Balancing Public & Economic Health in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Analysis

Abstract

Despite loose restrictions and a low mortality rate due to COVID-19, Japan faced the challenge of stabilizing its economy during the pandemic. Here, we analyzed how the Japanese government attempted to maintain a balance between the health of the population and the health of the economy. We used a mix of quantitative data, information from policy documents, and news agency publications. Features of the Japanese government’s handling of the pandemic include the lack of constitutional authority to enforce a lockdown, the laxer restrictions compared with other countries in which citizens were advised only to exercise self-restraint and avoid close social contact, and the existence of expert panels that had only an advisory role. Our findings address the slow initial response of the government, which feared that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would be canceled, and the increased testing when the Olympics were postponed, as well as the expansion of vaccination efforts after the Olympics. In addition, there was a targeted campaign to promote national travel to increase economic revenue in the tourism sector, but this led to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Экономика Японии: Сценарии Постпандемийного Развития

“…Первоначальная реакция правительства Японии на распространение коронавируса была сдержанной, основываясь на мотивах полноценного проведения летних Олимпийских игр в Токио в 2020 г., необходимых для роста экономики, и на продвижении поездок внутри страны для увеличения доходов в туристическом секторе. Однако данные действия властей привели к увеличению случаев инфицирования COVID-19 [7]. Национальная стратегия в борьбе с COVID-19 со второго квартала 2020 г. основывалась на добровольном соблюдении рекомендуемых мер по изоляции в сочетании с выявлением зон распространения коронави-руса путём отслеживания контактов.…”