Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and six other prefectures, including the neighboring areas of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections.
It is NOT a hard lockdown like in Europe; it is expected that the majority of the workers will still be heading to the office tomorrow morning. Public transportation will remain running and roads will stay open.
The declaration is in effect until May 6th, which is the end of the "Golden Week" holiday period.
The government has the authority to call off any events scheduled during this period, and tourist attractions will remain closed.
*update April 16
Now the entire country is under state of emergency.