Coronavirus temporarily shuts down Pokemon Centers, stores, and cafes across Japan

The Pokemon Company is indeterminately closing 14 Pokemon Centers, seven Pokémon Stores, and two Pokemon Cafes across Japan due to surging coronavirus infections in the country.

The closures began Saturday.

The two developments that prompted the company to close were a worker infection at the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo branch on Sunday and the Japanese government's expansion of its declared state of emergency to eight more prefectures hosting the Pokémon Centers and Stores.

The Pokemon Centers were in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka DX, Osaka, Sapporo, Shibuya, Skytree Town, Tohoku, Tokyo DX, Mega Tokyo, Tokyo Bay, and Yokohama.

Meanwhile, the Pokemon Stores were in Gotemba, Narita Airport, Okinawa Rycom, Outlet Kisarazu, Kansai Airport, Shin Chitose Airport, and Tokyo Station.

The Kansai Airport branch was to permanently close at month's end.

The Pokemon Cafes are in Tokyo and Osaka.

In addition, Tokyo’s Pikachu Sweets shop would also temporarily close.

Only the Pokémon Center Kanazawa and the Pokemon Stores in Ehime, Oita, and Okayama Prefecture will remain open as the state of emergency does not cover them.

However, the Okayama Pokemon Store is permanently closing on August 31.