Apr 14, 2020 (soranews24.com) - Imposing scene has some people now fearing the authorities.
This weekend was the first since Prime Minister Abe declared a month-long state of emergency across seven of the country’s prefectures, including Tokyo, on 7 April. It was also the first weekend since Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike asked a number of businesses to close, including: night clubs, bars, cabaret clubs, karaoke joints, Internet cafes, live music venues, game arcades and mah-jongg and pachinko parlours.
With the government targeting drinking establishments and nightlife districts as high-risk places for coronavirus infections, Koike initially wanted izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) to close as well, but she eventually agreed to a compromise after pushback from Prime Minister Abe’s administration. Restaurants in the city are now being asked to limit their hours to 5 a.m.-8 p.m., with places that serve alcoholic drinks asked to close by 7 p.m.
Ahead of the weekend, Koike strongly urged people of the metropolis to protect lives by staying home during the next month, and before the business closures came into effect at midnight on Friday, the police were already out on the streets to ensure that the public were acting in line with the governor’s wishes.
