Today's Close-Up

Spot Report: A Famous Shopping Street's Unsettling Spring (2020x13)

Air date: Apr 24, 2020

In late February, a cluster of coronavirus cases was traced to live music venues in central Osaka Prefecture. About a 10-minute walk from these venues is Japan's longest covered shopping street: Tenjinbashisuji. Its 600 or so establishments range from souvenir shops and kimono stores to bars and restaurants. As the virus spreads, the flow of customers declines. Then the Olympics are postponed. The street reels from this series of heavy blows. We report from the scene as shopkeepers react and try to cope.