Supermarkets and convenience stores decided Thursday to stay open as usual in the coming days, after a request by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s for residents in the capital not to leave home over the weekend.

On the other hand, some operators of entertainment facilities such as movie theaters and amusement parks responded to Wednesday’s stay-at-home request by making decisions to close temporarily.

“We’re going to do business as usual because we’re supplying goods essential for daily life,” said an official at supermarket giant Aeon Co..

Rival Ito-Yokado Co., which has already introduced reduced business hours at some of its stores, will continue its services as well.

So will grocery store operator Life Corp., although the company will refrain from handing out sales flyers for 121 outlets in the Tokyo metropolitan area between Saturday and April 3 “to ease in-store congestion and maintain a stable supply of goods.”

The three leading convenience store operators — Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Lawson Inc. and FamilyMart Co. — will continue regular operations except for some outlets.

Following Koike’s request, many people scrambled to supermarkets to hoard food, putting some products — including instant noodles, rice and frozen dishes — out of stock.

“It was fortunate that today was my day off,” said a 35-year-old company worker with four grocery sacks in her hands after shopping at a supermarket in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. “I want this situation to end soon.”

An official at a supermarket industry group said, “Product logistics are going well, and the low supply of products will be resolved gradually, so stay calm.”

Department store operator Sogo & Seibu Co. also decided to continue services at its stores through the weekend while maintaining its current shortened hours.

On the other hand, Takashimaya Co., another department store operator, said it would close goods sales floors at three stores in Tokyo and Yokohama on Saturday and Sunday, while allowing restaurants at the outlets to open on shortened business hours.

Skylark Holdings Co. will not run late night services at any of its 275 restaurant stores, including Gusto family restaurants, and end at midnight for both days this weekend.

Starbucks Japan said it would close all stores in Tokyo, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures on Saturday and Sunday.

In the entertainment industry, Shochiku Co. will shutter movie theaters in Tokyo and Kanagawa on Saturday and Sunday, and suspend its late-at-night services thereafter.

Seibu Holdings Inc. has decided to shut amusement parks Toshimaen, in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, and Seibuen, in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture as well as Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, an aquarium-amusement park complex in Yokohama, for the time being starting Saturday. Toshimaen resumed operations only five days ago following a previous closure due to the virus.

RELATED PHOTOS A department store run by Takashimaya Co. in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo in September 2018 | BLOOMBERG