Western media skeptical about Japan's declaration

CNN said, "Despite this long exposure to the virus, the country has been slow to take the kind of radical steps seen in many other parts of the world."

The US broadcaster quoted an expert as saying, "We might see the next New York City in Tokyo."

CBS News noted that most of the measures being taken by the Japanese government are "requests" for restraint. It said that "civil liberties protections in Japan don't allow authorities to issue jail terms or fines for non-compliance."

It added that "a heavy dose of peer pressure and the weight of the emergency declaration are being deployed instead as a cudgel."

The New York Times said, "For months, Japan has confounded the world by reporting a relatively low rate of coronavirus infections without imposing the kind of stringent measures used by other nations."

It noted that medical experts are wondering whether the declaration on Tuesday "has come just in time to avoid calamity," or whether it's "too little, too late."

French public radio broadcaster Radio France said that, like Sweden, Japan has adopted measures that don't hinder economic activities much. It said Japan has also relied on extremely strict hygiene practices.

But it said the spread of the coronavirus has become uncontrollable, especially in Tokyo. It also said that Abe was forced to declare a state of emergency by the media and experts.

The British newspaper The Guardian said Japan's government does not have the legal authority to enforce a France-style lockdown, with fines and other penalties.

It said Japanese officials are instead hoping that self-restraint and "threats to name and shame businesses that refuse to close will ensure compliance."

The paper added, "Japan's reluctance to introduce a more draconian lockdown stems in part from bitter memories of civil rights abuses during the days of militarism and the forced isolation of leprosy patients."