As Japan struggles to stem the spread of a coronavirus within its borders, critics are asking, "Where's Abe?"

Shinzo Abe, 65, Japan's longest serving prime minister, has failed to take the helm as the public face of the response to the virus, critics say, leaving the task largely to his health minister.

Now doubts about Abe's leadership threaten to erode already sagging public support, with a newspaper survey over the weekend showing disapproval for his administration outweighing approval for the first time since July 2018.