Popular Japanese pub chain shuts 20% of its locations due to virus

I suffered a loss in one part time job and was able to receive ¥1,000,000 from the government. Even though my overall yearly income was much higher. Meanwhile, many healthcare workers, including those dealing directly with covid-19, are getting their bonus’s slashed as their hospitals and clinics have seen a fall in income.

Mr Suga.... make sure the money goes to those who need it!

The wife is supplied with lots of monster drink and 50k. That the thanks for a COVID-19 front line nurse. She didn’t sign up for this.

"At this rate, the survival of our business is in jeopardy. We have around 20,000 employees including part-time workers, and it will be difficult to maintain their employment," the privately-owned company said in a statement.

I suppose this call for more money was heard swiftly as the other article on the same page reported restaurant subsidies would be increased. For Japan Inc. the government is an attentive rich uncle always there to help out in a pinch.

Meanwhile, the chain will pocket the subsidies to maintain the bottom line and executive salaries, cut staff, put them on unpaid leave, shorten their wage paying hours and their calls for government assistance will go unheard.

Give China the bill. Yes. 10000% I totally agree.

I think China knows very well they have pushed the envelope to the max with the COVID-19 protein altered bio weaponry SARS variant. That got out and turned on them then the world.

“Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.”

Sun Tzu-

Just a symptom and the beginning of the worst retail quarter for Japan since WW2.

It only takes a good look to see that the increased depopulation, 30 million less tourists, less disposable income, The US-China trademark, continued Frictions with South Korea and increasing unemployment will be destructive forces for retail. The government is doing the complete wrong thing but that can not surprise anyone. 300.000 yen a month in cash to every citizen in 2021 and 200.00” yen in reduction coupons, half paid for by the receiving retail organisation( max 20 % use on any bill) and half by government ( paid out to collecting retailer) and this for the duration of 2021. That will save anything and everyone and all in all cheaper then the current measures with no end result at all

Mr Suga.... make sure the money goes to those who need it!

If only he were actually able to make decisions on his own (assuming he wanted to make a difference).

Comparing Fukushima, which resulted from a natural disaster. to corona is ridiculous

The Japanese government and TEPCO are largely to blame for their long term mismanagement of the nuclear facility. Please don’t forget that, or buy into the idea that such an event couldn’t have been predicted or mitigated.

The government still hasn’t ‘cleaned up’ the situation, and many people are still living with the consequences of another government bungling.

Do Japanese people have a problem drinking beer at home?

Monteroza said that as a large business, it was unlikely to qualify for the payments being planned for small bars and restaurants as part of a government rescue package.

I can't say I'm a fan of corporate izakayas, but why this difference?

The other thing of course is that the big chains like this one and Watami will be hurting more because they are the kind of place you have to go to when all thirty people in your office have their bonenkai, all ten of your mates and their mates have one, or when the half dozen people you've been with from college or whatever decide to do something impromptu. In those situations, you can't go to the cool little place with the little counter that does the amazing food and has 100 different sakes.

Not a great deal of difference until you look at the cause.

Priority of pubs to close out at least closed early are The Hub, SPECIALLY in places like Shibuya where the locations are underground with zero ventilation, small and tight with zero chance of social distancing.

Do Japanese people have a problem drinking beer at home?

No. But think about how the Japanese live, this is not North America, Australia, or even Europe.

The Japanese especially many of the younger workers live in tiny one room apartments, with thin walls and many physically close neighbours.

Having friends over is not part of the culture or practical, havingco-workers over is even rarer.

Isakayas have been the gathering places for generations by the simple facts of demographics, space availability, practicality and culture.

Anyone that has lived in Japan and actually knows Japanese society should already know this.

Isakayas have been the gathering places for generations by the simple facts of demographics, space availability, practicality and culture.

well it seems covid19 doesn't really care and unless people are prepared to break that mindset at least temporarily then this pandemic is just going to get worse

Comparing Fukushima, which resulted from a natural disaster. to corona is ridiculous

corona, by all credible accounts thus far, resulted from poor hygiene at a wet market in Wuhan. From there the Chinese authorities covered it up resulting in the loss of valuable time to contain the virus.

sure, a pandemic could start anywhere but China has a pretty bad record of being a source of these. They need to be more accountable.

the Chinese authorities covered it up 

Oh, and the Japanese government continuously played down (generous) or attempted to cover up (more realistic) the fact that the power plants had melted down and the extent to which the the local area was in danger.

There’s not a great deal of difference in these 2 situations. In both cases the governments were trying to minimise information in order to save face - operating on the presumption that if things didn’t get worse, they could cover up the extent of the situation. But if things did get worse they could just spin some more BS and claim they didn’t know the whole picture until now.

It's true that a lot of businesses in that terrible situation have to cut down their fixed cost like salary, rent, and more, but it might be so tough for people working in their workplaces... I feel badly sorry for them...

Having co-workers over, who are not otherwise friends, is almost unheard of in every country that I am familiar with.

My wife, my son and daughter has co-workers that are good friends, they used to regularly go out before the pandemic, restaurants, shopping travel even Disneyland.

Never have they had these people in our home or been to their homes.

In North America my parents would regularly have friends and co-workers over for dinner, especially in the summer for BBQ.

The idea of having a co-worker and their spouses over for dinner even having a client and their spouse over is not unheard of or unusual in North America.

I cannot even imagine trying to have a co-worker or client over for dinner in my home here in Japan, my kitchen, dining and living are all one small room 2.5 metres by 5 metres, most of my family back in North America have just the dining area bigger than that.

Some ask why people would even be going out it Covid times.

Well I am not making excuses or trying to justify the illogical actions of these people but I can point to perhaps some of their motives.

I don't know how those here live but I live in a house, it is small each member has their own bedroom.

Since covid we all work from home and even with having our own space, the 24/7 thing after several months is very stressful.

Now imagine you are a single person living in Tokyo, the odds are you live in a one room not a one bedroom plus LDK but a one room with a single burner stove a tiny camper fridge, etc...

After several months of being within those 4 walls ones mental health gets strained and the facts logic of having to remain isolated becomes less important to you than the risks to yourself or others by going out to meet up with others.

My son's co-workers all in there early 20s live in one rooms in Tokyo,y son has the luxury of living at home, a full size kitchen, dinning space living room space, etc...and the company of his sister,y wife and I.

His co-workers do not they regularly chat online and tell him how they are deeply depressed having do little contact with anyone other than online.

I do not know the solution but that is the problem.

Adding to that is the fact closing of these Izakayas means more young people out of work.

Both my children have friends that worked in such places that have now lost their jobs adding to their stress and isolation.

We have a problem and unless the government steps up and starts doing something it will only get worse and more places not just big Izakaya chains will close.

Then give the bill to China.

I 100% agree!

I suffered a loss in one part time job and was able to receive ¥1,000,000 from the government. Even though my overall yearly income was much higher. Meanwhile, many healthcare workers, including those dealing directly with covid-19, are getting their bonus’s slashed as their hospitals and clinics have seen a fall in income.

Yet you applied?

The wife is supplied with lots of monster drink and 50k. That the thanks for a COVID-19 front line nurse. She didn’t sign up for this.

Yes she did, the work of a nurse or doctor is not one of opportunity.

Back on topic please.

@Antiquesaving

You are just explaining us that life is not about just having a work in Tokyo that requires you to live in tiny rooms.

Why do you think I prefered to live further from main capital city than others saying they liked being in the center of the world.

Environment is all and first for health reasons. Enough space is vital, as it shows. Bad policy to accept unlivable places.

Coronavirus does not care where people work.

Then give the bill to China.

hilarious ! & totally agree

That is a fantastic idea. Seriously, at some point all developed nations are going to have to get serious with China to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Enough is enough.

economic sanctions, military options, whatever it takes. The damage they have caused the rest of the world is unforgivable.

> This pandemic isn’t just about restaurants and bars. Time to throw some money at all small businesses and everyone else who has suffered income losses. Then give the bill to China.

Are we not done blaming China yet? We should rather give the bill to USA for their laughable efforts at containing the virus. And perhaps add in UK and a couple of other European countries too.

@wtfjapan

No argument with that.

I was not saying that at this time Japanese should still be going out and gathering in these places, I was only pointing out why Japanese use these places in what seems to be a more regular fashion than western countries.

Not that most of Asia also use restaurants, pubs/Izakaya type places to gather, having people in one's home that are not direct family is not very common.

Joey.....

"Yet you applied?"

Hell yeah! I'm not going to say no to free money!

So if the virus had originated in Japan would the Japanese Government compensate people worldwide? If it originated in the US would they have done the same? Stop all this nonsense about giving China the bill because the fact is that these types of virus can originate anywhere unexpectedly. Accidents and disasters are part of life. Did Japan compensate anyone for the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the amount of radiation they dumped into the ocean? More of such virus will originate in the near future and ground zero could be anywhere globally. Bottom line is that the virus spread globally because of negligence of the world leaders who didn’t act sooner by closing borders completely at an early stage and having proper lockdowns. New Zealand and other smaller Pacific islands managed to eliminate or even avoid corona infection because of their proactive leaders!

Give the bill to China

Great still on that one.

What about the next time if it is Japan, the USA, Canada or Russian, ( note with the permafrost thawing ancient/new to us bacteria, viruses etc.. are being found and reintroduced into the world).

Ebola has luckily been contained in most cases but if it does suddenly get into Japan, EU, North America, etc..

Are we going bro hear "give the bill to (insert African country).?

Give it a rest, regardless of where it originated the nature of this virus ment it would have gotten out and spread. The fact is that even with all the lockdowns, masks, experts, etc.. it is still managing to keep spreading unless you live on a tiny island a shut the doors to the world not letting anyone out or in.