Coronavirus Response Marred by National-Local Standoff

Tokyo, July 30 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's declaration of a state of emergency over the coronavirus epidemic in April heightened expectations that detailed measures could be taken swiftly to handle the crisis. Such expectations were quickly dashed, however, as the declaration, made under the revised special measures law to deal with the epidemic, led to a tug of war between the central government and the country's 47 prefectures over who has the authority to implement prevention measures. Prefectural governors are now proposing that the law be revised again to resolve the confusion. A Book in High Demand When the novel coronavirus started becoming a full-fledged epidemic in Japan in February, a certain book flew off the shelves at bookstores and libraries in and around the Kasumigaseki district of Tokyo, where many government ministries and agencies are located. The book, a clause-by-clause description of the special measures law, was bought up by bureaucrats tasked with handling policies related to the epidemic. Economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who heads the government response to the coronavirus crisis, repeatedly referenced the book during sessions of parliament. Following the declaration of a state of emergency, the special measures law gave authorities the power to request citizens to refrain from going out and to request or instruct businesses to suspend operations. Even bureaucrats well-versed in the law, however, did not fully know how the law would be implemented, according to government sources. Especially confusing was the relationship between the central government and regional governments. Although the authority to request business suspensions rested with prefectural governors, the central government had the authority to engage in the "general coordination" of such requests. This caused confusion to surface even before the state of emergency was declared. The Tokyo metropolitan government had initially considered issuing suspension requests for a wide variety of businesses at the same time as the state of emergency declaration, covering department stores, home improvement stores and "izakaya" Japanese-style pubs. "We're already in talks with the metropolitan assembly," Tokyo Governor Yuriiko Koike told Nishimura over the phone regarding the planned measures on April 4, three days before the emergency declaration. But the central government hit the brakes on Tokyo's plans, as it feared that such stringent suspension requests had not been coordinated sufficiently with neighboring prefectures, and that they would cause confusion among citizens. The metropolitan government eventually narrowed the scope of businesses subject to its suspension requests and issued them on April 10, three days after the emergency declaration. "I thought I was the boss, but it turns out I'm in a middle management position," Koike said, unhappy having to give way to the central government. Wavering Stance "We weren't sure how much of what we said would be accepted," a central government source said, looking back on the government's efforts to take control of the coronavirus response. After the standoff between the central government and the Tokyo government over the scope of business suspension requests, the central government revised its basic policy on responding to the virus. The revised position was that local governments' measures would be adopted after "prior discussion with the central government," limiting their authority. But Nishimura did an about-face in May, telling Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura that "requesting and lifting suspensions is at the discretion of governors." The move suggested that the central government was seeking to have municipalities shoulder full responsibility for business suspension requests despite also limiting their authority. The government's wavering stance on how much power it and local governments had over the epidemic response has prompted governors to seek a revision of how authority is divided between the two sides. The National Governors' Association compiled a proposal on July 19 urging the central government to boost governors' authority over suspension requests. Koike put the demand into practice this month, calling on Tokyo residents to avoid unnecessary travel across the capital's borders ahead of the four-day weekend through Sunday. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told Nishimura to demand that Koike change its policy, which flew in the face of the Go To Travel subsidy campaign, a key government effort to support a tourism industry faltering amid the virus crisis. Koike, however, was able to maintain her policy, as discussions between the two sides stalled. "It was like practicing swimming on dry land, even after reading the book on the special measures law," a senior government official said regarding the central government's preparation for handling coronavirus prevention measures. "We had to determine what was 'general coordination' on a case-by-case basis." "We may need to clarify to what extent the central government can force governors to do things," the official added. END