Photo/Illutration Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, center, holds a video conference on April 21 with the heads of local governments in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. (Yuki Okado)

The government plans to ask Tokyo and three prefectures in western Japan to request that bars and restaurants stop serving alcohol under the planned third state of emergency, sources said. 

At the same time, some government officials are concerned such a measure might lead residents of the affected prefectures to cross borders in search of a drink. That may mean a wider area of prefectures will also be asked to stop serving alcohol. 

Talks between the central government and four prefectures are dragging on as officials mull various proposals for the state of emergency that include more expansive virus countermeasures than previously taken. 

The central government plans to declare a state of emergency on April 23. The Tokyo metropolitan government and three prefectures in western Japan--Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto--have put forward different ideas for combatting the worsening coronavirus situation.

Tokyo wants all bars and restaurants to stop serving alcohol once a state of emergency is in place, sources said.

Osaka prefectural officials submitted three options to the central government regarding bars and restaurants. The most severe would ask them to close their doors during the state of emergency.

The other two include a similar alcohol ban to what Tokyo is proposing. The second would ask bars and restaurants to close their doors at 8 p.m. on weekdays and remain closed throughout weekends. The third asks them to close their doors at 8 p.m. every day.

Tokyo metropolitan officials are considering continuing the 8 p.m. closing-time measure that is currently in place.

Tokyo is also considering asking karaoke parlors, bowling alleys and video game arcades to close operations.

Osaka is seeking to ask department stores, movie theaters, amusement parks and shopping centers to close, while Tokyo is aiming to target large commercial facilities of at least 1,000 square meters for closure.

Both Tokyo and Osaka are considering asking public schools to suspend all extracurricular activities. But closing all schools completely is not currently under consideration.

The jurisdictions also differ over how long they want the state of emergency to remain in place. While Osaka is looking at a period of three to four weeks, Tokyo has another proposal, with the state of emergency to begin either on April 25 or 26 and last until May 11 or 16.

An official in the prime minister’s office said the discussions have been going slow because prefectures are proposing to target a much wider range of businesses than last time.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike explained on the morning of April 22 that Tokyo submitted its request for a state of emergency the day before because its own health experts have warned that infections are spreading faster now due to variant strains of the coronavirus.

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