In Tokyo, during a state of emergency and in the middle of a global pandemic, you can still go out for a bowl of ramen or grab some yakitori at a Japanese-style izakaya pub.

In one ward, local mayoral election campaigns are underway, with supporters handing out leaflets in the streets.

As the spectacular pink and white cherry blossom petals float down in the wind, the country's coronavirus curve is on the rise.

But Japan is still betting that it can limit its number of COVID-19 cases without the need for a full lockdown like the ones seen in Australia, the United States or Europe.

And if it pays off, it would be a major win for the world's third-largest economy.

On April 7, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in seven regions including Tokyo, warning of a possible explosive spread of coronavirus.

But the measures he announced to fight the virus largely depend on voluntary compliance.

"This declaration of emergency is totally different from a city lockdown seen overseas," Prime Minister Abe said at the time.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said a strict lockdown could send people fleeing to rural areas, spreading infection. ( Reuters: Tomohiro Ohsumi )

"Overseas, when cities were put under lockdown, there were some places where a large number of people slipped out of the cities, resulting in havoc and a spread of infection.

"Right now, the greatest thing we should fear is fear itself."

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While announcing the state of emergency on April 7, Mr Abe said that there was no reason to lock down Japan's largest cities.

At the time, he said experts told him the infection risk in Tokyo or Osaka was "not high at all, assuming citizens lead their normal lives while refraining from going out for non-essential, non-urgent reasons".

This week, the Prime Minister expanded the state of emergency to cover the entire nation in a bid to stop the spread during the "Golden Week" holiday starting in late April.

"We must avoid cases where people in cities with a large number of infections go to local areas. This will create our biggest fear: a rapid nationwide pandemic," he said.

Japan requests its citizens stay home

On Saturday, broadcaster NHK reported the number of confirmed cases had passed 10,000 and more than 200 people had died.

"This is a very dire situation, but fatalities per 100,000 people in Japan is 0.12 per cent, so by international comparison we have been able to contain numbers at a low level," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.

Residents have been asked to work from home, non-essential businesses should close or limit hours, and schools that have already shut should stay that way.

In most circumstances in Japan, there are no penalties if people don't comply with requests in a state of emergency.

The pandemic struck during Japan's stunning cherry blossom season, which usually draws millions of tourists. ( ABC News: )

However, Japanese economist Takahide Kiuchi from the Nomura Research Institute said public behaviour is changing even without the threat of fines.

"Compared to other nations, people in Japan relatively accept the Government's request even if it's not an order, so it's been effective to some extent," he said.

"However, if [experts] think the situation isn't sufficient after two weeks, the Government might ask for further restrictions and then it won't be that different compared to the lockdowns in the United States and Europe."

It's a delicate balance that all countries have faced as they grapple with the worst pandemic in 100 years.

How far do you go to contain the outbreak without destroying the economy and severely restricting personal freedoms?

Japan's Federal Government fears a total coronavirus lockdown would cripple its economy. ( ABC News: Yumi Asada )

"I think there's always the issue between the lives of the people and the economy. Both are valid arguments," said Professor Kenji Shibuya, head of the Institute for Population Health at King's College in London.

"I think Japan thinks that keeping the economy running would be important.

"But my argument is, if you look at other countries, there are very few which have been successful to contain the transmission without lockdown. Even Singapore ... ended up locking down."

Why did Tokyo go its own way?

Tokyo's Governor Yuriko Koike has been at loggerheads with Shinzo Abe's government over the best way to manage the situation.

She has wanted much stricter measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.

In Tokyo, city officials are urging people to avoid what they call "the three C's": closed spaces, crowds, and close contact.

But even in Japan's capital, this is a request as they don't have legal powers to force a lockdown.

It's more about asking people to perform their civic duty rather than imposing penalties.

"Tokyo wants to stop the infection from spreading and prioritise the health and lives of [its] citizens," economist Takahide Kiuchi said.

"The [national] Government of course thinks that's important too, but considers the impact on the economy and society."

According to Mr Kiuchi, the conflict continues between Tokyo and Shinzo Abe's government.

"Tokyo wants to request companies to close their business as much as possible but the national government wants to keep the numbers relatively small as it regards economic activities vital," he said.

Restaurants in Tokyo are allowed to stay open, but are encouraged to limit hours and the number of customers who eat in. ( ABC News: Yumi Asada )

Restaurants in Tokyo, for example, have been asked to only open between 5:00am and 8:00pm, with last alcoholic drinks served at 7:00pm.

Many businesses in Tokyo have chosen to close.

Some are staying open because they feel the financial support from the local and national governments isn't enough.

Tokyo has promised between $7,000 to $15,000 for businesses that comply with new measures and the national government is giving about $1,500 to every citizen.

Kousuke Shimizu, who runs eight bars and restaurants here, is following the new recommendations while trying to stay open to help his employees.

"In these tough times we have to stay open so that people can keep their jobs," he said.

His establishments used to open between 6:00pm and 1:00am, but now he's switching up his times, as well as offering takeout and breakfast options.

"It won't be any use if we end up in the red. I shudder to think what will happen if this situation persists for another 12 months."

Tokyo taxi driver Sachiko Ohuchi believes the pleas to stay home are largely working.

Sachiko Ohuchi drives a taxi in Tokyo and says she has lost more than half her business due to coronavirus. ( ABC News: Yumi Asada )

She's seen her business drop by more than half since the outbreak, often going hours without anyone hailing a ride.

Her taxi has special plastic barriers installed to protect both her and the passengers.

Sachiko has installed this plastic sheet to protect herself and her customers from the spread of the virus. ( ABC News: Yumi Asada )

"I'm not sure if I can make a living and pay my rent. I feel anxious and think, 'is it okay to continue like this?'" she said.

"I'm also worried that I could get infected … and I have a family."

Health and economic crisis poses problems

Economist Takahide Kiuchi said getting the balance right between protecting public health and the economy is hard.

Many schools are closed in Japan, but the country's coronavirus containment measures are largely voluntary. ( Reuters: Edgard Garrido )

But the consequences of inaction on public health could be catastrophic, with Health Ministry experts predicting that if no countermeasures are taken, 850,000 people in Japan could become seriously ill.

Up to 400,000 could die because of a lack of ventilators.

"If it was okay to sacrifice the economic and social activities, the [national] Government should have declared the state of emergency more quickly," Mr Kiuchi said.

"But the balance is important. I think it's difficult to say whether the Government's decision was late at this point."

A staff member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government encourages people to go home after a state of emergency was declared. ( Reuters: Issei Kato )

Initially, the Japanese Government was successful in targeting coronavirus clusters, according to public health expert Kenji Shibuya.

"At the beginning, cluster control, focusing on the suspected cases and testing and tracing and isolating them was very successful," Professor Shibuya said.

"But big cities like Tokyo, it's not just person-to-person [transmission]. Potentially, the virus will survive on the surfaces of smartphones, doorknobs and luggage, so in the big cities, it's hard to trace that.

"Also because they limit the number of tests, they miss all the potential community transmission," he said.

He believes the number of tests was limited because confirmed COVID-19 patients must be taken to hospitals, in a move that would quickly overwhelm the health system.

People who test positive for COVID-19 but have mild or no symptoms will be isolated in hotel rooms. ( Reuters: Issei Kato )

Some prefectures including Tokyo are now moving people with mild or no symptoms into hotels to relieve pressure on hospitals.

Japan's biggest challenge? Adjusting to remote work

Remote work is proving to be an acute challenge for Japan, even though the Government wants 70 per cent of people to work from home.

A March survey by Tokyo's Chamber of Commerce and Industry surveyed 1,300 small and medium-sized businesses and found that more than half had no plan for remote work.

They said they didn't have the right systems or equipment or were worried about security in the company.

Others have had to go into offices because that's the only way they can pay their mailed bills.

Fashion magazine director Chiho Inoue and her husband are both working from home, but it hasn't been easy for everyone.

Chiho is happy working remotely due to the pandemic but says some Japanese workers are struggling. ( Supplied: Chiho )

"My company didn't have a system for telework until now, but it was preparing the system for caregivers and people who were raising a child. I was able to switch smoothly so I was very lucky," she said.

"There are other company employees who have to go to work to get a rubber stamp or because there's a device that can only be used at the office."

She hopes that this pandemic will ultimately help more businesses in Japan embrace modern technology.

"Japan has many meetings. It's good if it can switch to online, but that depends on the individual skills, like the ability to use online chat tools or meeting apps.

"If you're not able to persuade a person in a managerial position, you might have no choice but to go to work," she said.