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Japan to amend law on coronavirus giving greater authority to local gov'ts

28 Comments

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28 Comments
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Abe san and Koike san want less responsibility.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

give greater authority to local governments across the country

What's the definition of local governments? Prefecture level 都道府県? City/town/village市町村?

How many wheels to be reinvented?

8 ( +9 / -1 )

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Sunday confirmed another 188 cases of the coronavirus, slipping below the 200 mark for the first time in four days.

ONLY because it's Sunday! Wait til today or tomorrow to get the "real" numbers! They test less on Sunday so the numbers will always be down!

3 ( +11 / -8 )

great move!

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

BYE BYE freedom

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Too little too late as usual.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Japan is a totalitarian country.

It's gonna be scary what they'll start to do to it's citizens of they get any more power.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

agree with all the above

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Here's a compromise for the sex industry: follow the practices many countries have for restaurants. Allow activities only outdoors, and enforce social distancing.

Otherwise, shut them down.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

BYE BYE freedom

This is Japan - there is no absolute freedom. But what freedom in particular do you think you're going to lose? The freedom to open a hostess club during a global pandemic?

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

> "We will tighten up by having more police officers step in," he said.

I can see thousands of police officers in the morning rush hour in Tokyo closing down the lines to enforce social distancing...

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Pass the buck now and avoid the blame later.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"We will tighten up by having more police officers step in," he said.

For what "abuse of police power", no thank you. They should stay out of this business and deal with the speeders and start giving out real tickets that cost people in the wallet to slow down instead just focus on seatbelts and drive around all day.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

This is Japan - there is no absolute freedom. But what freedom in particular do you think you're going to lose? The freedom to open a hostess club during a global pandemic?

We are lucky in Japan that the death toll has been low and it would appear that existing cultural practices like wearing masks have seemingly been enough for that to happen. In that sense, Covid 19 has been a "Japan-friendly" pandemic. It is of course possible that the next wave or pandemic may be much more deadly, in which a government limited to "encouraging" and "urging" people to do things will be completely ineffective.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

"We will tighten up by having more police officers step in," he said.

What the are the police going to do? Have a beer with the snack owner before they issue a ticket?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Pass the buck now and avoid the blame later

This is the only possible explanation for the govt’s escape from guilt in its bad handling.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It’s hard to say if this is a good or bad thing. The federal government has had a very relaxed response to controlling the spread of this virus. Giving prefectural leaders the power to determine what kind of restrictions to put in place could result in complete lockdowns and closed borders or worse.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

ONLY because it's Sunday! Wait til today or tomorrow to get the "real" numbers! They test less on Sunday so the numbers will always be down!

This is actually incorrect. They can't collate all the data fast enough to report realtime so the dialy numbers you see published are actually from 2-3 days ago. So technically Tuesday and Wednesday numbers should be artificially low. Thus why the actual reporting times varry day to day.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I trust my local government over Tokyo any day, I worked with them and live in a small community where everyone knows each other.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

“I can see thousands of police officers in the morning rush hour in Tokyo closing down the lines to enforce social distancing...”

And this is my concern also. The Japanese police are already over-empowered.

If anyone other than Abe and the LDP was in power, I might be open to the idea.

But now? Don’t trust the move

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Calling something a pandemic should mean decentralization must cease and a uniform, one-size-fits-all strategm be enforced with bite. Pandemics are grim, unrelenting, and not influenced by political leanings. America's response is disastrous because states rights remain paramount in a time where federal power must lead. Like so many other examples since the end of the Pacific War, Japan follows America far too blindly. The Japanese leadership needs a backbone.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Abe san and Koike san want less responsibility.

In making the law give more local authority, they avoid the accusation (and legitimate concern) about powers being overconcentrated at the national level.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"We will tighten up by having more police officers step in,

Now take a peek over to the USA - is that really what you need in Japan as well ? Police overfunding, overpowered and people-stomping for the slight piece of freedom thats left on the streets of Japan ?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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