Compared with the major developed countries in the world, Japan's anti -2019 coronary virus epidemic has a distinctive characteristics. It is specifically reflected in the two fewer and two, that is, there are few diagnosis cases and death cases; no city and no coercive measures are not sealed.
On May 4, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the extension of an emergency until the end of May.From April 7, Abe announced an emergency state in seven regions and subsequent expansion to the whole country. Japan has always called on citizens to reduce contact by self -restraint. It has not introduced punitive measures, and has always explicitly stated that it will not seal the city.
Japan and internationally and internationally are quite contradictory. On the one hand, the two are the self -discipline and self -cleaning credit of Japanese society, which has created the Japanese characteristic Buddhist anti -epidemic model;Suspects that are less than actual numbers have always existed.The emergency declaration effect without compulsory execution is also highly suspected.
Why did Japan not announce an emergency as early as other countries and take mandatory measures?In many people, there is a question, why is Abe so soft in politically maintaining a strong man?In addition to the good self -restraint and hygiene habits of Japanese society, the author believes that the Japanese characteristic resistance mode has a deeper political logic.
Political sensitivity behind Japan
With the sharp deterioration of the epidemic in the major developed countries in Europe and the United States, all countries can say that they have not hesitated and scrambled to adopt extremely rigorous urban sealing policies to restrict the freedom of national actions and take severe punishment measures for nationals who do not comply with home isolation.On March 13, French President Macron announced that he entered a state of war and decided to block the city on the 15th. Residents must download special permits on the website of the Ministry of the Interior.S $ 6140) fine, if it violates four violations, will be sentenced to half a year in prison.
U.S. President Trump also announced on March 18 that he was the president of the war. According to the national defense production law passed during the Korean War, the power of the presidential power can force enterprises to increase the production of medical products.New York State has announced an emergency as long as it had previously punished companies that allow employees to come out.
Italy, Spain, and Britain have previously entered an emergency, and they have also adopted strict restrictions on residents' travel measures and corresponding strict punishment regulations.These measures are realized in the name of prevention and resistance to these democratic countries that usually high -profile human rights and freedom values, and almost have no discussion and resistance in the name of prevention of epidemic prevention. In contrast, Japan seems to be a bit abnormal.
From February to March, there was a very interesting phenomenon in the debate of the Japanese Parliament's discussions on the state of emergency state of emergency status.The focus of the debate of various political parties is not the specific effect of a declaration of a declaration of the state of emergency state, but whether it is highly concentrated in whether legislation will cause the government and the Prime Minister's public power to be highly concentrated.EssenceAccording to the discussion set according to this issue, the focus is naturally how to weaken the possibility of publishing the state of the country's emergency, and what kind of restrictions.
The focus of the dispute on the surface is the internal contradiction between the post -war political and social culture and real needs of Japanese post -war, and it is also a difficult manifestation in the process of normally in Japan.
The disasters brought about by the militaryism before and during the war made the mainstream of the post -war Japanese political and social intellectuals in the post -war.Although Japan is also a Western member, the main part of Japan's democratic values is reflected in the above aspects, which is very different from European and American countries.
It is precisely because of this political sensitivity that European and American countries seem to be able to legalize the policies of highly restricting private rights with the needs of saving the country and the people in danger without any difficulty. At present, this seems to be the thinking of a normal country.However, the threshold for Japanese politicians is relatively high, and reality requires the centralized unity of the country.This has caused the Japanese government's slow and weak appearance during decision -making, because Japanese society is not prepared for the normalization of rapidness.
Political skills that follow the trend
For Japanese politicians, the epidemic requires them to reflect the leadership of a strong country, otherwise they will be criticized at home and abroad. In fact, the conservative layers of Japan are already criticized.Inadequate; but on the other hand, they have to see the huge resistance of the mainstream values that have accumulated for decades after the war and the mainstream values that focus on protecting private rights.Liberals have criticized the Prime Minister in terms of Congress or in the public opinion world.
Therefore, for the Prime Minister of Japan, the announcement of an emergency state has become a highly political sensitivity issue that other countries have not. What time to choose to announce the emergency state and how to announce it.test.It should be said that Abe has adopted a strategy of following the trend to show high political skills.
In accordance with the development of the epidemic situation at home and abroad, and the requirements of experts and localities, the Abe government uses a downward decision -making method instead of uploading and downward methods to largely reduce the space that has been criticized as a space for expanding public power with the help of the epidemic.The first region that Japan announced the emergency state was announced by Hokkaido on February 28. Subsequently, Tokyo, Osaka and other places proposed weekend travel self -restrictions.On March 14, the Japanese Parliament officially passed a special measure of correction that could announce an emergency.On March 24, the Organizing Committee of Japan reached a consensus, and the Tokyo Olympic Games extended one year.
On April 1, the person in charge of the Japanese Physician Association mentioned that medical care may have a danger of overloading.On the 3rd, Tokyo knew that Koto Kotako said at a press conference that preparations for response measures after making an emergency state.On the 4th, more than 100 cases of confirmed cases in Tokyo, and public health experts also began to propose that they needed a state to make a decision.
With the media reporting the rapid worsening of the European and American outbreaks and strict measures, the Japanese people demanding that the government on the Internet has also increased the call for the government to declare an emergency.Under such expert opinions and public opinion environment, Abe stated at the Liberal Democratic Party on April 6 that he was preparing to announce an emergency.On the 7th, he announced that seven regions entered an emergency through a live press conference.
From a technical perspective, Abe's decision at this time is also the result of repeated weighing, not a temporary decision.From a political perspective, strengthening the role of the country is actually the Liberal Democratic Party, or what Japanese political elites want to do, but this requires time and patience.
The path of normalization of self -disciplined democracy
If Japan can eventually realize the state of emergency state of the country's instructive state and guides society, but basically control the epidemic in the case of no city and mandatory measures, it can be said to create miracles in developed countries.
Politically speaking, on the one hand, it can realize the mainstream values that conform to Japanese society to high sensitivity to private rights, so that the society is that this is different from the absolute individualism of Europe and the United States.The cohesion; on the other hand, through this emergency declaration, it also allows the public to see the necessity and effectiveness of the state's public power to a certain extent.go ahead.
However, this normalization road is still restricted by the social environment for self -disciplined democracy formed by the long -term post -war.Public opinion surveys show that the epidemic has not greatly improved the social atmosphere of the Constitution. The role of Japan in the post -epidemic era will increase, but it will still be slow.
The author is an associate professor at the National Niigata University of Japan
For the Prime Minister of Japan, the announcement of an emergency state has become a highly political sensitivity problem that other countries have not. What time to choose to announce the emergency state and how to announce, it can be said to be a major test of politicians' political skills.It should be said that Abe has adopted the strategy of going forward to showHigher political skills.
