Japan’s Abe Declares Nationwide State of Emergency www.wsj.com

TOKYO—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a nationwide state of emergency and more cash payouts to shield the blow, imposing more economy-stifling measures in a country that had mostly avoided them before.
The declaration, coming after rising criticism, amounted to an acknowledgment that his efforts to keep Japan running normally had exposed the country to a potential sharp rise in coronavirus infections.
That is a potential lesson for the U.S. and European countries that are weighing when and how to resume everyday activities.