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Aichi Prefecture to declare its own state of emergency

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Good move. Should have been done long ago like Tokyo and the other 6 prefectures. Shut down izakaya, bars, restsurants and cafes - and properly enforce it.

11 ( +20 / -9 )

can not understand, I wear gas mask, I can not contaminate people and can not be contaminated , I can work, drive,etc... if GOV is ready to print money and solve the problem. why it does not provide efficient method . ABE mask is a joke not targeting real resolution. wave of virus will come forever. during WW2 GOVs prepared gas mask for the population . in 2020 you have the pathetic ABE mask. sounds fishy this circus...

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Damn it. Some of us need to work!

-9 ( +13 / -22 )

No need to do that.

-10 ( +7 / -17 )

A good decisions, and one that a lot of places and people had been steadily preparing for.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Good.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

If Aichi Gov Hideaki Omura, requests business close, Gov Hideaki Omura better have a detailed and comprehensive economic, fiscal proposal ready to present to the electorate.

Hideaki Omura, cannot expect the state to bail his policies out. I have a thriving business in Aichi Prefecture, a partial or heaven forbid, total lockdown could have ruinous consequences to our hardware production.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

Its probably for the best. I'm in Aichi now and despite having more than 200 known cases it feels too much like business as usual - crowded restaurants are operating like normal, nobody is practicing social distancing, most schools remain open, etc.

I have to work too and am anxiously watching how this will affect me personally, but what needs to be done needs to be done.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

I very much doubt that Japan will not introduce a lockdown. Everything you do is still pretty much your responsibility; those with dependents who are usually at school or daycare will be worst off.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

While he's at it, maybe order Toyota to make ventilators and CPAP's, like auto makers in the US and Europe.

Masks, too, if they are equipped for textile manufacturing.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Chatting with my doctor on Tuesday and he mentioned that he'd been in the city center over the weekend. Although we are not on the list in this area yet, the place was deserted, he was saying.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The way to combat this pandemic, if combat is the correct analogy, is to actively enforce/cadjole social distancing with the use of a brigade of volunteers.

Test, test and test again through the use of local community centers, trace the infection to source. Isolate the infected. It is non-sensical to lock down a cities people and economy, as seen in London/UK.

The cost is purported to be £50 billion plus per month with no end in sight and not plan to exit.

By mid-May the UK economy could be damaged beyond repair.  

This fact doesn’t seem to have penetrated Aichi Gov Hideaki Omura logic or thinking in his decision to declare his own state of emergency. He hasn’t presented any plan or proposal as to how business will be able to react/respond.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

So far no people under ventilator nor deaths, Japanese must be immune ;)

Being sarcastic.

My family in law has not realized how it's going to be come worse before going better.

But workers will work somehow since no lockdowns nor penalties.

Pleade remain home for the ones who can and in a compulsary manner for those at risks.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Shut a business down for a prolonged period of time, it is guaranteed that your customers will take their custom elsewhere offshore if necessary. The Business will close and it employees will ultimate have to bear the brunt.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

to actively enforce/cadjole social distancing with the use of a brigade of volunteers.

So you are suggesting we should unleash the full busy-body potential of the nation's legions of obattalions on the populace?

Talk about the cure being worse than the disease.....

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Good. Aichi, always “jumped over” has decided to put its boots firmly in the ground.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

He did the right thing. I don't want to see Aichi prefecture (Nagoya city) top of all.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

That's a ludicrous statement, I am suggesting the people look out for a their own communities.

Not the Police, look at the results of that form of intervention in London or Paris !

2 ( +5 / -3 )

That's a ludicrous statement, I am suggesting the people look out for a their own communities.

Yes, that is what you are saying. But in practice putting this into the hands of communities means putting it into the hands of community organizations (chounaikai) which are dominated by elderly residents for whom giving them the green light to openly snoop on their neighbors and police their behavior is a bit like giving crack cocaine to an addict.

I've served as a kumi-cho in my chounaikai, I know how these things work. It will not end well. Everyone will be driven nuts.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I reside in Ino Kochi, we already have a active community support group. I am not suggesting fines or loud, over bearing rudeness. Just careful considerate helpful communication between in many ways neighbours pointing out the dangers.

It is a valid suggestion

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I’m going to work later today as the people I work with understand hygiene and are not falling into the ‘everyone -is -infected -routine’

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

And I’ll go by private car...

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I’m going to work later today as the people I work with understand hygiene and are not falling into the ‘everyone -is -infected -routine’

If you can work from home, this is a bad idea.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

I reside in Ino Kochi, we already have a active community support group. I am not suggesting fines or loud, over bearing rudeness. Just careful considerate helpful communication between in many ways neighbours pointing out the dangers.

> It is a valid suggestion

I was being a bit facetious (but only a bit), certainly community groups will have some role to play, but they aren't a substitute for government action and any plan that relied on them in a serious way would be doomed to failure from the start. If a pachinko parlor or other non-essential business that has a high risk of being a focal point for an outbreak in a community refuses to close , no amount of persuasion from the chounaikai is going to convince it otherwise. And that is just one example of the many types of countermeasures that community groups - which have almost no resources, zero expertise, very limited geographical coverage (most are just a few blocks) and apart from social pressure no means of enforcement - are completely unequipped to handle.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It'sonlyrock. Time to chill out a bit. I think the fate of the general people is more important than your business but I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I have to close mine too.

We are not the only ones in pain but neither are we the worst off

11 ( +13 / -2 )

@Sneezy

On entering the company I am wearing a mask, wash hands and make my way to a work station.

I will telework to the client’s home for a short discussion and then my desk is sprayed down with a bleach solution.

As I leave I again wash my hands and put on a fresh mask...

Too easy...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I put my mask on inside out today. Does that mean I breathed in all the junk on the outside?

why did Abe forget Aichi?

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

This is descending into open revolt revolt against the Abe regime by the governors. It's a shambles.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Buchailldana,

I can chill out where business necessities are concerned.

I however am struggling in regard to the 70 to 85 dedicated loyal employees whose jobs could be ultimately at risk. The irony is that the function could be moved to Brighton UK. To our sister operation, the UK establishment has designated hardware encryption tech as essential production for banking and services.

These Staff epitomize the workforce the business depends upon to lead in the field we reside.

I will not let them down, sorry, or chill out.

So I have instructed lawyers.

I am sorry you had to close your livelihood.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Abe opened the door to letting each Governor to go their own way once he announced the state of emergency. Now we can see who's a leader and who's a follower.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

They will have an election at some point.... Can’t be seen as “that guy who didn’t do enough” Doesn’t have to work or even be logical... Just do something!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"Looking at things the past week and watching the situation the rise in patients, the number without any traceable cause - we judged that it was a very dangerous situation and wanted to make preparations," he (Hideaki Omura) told a news conference………

Governor Hideaki Omura will not reveal what his proposals are!!

I suspect this is Governor Hideaki Omura petty politicking in an attempt to embarrass the Government.  

In fact below is the Acichi Prefectural Government Official Site (English)…..

There is no mention of a Coronavirus Pandemic let alone essential protocols, social distancing, to aid the prevention and spread of the Pandemic.    

https://www.pref.aichi.jp/global/en/index.html

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Pretty ridiculous that people claim “employees have to work to eat”.

do they need to work and earn money for the grave? Because that’s the risk many business owners are exposing them to.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

When people lose their jobs and income, and the capitalist socioeconomic system faces collapse, the virtues of "socialism" suddenly reveal themselves: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. This principle refers to free access to and distribution of goods, capital and services. Spending in the time of corona must be underwritten by the state by means of drastic cuts to military spending with generous contributions from the coffers of accumulated capital owned by corporations and the military-industrial complex. Tax havens must be turned out mercilessly and the branches of illegal "money trees" aggressively pruned. If we are "all in this together", everyone must make the sacrifices commensurate with their means. After all, many people, front-line workers are paying with their lives.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

business as usual at most small to medium sized companies in aichi.

only big companies like Mitsubishi will be 'teleworking'.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Itsonlyrock, chill, we all are making sacrifices for the greater good. Move over to teleworking from home, embrace the now. Think of the lives of your workforce and their dependants not the bottom line.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This could be a sea change for distance working, healthcare, education, etc. Or we could just revert to the ways of the past as though coronavirus never happened. Many thought working or learning from home was not a good thing but I've heard a lot of people saying it is much easier than they expected.

We'll soon see.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Hummmmmmm, Just Do It.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dear PM Abe,

If you ever want to see so much as 1¥ of campaign contributions to you or your party again, you will EXEMPT the prefecture of Aichi from your emergency declaration,

Respectfully yours,

The Toyota Motor Company

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Spoke to a friend in Shizuoka tonight. She's a bit worried about all the families from Tokyo that seem to have arrived since yesterday. Restaurants and inns are busy.

Zero social distancing.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

itsonlyrocknroll

In fact below is the Acichi Prefectural Government Official Site (English)…..

There is no mention of a Coronavirus Pandemic let alone essential protocols, social distancing, to aid the prevention and spread of the Pandemic.   

https://www.pref.aichi.jp/global/en/index.html

Perhaps you should go to the Aichi Prefectural Government Japanese language site where there's a ton of Coronavirus info/links.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

These States of Emergency only will create more fear and paranoia among people. This country has 130 million people, only a few thousands infected. Remember that pneumonia kills 2.5 to 3 million people a year and who cares. Nobody at all. I have heard people from Chiba city afraid to go to Tokyo. what's going on. The state of emergency declared, and some shops ask for social distancing in my city, some transparent plastic over the counter. Nothing like that 3 days ago, and nothing has changed since. We have only 3 cases for 90000 people. And Tokyo has 1500 cases for 13 million people.......... I understand stringent measures where cases have been growing, but not where no case, or only a few cases have been reported. Crazy world

In my country, even the countryside is lockdown. If it continues like that, trees will be under a lockdown. Crazy world

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

If Toyota wasn’t based in Achi it would have been included, another day another j inc fail.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@buchailldana

Fear mongering keeps going. Basic measures are ok to protect from a virus, not paranoiac measures.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Alexandre T. Ishii

He did the right thing. I don't want to see Aichi prefecture (Nagoya city) top of all.

My understanding was that Omura initially told the National Govt that Aichi was fine, and to not include them on the Emergency list. I suspect that in the time between the announcement and today, he faced a heap of backlash over that decision.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

englisc aspyrgend, around 92% of the work force are working from home. The production and network professionals that remain on site. All adhere to social distancing protection.

I take our business duty of care to our employees as the highest priority. That is above all paramount and bottom line.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Aichi was 3.6 infected people per 100,000

36 per million

Take that as you want

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Elected officials have a moral and fiduciary duty to take care of their constituents. If you can’t and blame others, point fingers, give hundreds of reasons why things can’t be done, etc, then you are part of the problem. You don’t deserve to lead.

What this pandemic has proven to me beyond any doubt, and perhaps something that many other JT readers knew deep in their hearts, is that while Japan is a good place to live, generally safe, etc., it is that this country has the most mismanaged, apathetic, petty-squabbling government of any developed country. And at the moment, all at the expense of its citizens and foreign residents.

I am truly sad but also never been angrier. I can just see their smug faces when the pandemic is over as if they had any proactive part in the recovery.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

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