Shibuya, Tokyo
Photo: Monica Silva/Unsplash

Japan may call new Covid-19 state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo on Friday

All four prefectures have formally requested stricter measures as they are overwhelmed by a fourth wave of infections

Kaila Imada
Written by
Kaila Imada
Advertising

[Update, April 23] According to The Japan Times, the government is looking at calling the new state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo starting from this Sunday April 25 to Tuesday May 11. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will be making a decision after a task force meeting today (April 23).

The new state of emergency will most likely include tougher restrictions like asking commercial facilities such as shopping malls, department stores and amusement parks to close temporarily. These restrictions are expected to stay in place throughout Golden Week.

The report also states that Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is considering banning alcohol sales at all bars and restaurants, regardless of the time of day.

***

[April 22] Earlier this week, Tokyo announced it was looking at a third state of emergency as Covid-19 cases continued to climb, despite the capital being placed under a quasi-state of emergency since Monday April 12. 

According to Kyodo News, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hyogo officially requested on Wednesday April 21 that the central government impose a state of emergency in their prefectures following Osaka's request on Tuesday April 20. The new state of emergency will allow for tougher restrictions, which may even include asking amusement parks and department stores to close temporarily.

Under the current quasi-state of emergency, restaurants and bars are asked to close by 8pm in densely populated areas and large events are capped at 5,000 people. People have also been asked to refrain from any unnecessary travel. 

As reported by The Japan Times, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will make a final decision by this Friday April 23 on whether to officially declare a state of emergency in the four prefectures. If imposed, Tokyo is apparently looking to keep the state of emergency in place from April 29 through to May 9, covering the upcoming Golden Week holidays.

Tokyo reported 843 new infections on Wednesday April 21, the highest number since January 29, when the previous state of emergency was still in effect. Numbers in Osaka have also been extremely high, with a record 1,242 new cases reported on April 21.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

More news

Take our Time Out Index survey and tell us what life is like in Tokyo

Will there be local spectators at the Tokyo Olympics? The decision may only come in June

Here’s the tentative timeline of Japan’s Covid-19 vaccination programme

Japanese airlines are offering special scenic flights instead of international travel

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are reducing daily visitor capacity by 75 percent

Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising