Wasn’t making a broad brush statement.
It’s probably not legal in Japan (it’s not legal here either) to leave a 5 or 6yr old home alone.
Someone will have to care for the child. That’s either going to be hired care, or parental care. If those parents are paid hourly (or simply don’t have vacation time for it) they will lose pay.
Lots of schools in other countries have been outright closed.
In Japan, do you think if the Prime Minister ‘asks’, that they will refuse? This is Japan.
Not sure what that means. If you mean that people will do what the Prime Minister asks, I believe you are incorrect - people who will what is in their best self-interests, while still maintaining a strong sense of conformity.
It's more appropriate that Japanese will pay heed to the government closest to their daily lives. In talking with several Japanese last week (including several in US), almost all seemed skeptical of the federal government in addressing COVID-19. A couple of people mentioned their (and TEPCO's) incompetence related to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011. They seemed to believe prefectural government as more competent.
“In Japan, do you think if the Prime Minister ‘asks’, that they will refuse? This is Japan.”
I guess people don’t understand Japanese culture, or the word ‘ask’ doesn’t properly translate. Either way, no school for at least a month there, for 12 million people.