I took a short break last week because it was birthday week, but I’m back with a new update. This time, I’d like to touch on a hot topic that is currently all over the news: Covid-19.
While the issue of Covid-19 seems to be dying down back home in Malaysia, the same cannot be said for Japan. As of now, Japan is the second country with the most coronavirus cases outside of China. The first would have to go to South Korea, but at the moment, Japan isn’t trailing too far behind.
I’ve got to say, I’ve only lived here for less than a year and this is already the second time I’ve had to hole myself up in my apartment due to an emergency. The first time was because of that typhoon from Hell, and now, as a measure against Covid-19. My short life in Japan is officially more eventful than my entire life in Malaysia ever was, ha.
But I digress.
Like most people, I’ve been keeping up with the news, and since Japan is the third most affected country by far, I know lots are curious about how things are here. Is it safe to travel to Japan? How are the locals doing? How has the virus affected everyday life in Japan? etc, etc, etc.
I can’t guarantee your safety while travelling here, but I can share information about Japan’s current status.
There is tension, but life goes on
When it comes to gauging how the Japanese feel about a certain crisis, a good way is to (assuming you don’t have Japanese friends) check the Internet or if you live in Japan, to simply look at your surroundings. Back when Typhoon Hagibis was about to hit Tokyo last year, there was a lot of panic buying involved. While everyone did buy groceries in a quiet, orderly fashion, it was undeniable that stocks sold out quickly. Everyone was keen to have their own little stockpile, just in case.
And now, in response to the coronavirus, Japanese society still looks calm and collected at a glance. However, if you pay attention, you’d notice that more are wearing masks; that there are more hand sanitizers set out for people to use; and that the crowds are thinner too. There is definitely tension in Japan, but life goes on.
Quieter streets
As mentioned, the streets are quieter now. This is both due to a lack of tourists and Japanese people.
That said, the morning rush is pretty much the same as many Japanese employees still have to go to work. Some Japanese companies have started to take measures to limit the transmission of Covid-19 by having employees work from home or cancelling huge gatherings, though–so this may change in the coming weeks. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Masks and hand sanitizers are sold out
Masks and hand sanitizers are currently sold out just about everywhere, though most rural places are still doing fine.
I’m not too sure about other places, but in major cities like Tokyo, people would queue early in the morning before stores would open, in hopes of grabbing these elusive products. Personally, I’d stock up on hand sanitizers since the efficacy of face masks is debatable, but if you have the chance to get both, why not? Even if the effectiveness of face masks is questionable, they do lend one solid advantage: they prevent you from touching your mouth and nose.
Self-quarantine measures
Right after the Diamond Princess passengers were released, my school issued a quarantine order the very next day. We were essentially told that our last class would be on Friday that week, and that we should stay indoors for two weeks. No going out unless we absolutely have to. Till then, classes would be conducted online.
As of now, I’m still under quarantine and there is a possibility that my school will extend the quarantine period to join up with Spring break–which would mean staying indoors for two months.
My school is one of the speedy ones, though, because not all schools took the same measures mine did. This will change as Prime Minister Abe has recently requested for schools all over Japan to shut down. It is unclear whether colleges and universities would do the same.
Closure of tourist attractions and cancellation of large public gatherings
If you plan to travel here, it should be noted that many tourist attractions have started to close. To date, Sanrio Puroland and the famed Studio Ghibli museum have both closed until at least mid next month. Disneyland and Disneysea have also followed suit.
I expect that many others would do the same in the coming days, weeks. So even if you don’t care about possibly contracting the virus, you may not be able to enjoy your trip to the fullest because of these closures.
