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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caught parents off guard when he announced his request for schools to be closed. (Nikkei montage)

YUHEI ASAKURA and JADA NAGUMO, Nikkei staff writers

February 28, 2020 20:19 JST

TOKYO -- Japan's government, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has surprised the nation by requesting the closure of all elementary, junior high and senior high schools as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus. With the closure due to start on Monday and last until early April, the news has left parents somewhat perplexed about how they will cope, especially those who work.