Anxiety mounts over another state of emergency in Tokyo, neighboring areas

We have started to understand what kind of disease (COVID-19) is, so I feel like we are not facing the same sense of urgency that we had in spring last year,

I agree with him!

That is what I always say, understand how to live with the Virus by doing your best personal prevention.

With this new SOE, many businesses will go into bancruptcy and many life existence will be destroyed!

But a new SOE is decided now, so lets do the best out of it and lets hope that most of the businesses will survive, and people are not struggling too much by losing their income.

A Tokyo metropolitan government official said, "We have a sense of crisis. I wonder how effective the declaration will be, but we need to do what we can."

No word about direct support at the news conference or changes to the unemployment benefit to make it more inclusive. Not even anything on if establishments receive the 60,000 yen daily compensation that are required to retain staff. Nothing to prevent firms from cutting staff even after receiving the compensation and shortening hours. That has been the case with JTB slashing staffing after receiving their GoTo subsidies.

Same as last time, expect other prefectures to also elect themselves to adopt the new suggestions.

While there is no hard lockdown (not should there be) people will be fear-mongered into submission and watch the economy continue to spiral downward.

The economic problems will catch up with all of us eventually if they haven't already. Welcome to another year of anxiety and poverty. This is what you all wanted...

Welcome to another year of anxiety and poverty. This is what you all wanted...

No, nobody wanted this at all.

This is a result of the government’s appalling approach to this over the last 12 months.

Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, welcomed Wednesday the government's plan to declare a state of emergency but said it should look into the possibility of expanding the coverage of the declaration to the whole country.

The JMA and its majority members from private clinics should also cooperate with the state SOE by taking covid patients to the floors. Many of them have still been in denial while under the new SOE, bars and restaurants are again primarily targeted (without sufficient compensations). Burdens should fairly be shared.

Me neither!

My boss intimated that If Osaka follows Tokyo then my work will fall to zero.

I have savings and a working partner but many do not.

The governments initiating lockdowns need to ensure people are supported first.

Where's the Money?

What gets me is that the "nightlife" is getting hammered the most here, making it seem like that's the only time, or only "locations" that corona spreads and THAT is pure BS!

My boss intimated that If Osaka follows Tokyo then my work will fall to zero.

I have savings and a working partner but many do not.

The governments initiating lockdowns need to ensure people are supported first.

I think this is a good opportunity for many people to do voluntary and community work.

For years people in Japan have been telling me what one big happy family they are.

It would also help dispel the reputation that Japan is turning into a greedy, selfish little society.

We have started to understand what kind of disease (COVID-19) is, so I feel like we are not facing the same sense of urgency that we had in spring last year," Kunio Iyonaga, a 48-year-old commuter

This guy couldn't be any wronger. The virus is still the same as it was and more, since it's gone thru the large populations and changed.

People kept living life like nothing, went to temples to pray coz apparently that was more important than the pandemic, kept their everyday overtime with cup noodles for dinner, now they're crying victim.

Besides, SoE is not lockdown. No penalties for not obeying.

Photo caption translation is not accurate. The banner says they are against the state of the emergency which (they are afraid) the government will be using it to restrict people's rights in the future. They are left wing activists.

@P. Smith: What you say is very true. Some of my clients were proactive and started the Year with telecommuting mandates however others, some very large companies, were waiting for the government to declare the SoE before taking action. I am quite sure that by 3pm today I will receive several e-mails about restrictions or rules for entering manufacturing facilities.

One reason the SoE worked last time relates to what you have accurately pointed out.

van Wolferen articulated this well in his book, "The Enigma of Japanese Power" which was written in 1990.

Man up. Times are hard, but no point being anxious or blathering about the pain you’re feeling. Be strong for the people around you. This article is full of ditherers and moaners, they don’t help anyone,

Agree 100%. Cancel the damn olympics. Do what has worked in other countries (no, I don’t need to reminded that ‘we are Japanese’ and not like other countries). Stop moaning and worrying about money and the bubble you live in.

The reason for closing bars, pubs and eating establishments early is that 60% of known transmission routes are from these places. Sure, that still leaves 40% of known transmissions plus the unknowns but having people spend as little time as possible in places where they get drunk and loud makes sense. The owners and employees are not to blame so should be adequately compensated.

These safety measures needs to be nationwide and the Olympics in Japan should be cancelled. I don't see the virus abating in 2021.

It's gonna cost you 200k per person this time Suga.

Quantitative Easing for the people.

Japan is a strange place with very strange laws and constitution. The government doesn’t have the power to make businesses close and to deny people the right to make a living. Only under a state of emergency can the government place restrictions on businesses, but they cannot force them to comply nor can they penalize those who ignore the restrictions. Sadly, with the economic focus and failures in Japanese society the threat of the pandemic is not as scary as the threat of bankruptcy. Combine this with a dismal welfare system and very limited government support and you see a country in deep trouble with the worst yet to come.

More stimulus for everyone please?

Vaccines sooner, please.

And fine those who refuse to mask up.

It’s not a real lockdown, like the UK. It’s pathetic. Business as usual.

Things are so wishywashy and meaningless people don’t even know it’s already been declared.

What’s the point of asking bars and restaurants to stop serving alcohol at 7 PM and close by 8 PM? The coronavirus is not active only at night.

Whaaaa! Wake up and smell the roses.

Not the Olympics roses. Not my favourites in Zao. Ugly truths.

2020? 2021? No difference.

These safety measures needs to be nationwide and the Olympics in Japan should be cancelled. I don't see the virus abating in 2021.

No Olympics, no open borders, people over 65yrs restricted to home except for supermarkets and drug stores between 8:30-10am (only these people can enter) and accessible virus testing.

Cancel the stupid Olympics and use the money to pay people to stay home. If not, I ain’t staying home! Can’t afford to.

1.With this new SOE, many businesses will go into bancruptcy and many life existence will be destroyed!

2.just one question-how much will be compensation for these who are affected and are forced stay at home without income,must pay bills and take care about own families?

 3.If not, I ain’t staying home! Can’t afford to.

Really? that bad because resaurants and bar have to close by 8 for a month?

This guy couldn't be any wronger. The virus is still the same as it was and more, since it's gone thru the large populations and changed. 

People kept living life like nothing, went to temples to pray coz apparently that was more important than the pandemic, kept their everyday overtime with cup noodles for dinner, now they're crying victim. 

Besides, SoE is not lockdown. No penalties for not obeying.

It’s called adaptation. You cannot expect people to to freeze all their activities and wait until this is over. Everyone has to continue with their life and thus they need to find new ways of doing things. Since last spring of course people understood more about the disease and came to develop their own practices to continue living under the pandemic. There’s nothing wrong with that.

So basically all they are asking is for restaurants to close by 8pm and they will pay 60,000 yen per night .. this should be enough for most restaurants to pay employees the 3 or 4 hours they would have worked plus some profit and the savings they will make by not needing to order as much food and electricity and gas savings. And a lot of mom and pop shops can close down for the month and not work and make a tidy profit (prolly more than they would normally get for the month)... Unless the paperwork required to make a claim is insane and deliberately made near impossible to receive it. Which wouldn't surprise me.

my prediction is that these lame half hearted measures are not going to do anything and the infections will rise. Until they get something close to a proper lockdown the virus will spread- especially with this strain

Personally, I think nothing will get done. Things will get worse before they get better because everyday the numbers are increasing not decreasing. People are tired and more are resisting, there is no one in complete control as to what controls should be in place. All I have read is restrictions from certain prefecture as if this is a fix. No, because people travel and spread so does this virus. I read close the pubs early, now this one is really funny as if the virus wakes up and shuts down at certain times of the day. The only way this virus is going to be controlled is TOTAL LOCKDOWN, when I say total I mean every thing stands still. Why worry about paying a bill, when their is no one at work to process the bill and label or verify it as paid. No one should be out except for those who need to run the cities critical structures. IF everyone can hunker down for about two weeks perhaps this will help but until their is no total control the numbers will continue to rise until some miracle way defeats this virus.

If I cancel all my work for the month and stay home for 30 days, will the virus be back down to single digits? No.

Is there a mass vacation currently underway so this is the last time if be asked to stay home? No

Only thing 30 days at home would achieve is an expanding waistline which would ironically put me at more risk of dying from corona and an empty bank account.

I'll keep working and going out ( no bars alas) until there is a likely stricter nationwide s.o.e in February. At least then the government will pay me to play in the park with my kids all day like march last year.

Only thing 30 days at home would achieve is an expanding waistline which would ironically put me at more risk of dying from corona and an empty bank account.

It will also reduce the number of people that die of covid. One of those people could be you.

Monday is a national holiday for "Adult Day"

More commonly known as Coming of Age Day.

@Strangerlan.

It will also reduce the number of people that die of covid

Not really, unless you think this s.o.e is goin to be effective.

One of those people could be you.

I am around 40, I have a greater chance of dying from stress.

11e1d1( +1 / -0 )

I am around 40, I have a greater chance of dying from stress.

Or you might die of covid if you catch it.

Fingers crossed.

Every time I read about the Japanese government's 'requests' to citizens regarding efforts to 'contain' the virus, I think of lemmings and North American buffalo; both species have a tendency for 'herd' behavior. Both follow their species and jump off cliffs. Okinawa's people did that near the end of WW2. I thought humans were a bit smarter. Obviously, I made a mistake.