORS Akihabara 2nd Store."

I also found information on social media such as Twitter about stores where you can use alcohol disinfectant, so I'll post it here.

This is Moriai.

Comments that are negative for the mahjong industry have also been broadcast.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused to you in many ways.

In addition to masks, Suzumetomo Club is taking various measures such as using disinfectant, ventilation, and humidification, and we will continue to operate vigorously every day, so we appreciate your continued support. https://t.co/yVIIAh42dS

— Sparrow Club Akihabara (@janyu_akiba) February 27, 2020

When disinfecting with alcohol
Apply plenty and wash by hand
It seems to be good even for the toes and arms.

We look forward to your visit 🐕🌸

Azuki Shiba no Sato #Mameshiba Cafe No. You can also interact with the world's smallest Shiba Inu, the Azuki Shiba, which is smaller than the Mame Shiba. #Azukishiba Cafe .#Azukishiba no Sato Akihabara Store #Azukishiba no Sato Okayama Station Store #Fujinoso pic.twitter.com/x9UpUzAwM3

— Azuki Shiba no Sato Ueno Store (@akibaazuki48) February 28, 2020

Just to let you know,To be honest, you can disinfect with alcohol on the premise that you will be using the store.Don't go just to get alcohol disinfectant!!(I posted this but...)

Introducing drugstores around Akihabara

The most recent new store is Welcia Akihabara Ekimae, which opened on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.
It is located on the first floor of "BiTO AKIBA," a building in front of Akihabara Station that houses Sushiro, Matsuo Jingisukan, and other restaurants.

Coronavirus infections are expanding day by day.
On Wednesday, February 26th, Prime Minister Abe announced that he would request the cancellation or postponement of sports and cultural events to prevent the spread of COVID-2.
As a result, various otaku events, including "Anime Japan 2020" and concerts scheduled to be held in March, have been canceled.
It's sad that events we were looking forward to will not be held, but it's unavoidable in order to prevent the spread of infection.
I hope the coronavirus problem will be resolved as soon as possible.
And I sincerely hope that Akihabara will return to its usual lively state.