Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is desperate to strike the right note over his oft-criticized coronavirus response, hoping to stem both growing infections and faltering public support.But the more he does, the more he seems to flail, with his recent efforts to reach out to a wary public backfiring badly.Notably, his well-intentioned countrywide cloth mask distribution plan was immediately branded "Abenomask," a mocking reference to his long-running signature "Abenomics" economic plan.Then came a jolt from within, as Komeito piled pressure on him to accept its plan to provide 100,000 yen ($930) to…READ FULL ARTICLE
