An acquaintance of mine who is French but has been in Japan sent me this when I asked how life in Tokyo was during the pandemic. This is what he sent me:
Context:
- I am in Japan for the delivery of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo
- I am working for an International French company (with a Japanese partner)
- I am in Japan with my family (my wife and my two children, a 14 year old girl and a 10 year old son)
So we normally have to stay one year but it will be two
I just jump from Philippines to Japan (I was there for another event) so my last round is Jakarta, Philippines and Japan.
To start well, I planned to work in Canada and I am in Asia since 3 year now...
Okay, several things about the virus and its impacts.
Japan's habits keep everyone at a distance.
Society is tough and people are self-centered.
People don't touch each other (no handshakes, no hugs, no hands on the butt
Cleaning
- Public and private places are disinfected once or several times a day.
- The escalator ramps
- The lifts
- The entrance halls
- Tables at restaurants
- Food buffets you have to wearing. plastic gloves
- Hydroalcoholic products are systematic
- One-way travel flows in stores
- Social distancing
- Etc ...
Procedures:
- Very early, restaurants set up take-away sales
- The closing hours of restaurants, bars and shops at 22: 00/21: 00/20: 00
- Border closure (especially with China, US, Europe)
- Cancellation of visas (very extremist because it also affects non-Japanese spouses in bi-national couples)
- Fever control every day
- Quarantine if you are seek (and don't come into the office of course)
- Etc...
We foreigners.
I'll be frank, we live.
We go out for a drink, we go to a restaurant on weekdays or weekends. Between French, Foreigners and Japanese peoples. Regardless of the social level.
Nomikai or just for fun.
Life goes on here, adjusting. Keep in mind that the Japanese never want to be responsible (guilty?) For anything. So they will always do a little more than government is requesting to make sure they're doing the right thing.
As seen above, the Japanese lifestyle inspires confidence as people pay attention.
However, there is room for doubt as to the method of counting cases of infection, but one thing is certain, there are fewer cases due to compliance with the instructions and the Japanese attitude of following the rules.
Regarding travel abroad.
It is difficult to be able to fly outside of Japan, but for a month the government has relaxed the conditions a bit (no choice with the Olympics)
At the height of the epidemic, the question was to return home if we did not feel safe in terms of health, in the sense "would we be taken care of properly by hospitals in the case of infection". This remains our main stress.
The problem is, there is no clear information on the possibility of returning to Japan if we leave Tokyo for France, whether for vacation or for any other reason. there is stress adapted to each country and each situation for sure.
Today we are still fortunate to be able to communicate with the entity world thanks to new technologies, so we do not feel isolated.
I'm French so it's 11 / 12h flight home. It is certain that in the event of a serious or emergency problem, it is a relay that imposes additional stress.
I experienced the same thing in Indonesia and the Philippines, Asia is not next to Europe ...
Neither my wife nor my children feel in danger because of the Covid, for us parents it is the logistical situation that leads to stress.
However.
For economic recovery, the Japanese state has set up the "GoTo Travel" campaign to encourage people to consume and to move locally.
Very good initiative that allows you to travel at reduced cost within Japan and consume on the spot.
You have a 30% reduction on your trip + reservation which has been returned to you as a coupon to be spent at the vacation spot.
This idea also allows Japanese and foreigners not to immerse themselves into the depression (you know the fatal outcome of the depression in Japan ...)
Loneliness and depression are real social issues in Japan, the elderly are lonely, almost excluded from everyday life (this is one of the reasons why they seek so much to work, apart from low income). But... they are tough, grandma at 90 years old continu to pick up mushroom in the forest alone for hours...
But
- It is remains difficult (impossible) to get tested by the PCR test (Covid)
- The policy for identifying Covid cases is not very clear
- Access to healthcare is an ordeal. If you are in a state of emergency, it is very possible that you will pass from life to death because you don't have the right stamp on your papers...
So, to conclude, life is not stressful even with covid. The transport situation is not really clear, neither is the count of covid cases, but we do not feel in danger, stuck perhaps, a little but not in danger.
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