Large queues formed at supermarkets and stores in Tokyo on Friday as residents in the Japanese capital prepared for a weekend at home, after the city’s governor called on them to remain indoors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Governor Yuriko Koike’s plea on Wednesday to refrain from non-essential, non-urgent outings through April 12, and especially this weekend, prompted residents to stock up on everything from instant noodles and rice to toiletries and fresh produce, despite public-service warnings against hoarding. Yuri Inoue, a 31-year-old graphic designer in Tokyo, said she was one of the “panic buyers”, hoarding food for the next two weeks to allay concerns from her parents living outside Tokyo.
