The Kyoto Prefectural Government decided Friday to ask restaurants and bars in 16 municipalities in the prefecture to move up their closing times to 9 p.m. or earlier to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The request, decided upon at the day's meeting of the prefectural government's coronavirus task force, will take effect on Monday and last until April 21.
The prefecture saw the need for tighter rules as neighboring Osaka, as well as Kobe and three other cities in Hyogo Prefecture, will be subject to stronger coronavirus countermeasures under a pre-emergency status starting Monday and continuing until May 5.