Scaled-down beer garden opens in northern Japan amid pandemic

One of Japan's largest beer gardens opened Friday at a park in the city of Sapporo in the country's north, but the event has been scaled down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.This year's event, called "Mini Beer Garden" due to its reduced capacity from about 13,000 seats annually to only about 250 seats, welcomed visitors who had pre-booked tickets to avoid crowding as a measure against the virus.The event at Odori Park in central Sapporo on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, a popular tourist destination, had been canceled in April amid an increase in infections.Related coveREAD FULL ARTICLE