Photo/Illutration Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa speaks at a news conference on May 1. (Masato Tainaka)

The Kanagawa and Hyogo prefectural governments on May 1 ordered pachinko parlors that have remained open in defiance of the state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic to shut down.

Hyogo prefectural government issued three pachinko parlors a directive to suspend operations that day.

It marked the first time a local government has issued such an order, a much stronger measure, based on the revised special measures law to tackle the public health crisis.

The three parlors are located in Shinzaike, Maya and Nagata, all in Kobe.

The government made their names and addresses public.

The order is non-punitive, however.

The government initially named seven pachinko parlors that were still open on April 27 and 28 and asked them to shut down.

Among these, three in Toyooka and one in Sayo town have closed, the government confirmed.

Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa also issued a similar order to “Amaterasu” in Yokohama’s Hodogaya Ward on the day.

The Kanagawa prefectural government on April 28 named six pachinko parlors that had refused to follow the government's request for closure and remained open for business.

The government confirmed that four of them had closed as of the morning of May 1.

One in Yokohama agreed to close that day.

In the afternoon, prefectural officials visited Amaterasu, the last remaining parlor, and directly issued the order, which is also non-punitive.

A staff member of the parlor declined to comment, saying, "I’ve been told not to speak to (the media) by the owner.”

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