Japan’s Cinemas Begin Partial Reopening1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJapan’s major movie theater circuits have begun a partial reboot after shutting down mid-April, when the Tokyo government declared a national emergency in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Japan is home to the world’s third-largest box office, so any significant resumption of business there will represent a significant step toward getting the global theatrical sector back on track. China, the globe’s No. 2 film territory, said late last week that theatres would be allowed to reopen provided that necessary safety measures were established.
Toho Cinemas, Japan’s largest film exhibitor, said Tuesday that it would reopen 10 theatres across the Japanese prefectures (akin to states) with the lowest reported coronavirus caseloads. Nationwide chain Aeon Cinemas said Wednesday that it would be following Toho’s lead, rebooting 27 multiplexes in 16 prefectures beginning 18 May.
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