Abe "Please Stay Home and Cooperate" Urges Restraint on Going Out
Japanese Public Criticizes "Inappropriate Video" Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe posted a video of his daily life on social media and is facing public backlash. The photo shows Prime Minister Abe enjoying leisure time with his pet dog. Photo by Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, Twitter capture.
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Gayeon] As the cumulative number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Japan surpassed 8,000, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faced public backlash after posting a video of his leisurely daily life on social media.
On the 12th, Prime Minister Abe posted a video on his Twitter, saying, "You cannot meet friends. You cannot have gatherings. Just by taking these actions, you can save many lives."
He continued, "Even at this very moment, you can reduce the burden on medical staff who are struggling in harsh conditions," and repeatedly emphasized refraining from going out, saying, "I sincerely thank each and every one of you for your cooperation."
The 56-second video showed Prime Minister Abe staying at home, drinking tea, watching TV, and enjoying leisure time with his pet dog. Also included was a video of popular Japanese singer Hoshino Gen singing the song "Let's Dance at Home."
In another post, Prime Minister Abe said, "Even now, when we have lost our past daily lives, we can feel the connection between people through SNS or phone calls," and added, "One day, the time will come when everyone can gather and talk with smiling faces. To create that tomorrow, I ask you to stay at home and cooperate today."
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe posted a video of his daily life on social media and is facing public backlash. The photo shows Prime Minister Abe sitting on a sofa reading a book. Photo by Shinzo Abe Twitter capture
However, Japanese citizens have continued to criticize Prime Minister Abe's video as inappropriate.
One citizen replied to Abe’s tweet, saying, "Why are you posting a video of yourself calmly drinking tea and reading a book in such a situation?" and raised their voice, "You have authority and many things to do for the citizens. Please take the lead and handle things properly."
Another citizen pointed out, "It just looks like you are idle. In this emergency, all we can say is 'the Prime Minister is leisurely staying at home,'" and added, "It will become a laughingstock overseas as well."
Additionally, Japanese netizens expressed reactions on their SNS, such as "Everyone is desperate, but he is playing with his pet dog, drinking tea, and watching TV. Shouldn't he at least visit a hospital?", "What the Prime Minister should do for the people is not to rest at home but to protect the people's lives so they can feel safe and stay home," "The Prime Minister needs to show himself so the people can feel safe and stay home," and "Do not use Hoshino Gen’s popularity."
Meanwhile, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK on the same day, by 10 p.m., 500 additional COVID-19 cases were confirmed across 31 prefectures (todofuken - metropolitan and prefectural governments). As a result, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Japan, including 712 passengers from the Japanese cruise ship "Diamond Princess," was tallied at 8,135.
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