Friday's release of a list of businesses expected to close Saturday under the capital's own emergency virus measures represents a partial victory for Gov. Yuriko Koike over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration, which had sought to put off such requests for two weeks.
Pachinko parlors, game centers and internet cafes in the metropolis will be asked to close, but izakaya (traditional Japanese pubs) will be allowed to operate, albeit only until 8 p.m., Koike said Friday. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the capital have surpassed 1,700, raising worries Tokyo could be the next global population center to see an overwhelming surge.
The measures, however, carry no penalties for noncompliance, unlike steps being taken by many other countries struck by the pandemic.