After a whirlwind week of coronavirus developments and setbacks that have placed much of the world on edge, the Upper House on Friday approved legislation authorizing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency.
The approval marks a rare occasion of unity — at least on the surface — in Japanese politics, which has been dominated in recent years by fierce clashes between Abe's ruling coalition and opposition parties.
The law passed with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito as well as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People, the two largest opposition parties.