Yuko Kasuya is Professor of Comparative Politics, Keio University. Hans H. Tung is Associate Professor of International Political Economy, National Taiwan University.
On April 7, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, but many people, including the governors of Tokyo and Osaka, thought this decision came too late. Reportedly, the reason for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's delay was opposition from influential corners of his cabinet because of the negative economic impact.
