As Japan cautiously ends its state of emergency which affected parts of the country, more steps have been taken in order to return things to normal. One of those steps is to gradually resume concerts and other mass gathering types of events after previously canceling them nationwide. However, just because of restriction being eased doesn’t mean Japan has completely conquered the deadly coronavirus. It also remains to see how the concert venues will respond along with the fans who are a driving force.
The Japanese government laid out guidelines on May 25 disclosing the restrictions of mass gathering.
- Until June 18: 100 attendees if indoors, 200 attendees if outdoors.
- June 19–July 9: Up to 1000 attendees.
- July 10–July 31: Up to 5000 attendees.
- August 1: Possible lift of limitation.
In addition to the numbers above, indoor concerts and events should aim not to exceed 50% of the venue’s total capacity—even after August 1. Outdoor events have been suggested to allow for a two meters distance between attendees “if possible”.
These guidelines are not enforced by law, however, the Japanese government could potentially issue formal requests to both citizens and businesses if they see fit. We’ve observed this in Tokyo already where live houses are still asked to stay shut until further notice. Thanks to bands like lynch. who is donating all profits from their OVERCOME THE VIRUS single, the burden has been relieved for some live houses.