<p>Japan's top baseball and soccer leagues asked the government on Tuesday to ease restrictions on the number of fans who can attend games amid the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>Since July 10, up to 5,000 fans have been allowed into stadiums for J League soccer matches and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) games but at a joint news conference on Tuesday the leagues asked for that number to be increased to 20,000.</p>.<p>"We have been doing well, while changing our guidelines to ensure that spectators can enjoy a safe and secure environment. That has been effective," NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito said.</p>.<p>Games had initially been held in empty stadiums when the NPB season began after a three-month delay in June, while the J League resumed in early July after a four-month break.</p>.<p>Both leagues have seen individual cases of infections among players and staff but have avoided large clusters of infections.</p>.<p>While allowing reduced numbers of fans at venues has gone smoothly, getting more spectators through the doors would come as a boost not only to the teams but also local businesses.</p>.<p>Japan's economy sank deeper into its worst post-war contraction in the second quarter as the pandemic jolted businesses more than initially thought.</p>.<p>As of Tuesday, Japan has had over 73,000 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, resulting in 1,393 deaths. </p>
<p>Japan's top baseball and soccer leagues asked the government on Tuesday to ease restrictions on the number of fans who can attend games amid the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>Since July 10, up to 5,000 fans have been allowed into stadiums for J League soccer matches and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) games but at a joint news conference on Tuesday the leagues asked for that number to be increased to 20,000.</p>.<p>"We have been doing well, while changing our guidelines to ensure that spectators can enjoy a safe and secure environment. That has been effective," NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito said.</p>.<p>Games had initially been held in empty stadiums when the NPB season began after a three-month delay in June, while the J League resumed in early July after a four-month break.</p>.<p>Both leagues have seen individual cases of infections among players and staff but have avoided large clusters of infections.</p>.<p>While allowing reduced numbers of fans at venues has gone smoothly, getting more spectators through the doors would come as a boost not only to the teams but also local businesses.</p>.<p>Japan's economy sank deeper into its worst post-war contraction in the second quarter as the pandemic jolted businesses more than initially thought.</p>.<p>As of Tuesday, Japan has had over 73,000 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, resulting in 1,393 deaths. </p>