The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced today that popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Ueno Park, Yoyogi Park and Inokashira Park will be closed this weekend to discourage the public from gathering under the seasonal flowers.
The move comes after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike urged Tokyoites not to venture outside this weekend, with fears that residents were becoming blasé to the risk of the spread of COVID-19.
While the parks will remain open, paths and areas from which cherry blossoms can be viewed will be blocked. According to the officials, the closures will remain in place until the end of the cherry blossom viewing season.
The closures follow a spike in the number of confirmed cases in Tokyo on Wednesday the 25th of March and Thursday the 26th.
