By: Alex
“It looks like an all-out street brawl is about to go down in Kamurocho.” That might be what fans of the Yakuza game series imagine upon seeing photos shared by Twitter user @GOLDMAN4160.
Kabukicho Ichiban-gai Corona no eikyou nan desu ka, hito inai tte yourei ja nai desu ne. Genzai jikan 2-ji 30-fun desu ga, nemuranai machi Kabukicho to iwarete ita noni konna hito inai no hajimete ka mo shirenai. pic.twitter.com/5IjrwUFeq7
— Zelda (@GOLDMAN4160) March 8, 2020
After nightfall, Kabukicho in Shinjuku is normally bustling with entertainment venues such as cinemas, bars, and arcade centers—alive with nightlife until the sun rises again the next day. But now, due to the impact of COVID-19, photos shared online show it resembles a ghost town: shops closed early, streets eerily empty, with just the occasional passerby hurrying by.
▲(Photo by GOLDMAN4160 @Twitter)
Twitter user @GOLDMAN4160 wrote in their tweet: “In Kabukicho Ichiban-gai, this level of foot traffic is likely due to the coronavirus. It’s 2:30 a.m., and this might be the first time I’ve ever seen so few people, even in Kabukicho, known as the city that never sleeps.”
▲(Photo by GOLDMAN4160 @Twitter)
Other netizens were also surprised by the desolate sight of Kabukicho: “It feels strange,” “Is this Tokyo’s doomsday?” “I’ve never seen Kabukicho like this,” and “Feels like zombies could show up any moment.”
One commenter, presumably a Yakuza fan, noted that Kabukicho now looks very similar to the fictional Kamurocho from the game—and even called on fans to visit and recreate a photo with the protagonist Kiryu Kazuma.
▲ Screenshot from the Yakuza game
▲ Screenshot from the Yakuza game
In fact, the fictional Kamurocho in the game is almost entirely modeled after the real-life Kabukicho. For years, many fans have been “traveling through games,” visiting each location their favorite characters have been. On the other hand, some netizens pointed out that Kabukicho was also completely empty during a typhoon last year, with photos to prove it.
About a year ago, it became popular on Twitter.
— Eguretertt (@eguretertt) March 9, 2020
Not a single person in Kabukicho
I'll post the miracle photo here.
Que,Taifengshiqingxiezhen. pic.twitter.com/847cd38xJx
▲ Netizens pointed out that Kabukicho was also deserted during a typhoon last year. (Photo by eguretertt @Twitter)
Source: SoraNews24