Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said Friday that the metropolitan government will request many businesses, including night clubs, karaoke parlors and pachinko pinball parlors, to suspend operations from Saturday in light of the state of emergency over the coronavirus epidemic.

For small businesses in the Japanese capital that follow the request, which go into effect at midnight Friday (3 p.m. GMT), the metropolitan government will provide up to one million yen per company.

Eateries such as "izakaya" dining bars will be allowed to operate, but they will be urged to shorten their hours to end at 8 p.m.

"It may seem harsh, but this can result in an early end to the outbreak," Koike told a press conference.

Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, said it will also call on some businesses to suspend operations from Saturday. Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, will do the same thing from Monday.

Osaka Prefecture in western Japan and Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan will decide on Monday whether to request business closures.

Tokyo and the four prefectures are among the seven covered in the central government's state of emergency declaration, made on Tuesday.

Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, which is not among the seven but has made its own declaration, is expected to consider a similar measure.

"We'll watch the situation closely," Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura said.

The moves are based on a special measures law revised recently to step up the fight to contain the virus. Other businesses targeted in the suspension request include live music clubs, amusement arcades, gymnasiums and theaters.

Some facilities with floor space of over 1,000 square meters, such as universities, art museums and stores that do not sell daily necessities, will also be asked to close temporarily.

The special measures law has no provisions for suspension requests for facilities of 1,000 square meters or less. The metropolitan government will make requests unrelated to the law for such locations.

Of the facilities outside the scope of the special measures law, small stores of 100 square meters or less will be allowed to operate on the condition that proper ventilation and disinfection of facilities are introduced, as well as body temperature checks of employees.

Izakaya bars and other eateries will be urged to shorten their hours to between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., with no serving of alcoholic drinks beyond 7 p.m.

Barbers, which were one focus of negotiations between the metropolitan government and the central government, will be exempt from the suspension request as "facilities necessary for maintaining livelihoods."

For the same reason, hardware stores and the daily necessities sections of department stores will also be allowed to operate.

Internet cafes and pachinko parlors will be asked to suspend operations.

The metropolitan government will provide 500,000 yen each for small businesses with only one store, and one million yen for small firms with multiple stores. Companies must follow the request until May 6, the end of the state of emergency, to be eligible for the aid.

The Tokyo government said it is investigating the number of businesses subject to the aid and the total cost of the initiative.

It will ask all events that may create crowded environments to be suspended, regardless of whether they are held indoors or outdoors.

The measures come on top of stay-at-home requests already in place.

There is concern about a potential collapse in the health care system in Tokyo, as the number of infected people in the capital has skyrocketed since late March.

The metropolis and the central government aim to reduce interactions between people by some 80 pct to stem the spread of the virus.

JIJI Press