"Japanese Government Faces Confusion in COVID-19 Response Due to 'Commander' Absence... Blow to Abe Administration"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 9th that the Japanese government's response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is experiencing confusion due to the absence of a 'command tower.' The reason for the Abe Shinzo Cabinet's confusing measures, from the sudden nationwide school closures to the 'belated' entry restrictions on China and South Korea, is explained as the lack of a control tower.

According to the report, the body directing Japan's COVID-19 response is the Cabinet Secretariat's "Situation Response and Crisis Management Office (Situation Room)." This office is a crisis management department that responds to large-scale disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, as well as incidents like aircraft and ship hijackings, terrorism, and missile attacks.

Mainichi stated, "They are not familiar with infectious disease response, leading to numerous cases where related ministries respond independently." In particular, the original infectious disease countermeasures are handled by the Cabinet Secretariat's "International Infectious Disease Control Coordination Office," but due to limitations in personnel and authority, and being occupied with preparing ministerial meetings and managing internal coordination, it has not been able to fulfill its role, resulting in the Situation Room taking on the role of the COVID-19 response command tower.

An official from the Prime Minister's Office said, "The Situation Room, accustomed to disaster response, is struggling due to lack of experience with infectious disease measures." Another government official stated, "Many staff members responsible for foreign affairs and security, who lack knowledge of infectious diseases, were assigned to facilities housing Japanese nationals who returned from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, on chartered flights, handling returnee responses."

Ultimately, the Situation Room also failed to perform its role adequately, leading to many cases where related ministries such as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Justice responded individually. Mainichi pointed out that "this confusing situation is a blow to the Abe administration, which has been emphasizing 'crisis management.'"

The right-wing-leaning Sankei Shimbun also criticized the Japanese government's COVID-19 response for lacking coordination among related ministries in an article titled "Prime Minister, Shaken Crisis Management" on the same day. Sankei noted, "The first Abe administration, launched in 2006, lasted about a year, but the second administration, launched in December 2012, has entered its eighth year, maintaining a long-term regime with strong crisis management capabilities as its weapon. However, the response to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which causes pneumonia, shows noticeable lack of coordination among related ministries, shaking the administration's hallmark crisis management."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.