Photo/Illutration Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura speaks about COVID-19-related issues at the Osaka prefectural government office in August. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

All of Japan’s 19 prefectures currently covered by the COVID-19 state of emergency are expected to allow restaurants and bars to serve alcoholic beverages from Oct. 1 after the declaration is lifted, sources said. 

While 16 of the prefectures will continue to ask restaurants and bars to cut their business hours, Ibaraki, Shizuoka and Shiga prefectures plan not to do so. 

The 16 prefectures are Hokkaido, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Gifu, Aichi, Mie, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Okinawa. 

Ibaraki Prefecture will stop asking eateries to shorten business hours and permit them to serve alcoholic beverages. 

“Returning economic activity to the original state will be the next task,” Ibaraki Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa said on Sept. 27. 

Most prefectures will follow the government’s basic policy stating that establishments certified by prefectures that have taken sufficient anti-virus measures will be allowed to operate until 9 p.m., while others can remain open until 8 p.m. 

Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures are asking certified establishments to stop serving alcohol after 8:30 p.m.

Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Aichi and other prefectures will request that they refrain from serving alcohol after 8 p.m. 

Tokyo, Tochigi, Chiba and Hyogo prefectures will also ask eateries to limit the number of customers in one group to four or fewer while Kanagawa Prefecture will do the same but also offer customers the alternative of limiting their group to members of the same family.

Japan is lifting its state of emergency and pre-emergency measures in all areas for the first time in nearly half a year. 

Many governors are cautious over restarting full-scale economic activity.

“Let’s prevent a rebound from occurring (in COVID-19 cases) so we don't make all the efforts meaningless,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Sept. 28. 

“It is important to try to find ways to live with the new coronavirus,” Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said. 

At the same time, among eight prefectures where pre-emergency measures will be lifted, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ishikawa, Kagawa, Miyazaki and Kagoshima plan not to ask eating and drinking establishments to close early and will allow them to serve alcohol. 

Kumamoto Prefecture will continue to ask eateries in Kumamoto city to close by 8 p.m. until Oct. 14 because the city’s hospital bed occupancy rate remains high. 

Okayama Prefecture will decide its policy on eateries on Sept. 29.

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