Japan Extends State Of Emergency Through May 31

The Japanese government announced that it is extending the state of emergency for all of Japan through May 31, 2020. The state of emergency was initially announced on April 7 for Tokyo and six prefectures but was the expanded to all prefectures on April 16. The Japanese government may extend the state of emergency further depending on the spread of COVID-19 within the country. The state of emergency may be lifted with respect to certain prefectures prior to May 31 depending on the spread of infections within those prefectures.

All measures are largely voluntary under the special measures law. As discussed in our prior blog post, prefectural governors can request or demand restrictions on the use of various establishments in their respective prefectures. Prefectural governors can also demand the sale of essential supplies such as medicinal supplies and food, as well as compulsorily use privately owned land or buildings as temporary medical facilities. Public