With just hours left on Tuesday before
Japan imposes a state of emergency on Tokyo and six other prefectures to contain the coronavirus, the idea of leaving the capital, or "Escape from Tokyo," swirled on social media.
Karuizawa, a mountainous area long known as a fashionable weekend retreat, has already seen a rise in cars with Tokyo-area number plates, according to local media, particularly on the two weekends since Tokyo's governor asked people to stay home.