Abstract
What features of Japan’s COVID-19 response stand out, and how are they best explained? I argue that the Abe model of governance critically shaped both the strengths and weaknesses of the Japan model of COVID-19 response. Japanese officials have often promoted the Japan model as exemplary of how to manage the pandemic without sacrificing fundamental democratic values and civil liberties. However, key features of the model—such as an emphasis on macroeconomic growth, avoidance of harsh lockdowns, and making scientific experts the public face of the response—were compatible with how Abe Shinzō governed Japan throughout his tenure. The chapter also places Japan’s COVID-19 response in comparative, cross-national context: relative to other G7 countries, Japan stands out for relatively low cases and deaths per capita, but the numbers must be interpreted with caution and are largely in line with those of regional peers. The chapter concludes with an early assessment of COVID-19 response under the first six months of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.
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Lipscy, P.Y. (2023). Japan’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In: Pekkanen, R.J., Reed, S.R., Smith, D.M. (eds) Japan Decides 2021. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11324-6_16
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