TOKYO (CelebrityAccess) — Japan, which saw the 2020 Summer Olympics postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is preparing to re-open the the live music industry without capacity restrictions as early as August.
The island nation, which first began grappling with coronavirus in February, ended its state of emergency at the end of May and has begun moving towards a resumpton of public life.
Japan has already allowed concerts to resume, but capacity for shows is still limited to just 100 fans, or 200 for outdoor shows. That is likely to change on June 19th, when Japan will expand capacity to 1,000 and then 5,000 on July 10th.
A full resumption of outdoor live events without capacity restriction is on track for August 1st.
Japan’s guidelines still advocate for social distancing, recommending that attendees at events maintain social distancing, including at outdoor events where attendees are recommended to maintain “sufficient distance of two meters if possible.” However, the guidelines will not be legally enforced.
In additione, indoor concerts and events should try to not to exceed 50% of the venue’s total capacity—even after August 1.
Japan, whose population readily adopted wearing masks, has had a relatively light brush with COVID-19. According to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, Japan has reported just over 17,000 confirmed cases and 922 deaths from COVID-19.
