Japan's cruise ships set sail amid sea of COVID worries

Safety measures sink onboard fun while ports prove less than welcoming

20201105 asuka

Bookings have been rolling in for weekend and New Year's tours on the Asuka II.

KEIGO YOSHIDA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- With Japan's tourism picking up thanks to a government-subsidized travel campaign, large cruise ships resumed operations on Nov. 2.

But despite onboard measures to eradicate or vastly reduce any threat of COVID-19 contamination -- based on the misfortune of the virus-infected Diamond Princess stranded for weeks off the port of Yokohama earlier in the year -- issues still remain for eager passengers waiting to cruise.

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