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Wednesday, 5th November 2014
In General Japan News,
Yoyogi Park reopens to visitors
Enthusiasts of all things green and leafy, rejoice, as Yoyogi Park in central Tokyo is once again open following a two-month closure that was put into place on September 4th.
The news comes just in time to welcome a new wave of tourists who might have heard about the spectacular green space on the BBC Worldwide, which named the space one of the most beautiful parks in existence.
Visitors will no doubt want to explore the leafy banks of the lake where the trees are turning spectacular colours in the autumn, or visit the place where the first successful powered aircraft flight in Japan took place, can once again experience the magic of Yoyogi.
The park was closed in September by order of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which stated it had found a correlation between the area and an increasing number of people getting dengue fever.
Further investigation revealed that mosquitoes carrying the disease were the problem, causing roughly 160 people to become infected since August.
Officials have stated that the park is now entirely safe, with the mosquito population almost completely killed off following much colder weather. What's more, no tests conducted in the area have tested positive for dengue fever.
"It’s extremely unlikely for virus carrying mosquitoes to remain in the park," the local authority told the Japan Times.
Metropolitan government officials have confirmed that they will take measures such as spraying fountains and other spots with pesticides in order to prevent a recurrence next year.
The episode is extremely unusual, with dengue infection being eradicated in Japan since 1945.
Mosquitoes in Japan rarely cause more than a minor irritance for visitors to the country, although its advisable to bring repellent if you're hiking up into the mountains during the summer months.
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