A tradition of limited touching may slow the virus spread but political missteps leave the country vulnerable.
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Akimoto Daisuke is an Official Secretary in the House of Representatives, Japan and former Assistant Professor at the Soka University Peace Research Institute. He holds a PhD in Asian Studies and International Relations from the University of Western Sydney and an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney. His most recent publication is Japan's Nuclear Identity and Its Implications for Nuclear Abolition (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). His views are his own and do not represent the House of Representatives or the Japanese government.