We’ve talked a lot about Japan’s COVID-19 response in recent months. But what’s the view from inside the country? A recent NHK poll provides some insights into how Japanese residents believe the government is handling the crisis (spoiler: poorly) – and what it means for the ruling cabinet.
From Not So Bad to Worse
As Thalia Harris noted in her recent write-up, the Western press generally praised Japan’s handling of the crisis early last year. Unfortunately, most of this praise came in the form of vaguely Orientalized notions about Japan’s “clean” and “obedient” culture that never held up well under scrutiny.
With the recent wave of infections – the country’s highest yet – it appears Japan may simply have been lucky. But its luck has ran out. The new, record-level spread of COVID-19 finally forced the government to declare a month-long state of emergency.
As with its previous state of emergency, however, the government led by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide refused to declare a lockdown. (Politicians in Suga’s dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) argue that Japan’s Constitution doesn’t allow one.) The heaviest restrictions are on restaurants, which the government has asked to shutter their doors after 8pm. However, schools are still open many businesses appear to be ignoring calls to shift 70% of their workforces to remote work.
Suga’s Approval in Freefall
In general, the LDP's focus has been on stimulating Japan's economy – often at the expense of public health. Click To TweetIn general, the Japanese public isn’t all that keen on the government’s response. This can be seen clearly in PM Suga’s approval ratings, which have plummeted from a high of 62% approval to a mere 40%. In NHK’s last poll, 41% disapproved of the Suga government – a net negative. It’s an astounding drop for a man whom the Japanese press popularized as the “Reiwa Grandpa” for introducing the country’s new era name in 2019.
Why the huge drop? A major factor, according to a recent Asahi Shinbun poll, was the government’s insistence on continuing its GoTo Travel campaign. Health experts assailed the campaign, which provided discounts for domestic travel, for contributing to the current infection spike. The government only relented to public pressure last month, postponing the campaign to a later date.
In general, the LDP’s focus has been on stimulating Japan’s economy – often (as with GoTo Travel) at the expense of public health.
86% Would Approve of Greater Restrictions on Individual Freedom
But the criticism of the government doesn’t stop there. A fascinating new NHK poll on COVID-19 reveals that many in Japan don’t think the government’s response has gone far enough.
The most surprising topline result concerns the government’s unwillingness to declare a proper lockdown. When asked if they’d consent to stricter restrictions on individual movement and economic activity to put a lid on the pandemic, a full 86% said they would. (Only 12% oppose the idea.) 87% said they’d favor more restrictions on going outside, while 82% said they’d favor more restrictions on business activity. The only idea to which many were lukewarm was using cell phone GPS data to track individual movements. That idea only netted 52% support.
Some other interesting data points from NHK’s survey:
- 82% said their daily lives have been severely (33%) or somewhat (49%) impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
- 67% say their stress has increased greatly (14%) or somewhat (53%).
- 10% said their incomes have dived sharply due to COVID-19, while 21% say they’ve dipped somewhat.
Measuring Mask-itudes
Perhaps one of the more disturbing tidbits from the survey regards masks. The world sees Japan as having a built-in “mask culture”, which – the tale goes – has helped reduce infection.
In NHK’s survey, a clear majority did say that they “very” or “somewhat” conscious of using masks when they go out. But the number only hits 69%. 14% say they’re “not that conscious”, and a full 6% say they don’t think about it at all. In other words, a full 20% of respondents don’t see wearing masks as a big deal.
20% is a big deal when you’re talking about an easily communicable virus. It’s an even bigger deal when you realize masks are primarily intended to protect other people from you – not vice versa. As I’ve discussed on Twitter, Japan hasn’t been exempt from the COVID-19 denialism that’s plagued countries like the US. But I never imagined a full one-fifth of survey respondents would have such a lackadaisical attitude.
A Six-Month Deadline to Gain Control
Japan’s government is still insisting that the postponed 2020 Olympics will go ahead in July of this year. That’s looking like an increasingly tall order. A majority of Japanese citizens already oppose holding the Olympics this year. Medical professionals across Japan say that many local medical systems are already close to the point of collapse. If things get worse from here, it’s hard to see how Tokyo 2021 goes forward.
