TOKYO: As the coronavirus jolts Japan, the government's huge stimulus package has come under fire from hard-hit restaurant owners for channelling funds for items like wagyu beef, melons and tourism rather than accelerating help for firms with burning cash needs.
The restaurant industry's struggles highlight a larger problem in Japan's revival plan, which at US$2.2 trillion is the size of Italy's economy but is still falling short of sufficient support to an important segment - small businesses which employ 70% of the nation's workforce.