The infection control measures taken by the Japanese government due to the COVID-19 pandemic have severely affected events organizations. Based on an online survey conducted from March 16 to 19, 2021, this paper discusses the behavior and consciousness of event participants under Japan's infection control measures of “self-restraint.” The survey targeted the period between the first declaration of the state of emergency and the end of the second declaration in Japan. We analyzed the varying effects of calls for self-restraint on participation in different events at each stage of the pandemic policy, and the factors influencing continued participation in face-to-face events. Event management is a typical case where ordinary people react to and challenge the government’s infection control measures. Our survey revealed the effects of the government’s requests for “self-restraint.” However, its impact differed among different types of events. The effectiveness of the request for “self-restraint” varies with the degree to which people were committed to event participation.