Japan quietly reopens as much of world locks down

Spared a national curfew, businesses weigh health and economic risks

The deserted streets of New York, left, contrast sharply with how Japanese cities like Sapporo are lifting emergency measures. (Photos from Jiji and Getty Images)

MITSURU OBE and AKANE OKUTSU, Nikkei staff writers

March 20, 2020 04:03 JST

NAGASAKI/TOKYO -- Businesses and schools in Japan are gradually moving out of a voluntary shutdown called for by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month, as the coronavirus crisis brings into focus the question of how to balance the economy and public health.