Written in February 2020 during the early spread of the novel coronavirus, this article is an appeal to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. It criticizes opposition parties and the media for focusing on the “Cherry Blossom Viewing Party” scandal and argues that the government’s most urgent task is to secure and supply masks for all Japanese citizens.

February 26, 2020
Dear Mr. Shinzo Abe.
The truly urgent task that must now be done before anything else is to realize, as soon as possible, the supply of masks to all citizens.
Dear Mr. Shinzo Abe,
What you have done under the second Abe administration is truly worthy of praise.
In this morning’s Sankei Shimbun, there was an article saying that, in its opinion poll, the approval rating for the administration had plunged for the first time in one year and seven months and had fallen below the disapproval rating.
I thought, “That is only natural.”
Even though the people most responsible for the domestic spread of this new virus originating in Wuhan are those who, in the Diet, failed to do what had to be done,
namely, to discuss how the nation should respond to this matter as a state,
and although I have stated that it is no exaggeration to say that their behavior was that of agents of China, preventing the anger of the Japanese people from turning toward China,
they continued attacking the government with the truly laughable fabrication called the “Cherry Blossom Viewing Party.”
In particular, regarding the hotel and so on, every one of those opposition-party political operators must themselves be negotiating to have things made as cheap as possible.
Nevertheless, the opposition parties that have repeatedly continued such behavior,
the Asahi Shimbun and others that have followed them with endless appalling editorials,
NHK and television wide shows that have gone along with them,
and the broadcasting geisha who appear on those programs,
are people equivalent to traitors to the nation.
The spread of the virus has shown this with complete clarity.
As I have stated, the greatest responsibility lies with the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Asahi Shimbun, NHK, and other media.
On this point, Komeito is also completely useless.
Instead of resolutely doing what must now be done,
it has merely continued to make remarks about how to deal with the ugly opposition parties and about the conduct of some political operators.
You, the person who has continued to be attacked, are now the most trusted politician in the world and also the politician most deeply versed in world affairs.
Yet the behavior inside Japan,
the behavior of the opposition parties,
the behavior of the Asahi Shimbun and others,
and especially the vulgarity and stupidity of those opposition-party political operators who repeatedly ask questions about the hotel’s handling of matters and the like,
have clouded your rare quality:
the fact that you are a thorough realist.
The plunge in the approval rating is the result of that quality having been clouded completely.
Mr. Abe.
The truly urgent task that must now be done before anything else is to realize, as soon as possible, the supply of masks to all citizens.
It is an extremely simple matter.
It is only natural that you are appalled and fed up with the persistent attacks of those foolish and low-grade opposition-party political operators and the Asahi Shimbun and others.
But you must not allow even your own distinctive strength,
your gaze that thinks from the viewpoint of each individual citizen,
to become clouded.
For example, I have only five masks left.
In Kyoto now, the plum blossoms are in full bloom.
Every year, I go to Jonangu Shrine and Kitano Tenmangu Shrine to see the plum blossoms.
In the past, I went to photograph them.
Especially “plum blossoms and white-eyes.”
This is the season when I should be going to see the Kawazu cherry blossoms near Yodo Station on the Keihan Line, but this year I have gone nowhere.
This year, for some reason, I especially wanted to go to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, which is associated with Michizane.
But in the present situation, no one wants to go unprotected into crowds.
As a result of Japan having been dominated by the Asahi Shimbun until August six years ago,
Japan may indeed be a foolish country that is defenseless in every respect.
But apart from those who subscribe to the Asahi Shimbun and watch only NHK news programs,
the overwhelming majority of citizens are certainly not such foolish advocates of defenselessness.
The behavior of those who are probably buying up masks every time they appear in stores and are now listing them on the internet is ugly beyond words.
In other words, the Japanese people are now truly angry because they are facing genuine foolishness and ugliness.
Mask manufacturers, too, are companies of which Japan can be proud before the world.
Mr. Abe.
It is enough to gather only the ruling-party lawmakers and those who agree with them.
Summon to the Diet all companies that manufacture masks,
make clear before the citizens the present production systems of each company,
the production volume if they operate 24 hours a day,
and other such matters,
and make clear when masks can be supplied to the Japanese people as usual.
If you do that, the approval rating will recover at once.
At the same time, among the companies capable of producing masks,
have those companies that are willing to produce masks as a response to the national emergency do so.
If the situation comes to an end and those companies end up holding inventories,
make the decision to purchase all of them as national stockpiles, taking this matter as a lesson.
This is not the time to let your eyes be clouded by fools.
You may be fixated on the decision to invite Xi Jinping, the worst dictator in history, as a state guest,
and on the war of nerves with China,
a country of bottomless evil and plausible lies,
over which side will say it first.
I understand that.
But leave that aside 100 percent.
In the end, with Machiavellianism in the proper sense, you can decide to postpone it.
Almost all citizens will be strongly in favor.
Of course, while being careful not to give China any opening to take advantage of.
In any case, what matters now is masks, Mr. Abe.
With the decisiveness that is your strength, as soon as you read this article, all that remains is to act.
For now, that is all.