The Government of Japan established guidelines for the tentative resumption of concerts, events, and other activities in response to the lifting of the national state of emergency by the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees to concerts, exhibitions, and other events will be limited to just 100 people (or 200 at outdoor events) until June 18.
From that date, the events will be able to host up to 1,000 people between June 19 and July 9, and after this date up to a total of 5,000 people between July 10 and 31. The limits on the number of attendees will finally be withdrawn from August 1.
Throughout these reopening phases, indoor events should limit the number of attendees to 50% of the capacity of the venue. This restriction will continue even after August 1. For outdoor events, attendees should keep a distance of at least two meters from each other, if possible. Additionally, professional sports will be able to resume their activities on June 19, but the matches will not have spectators until next July 10.
People will be able to resume travel between prefectures from June 1. However, the government requests that people not travel to or from Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba or Hokkaido, at least until June 19. Tourism within the prefectures will resume next Monday with the exception of tourism between prefectures that will be allowed until June 19. Any other restrictions on tourism will be removed from August 1.
The Japanese government said it will not apply legal sanctions to the new guidelines, and the governors of each prefecture may issue additional signals to citizens and businesses depending on the situation in each prefecture. For example, Tokyo is requesting that the "live houses" (small live music venues) remain closed until further notice. If COVID-19 statistics increase again, the central government could postpone the application of the reopening measures.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced earlier today that the government has decided to withdraw the declaration of a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic from the remaining prefectures, resulting in the entire country leaving the state of emergency. The declaration was made six days before the end of the emergency period originally planned for May 31.
