On January 4, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced he was considering declaring a state of emergency for Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures. But the governors of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba have decided to press ahead with their own coordinated emergency measures without waiting for the central government’s decision.

NHK reports that, at a video press conference on the evening of January 4, the four governors announced they were calling on all residents to refrain from non-essential outings after 8pm. Businesses serving alcohol are asked to end drink service by 7pm and close at 8pm.

The new restrictions will come into effect on Friday January 8 and last until January 31. From January 12, the 8pm closing time will be extended to all restaurants, even if they don’t serve alcohol. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government along with the three prefectural governments will also set goals to encourage remote work and call for winter illuminations to be turned off earlier – sorry night owls.

This is a developing story. We’ll keep this page updated as new information comes to hand.

Keep up with the latest Covid-19 news in Tokyo and Japan here.