SNA (Tokyo) — The following stories were reported in the first half of May 2020 by the Shingetsu News Agency.

Rolling Coverage: Covid-19

—The panel of experts advising the government on the Covid-19 crisis say that coronavirus policies and countermeasures need to be designed on the assumption that there will be no full resolution for at least one year.

—Kanagawa Prefecture has joined Tokyo and Osaka with more than 1,000 total confirmed Covid-19 cases since the pandemic reached Japan.

—Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda suggests that some schools in some prefectures may reopen even during the “state of emergency” period, based on local conditions.

—Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura slams the Abe government for its inept approach to the Covid-19 crisis: “If the central government does not lay out a strategy, we decided to have one of our own… If the economy remains completely suspended, this will result in the bankruptcy of many businesses and a spike in unemployment, matters that themselves are certain to take people’s lives.”

—Hokkaido is one prefecture where the infection trend in recent weeks has been somewhat more concerning, based on the confirmed data. It’s already the No. 3 prefecture in terms of confirmed deaths.

—The Abe government has decided to extend the Covid-19 state of emergency until May 31, less than one month.

—Abe government reportedly preparing to request reopenings of some facilities at the same time as it extends the state of emergency until the end of May. Since infections do not seem to be spiraling upward during the soft lockdown, it will become softer still.

—Parks, museums, and libraries are among the facilities expected to reopen this month in spite of the extension of the state of emergency. The post-May 6 period seems to be envisioned by the Abe government as the beginning of the lifting of restrictions.

—Aichi Prefectural Government apologizes after it emerges that they mistakenly posted on the internet the actual names and hospital locations of almost four hundred Covid-19 patients in the prefecture.

—Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has been repeatedly criticizing the Abe government’s response to Covid-19, and clearly they’ve become sufficiently annoyed that they want to whip him back into line. Most of Yoshimura’s criticisms to date have been sensible.

—Public fight develops between Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura. Nishimura reminds Osakans that the Abe government is in charge of ending of the state of emergency; it’s not the place of local governments.

—US President Donald Trump comments on Covid-19 get major attention in Japanese social media: “This is worst attack we’ve ever had. This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center.”

—One of the biggest Covid-19 debates in Japan right now regards the question of whether or not infection testing is sufficient. Abe says that twenty PCR test centers are being established nationally, while critics like the Japan Communist Party say it is too little, too late.

—Although the Tokyo Metropolitan Government acted early with a policy to supply hotel rooms to homeless evicted from internet cafes due to Covid-19 closures, it seems the implementation hasn’t been so smooth. Many homeless didn’t receive the message and are on the streets.

—While they have been annoyed by Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura’s criticisms, the Abe government is also responding to them. They’ve been prodded into releasing numerical criteria for the lifting of the state of emergency, which is now expected shortly.

—The Abe government is signaling that they may lift the state of emergency before May 31 if they feel that an early move is warranted by the Covid-19 infection figures. An end to the state of emergency on May 21 is being floated as a possibility.

—Yukio Okamoto, the former diplomat who played a major role as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s adviser during the Iraq War, and who was a key ally of US-Japan “alliance managers” such as Richard Armitage, has died from complications related to Covid-19 infection.

—The Abe government has approved Remdesivir, a drug produced by Gilead Sciences of the United States, as its first Covid-19 treatment, after a fast-tracked screening process. The drug may help Covid-19 patients recover more quickly, but may also cause liver failure, etc.

—Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura suggests that lifting the state of emergency may come in a piecemeal fashion, with some prefectures first and others later. May 14 looking like a major possibility for the first move.

—Abe government names thirteen prefectures as venues for particularly strong Covid-19 infection concerns: Aichi, Chiba, Fukuoka, Gifu, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Kanagawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Saitama, and Tokyo. Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura is signaling that the 34 prefectures not named on this list are likely to have their state of emergency status lifted before the end of the month.

—Health Ministry reveals that efforts to secure hospital beds for Covid-19 patients have fallen well short of targets. Had the infection really raged out of control these past weeks, it would likely have overwhelmed the medical system.

—France has become the first country in Europe to approve the use of a new, rapid coronavirus test developed jointly by Japan and Russia. The Evotech Mirai Genomics (EMG) test has been developed by Japan’s Mirai Genomics & Russia’s Geneticheskie Tekhnologii.

—Immigration Services Agency to give automatic three-month extension to those whose work visas expire in July. This was previously the case for those with March, April, May, and June expiration dates.

—May 14 eyed for lifting the state of emergency declaration on 34 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, mostly the rural areas. This partial end to the emergency countermeasures, however, again raises the question of how to discourage people from traveling from one area to another.

—Air Force Lieutenant General Kevin Schneider, commander of US Forces Japan, extends the Covid-19 public health emergency for all US troops until to June 14, considerably longer than the Abe government is contemplating.

—Japan slowly, perhaps belatedly, adapts to the new realities of the Covid-19 era. Week by week, a transformation of shops, post offices, and other facilities is ongoing, with plastic barriers and sheets protecting employees, entry limits, and about 90% wearing of face masks.

The Abe government is widely expected to announce a lifting of the state of emergency on 39 of the 47 prefectures. The emergency would remain in place for Chiba, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Kanagawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Saitama, and Tokyo.

—Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is preparing to introduce an online Covid-19 information system called HER-SYS, which will replace the current paperwork and fax machine centered system that has come under widespread criticism for being inefficient and behind the times.

—In press conference, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirms that the state of emergency is being lifted for 39 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The emergency remains in place for Chiba, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Kanagawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Saitama, and Tokyo.

—Government health adviser Shigeru Omi cites three reasons why Japan is doing better than some others on Covid-19: a functioning national healthcare system; success of the infection cluster tracking approach; and the good health and cleanliness of the Japanese people.

—Despite officially remaining under a state of emergency, the Osaka Prefectural Government is moving toward removing its requests for business suspensions as a measure to contain Covid-19 infections.

—The state of emergency in Tokyo expected to remain through the end of the month. A key condition that must be met to lift the state of emergency will be if newly confirmed Covid-19 infections begin falling under twenty per day.

—Researchers test 500 Tokyo residents at random and find that 0.6% have Covid-19 antibodies. Extrapolating this data to the full population, that would mean almost 84,000 Tokyoites have been infected, about 18 times the official confirmed figures of the government.

—The attitude difference between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike persists. While Abe is talking about lifting the state of emergency before the end of the month, Koike says restrictions should not be eased until the beginning of June at the earliest.

—Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi says that when Japan begins to ease its travel entry restrictions on other nations, “essential personnel” (primarily meaning businesspeople) will be given priority. Tourists, family members, and casual travelers might have to wait longer.

Rolling Coverage: Prosecutor Protest

—A hashtag is spreading on social media in protest to the Abe government’s politicization of the prosecutor’s office, especially its recent move to break mandatory retirement rules and put its factotum Hiromu Kurokawa in the top office.

—The fact that actors and musicians have added their names to the online protests against the Abe government’s attempt to turn the legal system into the regime’s servant is unleashing a debate about whether Japanese celebrities should express political views.

—Musician Kyary Pamyu Pamyu tweeted in protest to the Abe government’s politicization of the prosecutor’s office, but was hounded so much rightwingers that she later deleted the tweet. She explained that now thinks only the coronavirus should be the focus of public efforts. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu explains that, “From now on, I will post articles with a sense of responsibility.” She is apologizing for daring to make a political comment in defense of the nation’s legal and democratic system. The rightwingers win another battle through intimidation.

—Liberal Democratic Party’s Shigeru Ishiba declares on a television program that the Abe government ought not force through its plan to change the legal retirement age in order to put its factotum Hiromu Kurokawa in office as the chief prosecutor.

—Asahi Shinbun: “Abe does not… understand the vital importance of checks and balances… The change would ruin what has been achieved through years of efforts in the postwar period to ensure the independence of public prosecutors and separation of powers.”

—While opposition lawmakers desperately try to stop the Shinzo Abe government from turning the prosecutor’s office into its corrupt servant, and thus undermining democracy, ruling party lawmakers found watching alligator videos and reading novels in utter contempt of debate.

—To be clear, the legislation that the Abe government is trying to ram through would give them the unilateral power to extend the careers of senior prosecutors by three years, from age 65 to 68, thus giving the regime a carrot to lure the top prosecutors to do their bidding.

—Opposition parties have succeeded in blocking the ruling Liberal Democratic Party from voting in the Cabinet Committee of the House of Representatives on the government’s new legislation to corrupt the senior prosecutors. The issue is pushed to the next week.

Rolling Coverage: Aegis Ashore

—In a rare victory for a popular protest movement, the Abe government is giving up its plan to site the Aegis Ashore facility at the Araya Training Area in Akita city.

—Akita Governor Norihisa Satake very unhappy with the Defense Ministry, which won’t confirm its Aegis Ashore intentions to the prefecture: “Their defense secrets are leaking. I feel increasing distrust of the Ministry of Defense.”

—Defense Minister Taro Kono is denouncing NHK, the national broadcaster, as “fake news.” He is rejecting the report that the Abe government has given up on siting the Aegis Ashore facility in Akita city.

—It’s worth noting that the story about the Defense Ministry giving up on the Araya exercise area in Akita city for siting the Aegis Ashore wasn’t an NHK exclusive, but reported by all the major Japanese media, meaning that the Defense Ministry itself briefed them. So what’s happening? Clearly, once the story was reported, there was blowback either from the prime minister’s office, the US government, or both. Defense Minister Taro Kono’s unethical but typical solution is to blame the news media.

—Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also denies that the government has decided to scrap the plan to locate that Aegis Ashore in Akita city. Should have figured it was too good to be true that the Abe government would let a grassroots opposition movement gain a victory.

—Defense Minister Taro Kono doubles down on his contention that the media reports on giving up the Akita city location for Aegis Ashore are “fake news.” He even says that the media owes an apology to the Akita governor. Nothing is yet decided, he contends.

Politics

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe uses Constitution Day to make another run at weakening the document, this time emphasizing to a Nippon Kaigi event the need for emergency provisions that would allow the government curtail civil rights as well as his customary attack on Article 9.

—While Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has largely been cut out of the prime minister’s circle of closest advisers, he has been meeting extensively with the various LDP factions. It is thought that he is either preparing a leadership bid himself or to be a kingmaker.

—Kyodo Poll finds that most Japanese (57.5%) are dissatisfied with the Abe government’s Covid-19 response and only 34.1% approve. Nevertheless, the support rate for the Abe Cabinet rose. Once again, serial policy failures seem to have no impact on Shinzo Abe’s support.

—Katsuyuki Kawai, whom Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed Justice Minister last autumn, now faces prosecution on bribery charges in connection with his wife’s House of Councillors campaign. Prosecutors expected to act soon.

International

—Following Pentagon moves, the Defense Ministry to draw up UFO policies, including a decision that contacts should be attempted using English language (guess they reckon there no Space Japans). Minister Taro Kono concedes, “To be honest, I don’t believe in UFOs.”

—Japan has completed its first facility for joint economic projects with Russia on the disputed Kurils. It is an aquaculture center in Nemuro costing ¥1.6 billion. Yet talks with Russia on the joint projects are now stalled, leaving center to be used for local purposes.

—After a month of stonewalling repeated Japanese government requests, US Marines finally turn over soil samples of PFOS contamination on Futenma base. The manufacture and use of cancer-causing PFOS was banned in principle by an international treaty in 2009.

Economy

—The first distributions of the ¥100,000 Covid-19 relief payments have begun, well ahead of expectations, but only in a handful of small towns and cities where the local governments fast-tracked the payments to local residents through their own resources.

—The National Diet has passed the ¥25.7 trillion (US$242 billion) Covid-19 supplementary budget, which pays for the ¥100,000 per person relief payment and other measures, including zero-interest loans to affected businesses.

—Newly passed national supplementary budget includes provision for cash grants of up to ¥2 million (US$18,700) for small companies seeing declines of 50% or more in year-on-year revenue. Sole proprietors and freelancers might be eligible for up to ¥1 million.

—National government compiling a policy on restarting economic activities as state of emergency measures are eased. These policies to be implemented in rural prefectures with few infections first, even though many of them never actually locked down in the first place.

—Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura reveals that the government is finally working on a furloughed worker support policy for companies. It may involve a ¥8330 (US$79) per diem per worker allowance for companies, with retroactive effect.

—With the extension of the state of emergency until the end of May, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is preparing a second round of financial aid to small businesses, allowing them to apply for a ¥500,000 grant if they have a single outlet, ¥1,000,000 if multiple outlets.

—The first national government Covid-19 relief payments to small businesses have begun. Companies that have lost more than 50% of their income can apply for a ¥2 million yen (US$19,000) aid package. Freelancers can apply for up to ¥1 million.

—Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) is considering a four-day workweek for major Japanese companies as “an option” for trying to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 infection.

—The ruling party’s small business Covid-19 rent support proposal is that for firms that experience a year-on-year revenue decline of 50%+, they may receive aid equivalent to 2/3 of their monthly rent payments for up to six months, with a monthly cap of ¥500,000.

—Finance Minister Taro Aso appears to have fought off all calls for tax reductions, despite many calls from both the ruling and opposition parties, pointing out that the fiscal condition of the government is already deteriorating due to the effects of the Covid-19 crisis.

—Turkish prosecutors have charged seven people, including the two flight attendants, for assisting Carlos Ghosn’s dramatic escape from Japan last December. Flight records had been falsified in an attempt to keep Ghosn’s name off the documents.

—Las Vegas Sands, the company that Donald Trump suggested to Shinzo Abe should be licensed to develop a casino resort, has pulled out of the race. Sands was expected to be a leading bidder for the Yokohama candidate site.

GreenTech

—Soma city, Fukushima Prefecture, records Japan’s first temperatures this year above the 30 degrees Celsius mark, denoting that the summer season has now begun. CoolBiz policies are also now in place.

—Japanese bureaucrats’ beloved fax machines may join personal seals (hanko) as significant casualties of the Covid-19 era. Teleworking and other factors are leading to increasingly outspoken criticism of the lack of digitization and outdated business practices.

Society

—All Nippon Airways eases its rules on high heels for female cabin attendants, allowing them to wear pumps. They did not, however, follow Japan Airlines’ recent move in allowing female employees to wear walking shoes.

—Immigration Services Agency reveals its April figures: Foreign nationals entering Japan plummeted from 2.68 million in April 2019 to a grand total of 1,256 in April 2020.

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