The health ministry is compiling a guideline to prevent the spread of new types of influenza and deal with potential outbreaks amid concerns a global flu pandemic may soon emerge.
The guideline, the first of its kind in Japan, is expected to urge people to avoid meeting in large groups and avoid traveling abroad, and to call for prioritizing production of vaccines, health officials said.
Prefectural governments will create their own plans based on the national government's guideline.
Most people do not have immunity to flu viruses that have never spread before, and the ministry fears new types of flu virus could spread on a massive scale.
Concern over emergence of new viruses is growing in line with the rising number of people in Asia who have contracted the H5N1 bird flu, which it is feared could mutate.
On Friday, the World Health Organization repeated its call for strong international cooperation to avert a bird flu pandemic.