Osaka and Kyoto call for COVID-19 state of emergency

Five more Japanese prefectures seek government order for tougher restrictions

20210108N Osaka Minami Kani-doraku night image

The Minami shopping and dining district in Osaka last month. Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has called for restrictions to stem the spread of record cases there. (Photo by Yuichiro Takagi)

KEIJIRO OHATA and YASUHIRO IKEMITSU, Nikkei staff writers

OSAKA/KYOTO -- The governors of the greater Osaka area urged the Japanese government to expand its coronavirus state of emergency to include their prefectures, as the localities set daily records for the spread of infections.

A state of emergency declared on Thursday covered Tokyo and its three neighboring prefectures. The governors of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo have decided to make a formal request to be added to that list.

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