The Japanese government has officially decided to lift the quasi-state of emergency covering 18 prefectures including Tokyo on March 21. This will be the first time in two months that Tokyo will not be required to observe quasi-emergency restrictions, but there are still a few guidelines we’ll be asked to follow.
Here’s what the end of emergency restrictions will mean for Tokyo, according to The Mainichi. You can find more details in the newspaper’s Japanese edition. These rules will be in place in Tokyo from March 21:
- Businesses will no longer be asked to limit opening hours
- Restaurants and bars that have been certified for following Covid-19 safety protocol will no longer be asked to stop serving alcohol at a certain time
- Non-certified restaurants and bars can only serve alcohol between 11am and 9pm
- Non-certified restaurants and bars can only seat a maximum of four people per table for up to two hours per visit
- There will be a ‘rebound alert period’ from March 22 until April 24
- During this time, people are asked to refrain from hanami parties and continue avoiding crowded places
In addition, Tokyo Metropolitan Government venues which were temporarily closed during the quasi-emergency will be allowed to gradually reopen. This includes Ueno Zoo, which will be welcoming visitors again from March 23.
With the rate of new infections decreasing, the Japanese government is also expected to raise the cap on overseas arrivals from 7,000 people a day to 10,000 people per day. Here’s our outline of Japan’s current border measures.
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