TOKYO -- Japanese consumers have come together to act on a shared feeling of self-restraint at least three times since 1988. When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe late last month requested that big sports and cultural events be canceled or postponed as a precaution against the new coronavirus, the mood descended upon the nation once again.
Japan's previous journeys into introspection came either when the emperor's health declined or after a devastating earthquake. And each time, Japanese acted out their self-restraint in a different manner.
