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 at the weekend showing disapproval for his administration outweighing approval for the first time since July 2018.
That, in turn, could upset rosy scenarios where Abe presides over a successful Tokyo Olympics set to start in July, leads his party to an election victory and perhaps even wins a rare fourth term at the Sept. 2021 end of his tenure as ruling party leader.
"Where is the leadership?" asked Gerry Curtis, an expert in Japanese politics.

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