The Ghibli Museum announced on Friday that the museum is extending its closure until April 28. The museum cited concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as well as its plan to move up its regularly scheduled maintenance from May to April. Tickets for April 29 through May 31 will go on sale on April 10.
The museum has remained closed since February 25 due to concerns over COVID-19, and it had offered refunds for tickets dated through March 30. It is now offering refunds for tickets until April 30.
The museum had announced on Monday that it is delaying the sale of all tickets for April visits until the museum reopens. Before its current closure, it had planned to be closed from May 19 to May 29 for its regular semiannual maintenance. It now plans to use its current closure for maintenance and stay open in May.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said on February 27 that the government is asking elementary, junior high, and high schools to close until the end of spring break in early April to contain the spread of COVID-19. The government is also encouraging children and others to stay home and avoid large gatherings for the next few weeks. In March, venues and events such as Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan, Sanrio Puro Land, NAMJATOWN, and AnimeJapan are canceled, downscaled, or temporarily closed.
As of Thursday, the WHO reported that Japan has 620 cases of COVID-19 with 15 deaths. These numbers do not include the number of cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama. That cruise ship had 696 infected passengers and seven deaths.
Sources: Ghibli Museum’s website