The website of the Kyukamura Oku-daisen resort hotel.

YONAGO, Tottori -- A resort hotel here in the Tottori Prefecture town of Kofu, in western Japan, will open its doors for free to local children from March 9 to 31, as schools have temporarily closed as part of measures to halt the spread of the new coronavirus.

Many reservations at the hotel, Kyukamura Oku-daisen, have been canceled due to the virus concerns and the number of bookings for March dropped to about a half the figure for an average year. As a result, the resort decided to offer the use of its facilities for free to the children in a bid to contribute to the local community.

Staff at the hotel are preparing different daily programs, such as making snow huts and ice cream, while providing spaces to study. The services are mainly intended for elementary school children but junior high and high school students can also take part.

The hotel is located at the foot of Mount Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region.

(Japanese original by Nobuhiro Yokoi, Yonago Local Bureau)