Honeymoon over as Suga faces make-or-break moment on virus

Japanese leader's approval rating slumps 32 points in three months

20201228N Suga

The public is turning up the heat on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for what it sees as his poor response to the pandemic.

YUKIO TAJIMA and YUKI FUJITA, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- A fresh ban on foreign visitors announced less than a week before New Year's Day was a telling sign of the high pressure Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga faces as he grapples with a deeply unhappy public that has sent his approval ratings tanking.

"We implemented the entry restrictions in order to get ahead of the situation," Suga told reporters Monday, explaining the ban on entry from all countries that took effect the same day.

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