Japan begins year's 1st day of work as coronavirus continues to spread

The photo is just silly. Give the mass gatherings a miss for now. No need.

Just think how your prayers last year at a shrine noted for bringing good luck and prosperity for 2020 turned out.

In neighboring Miyagi Prefecture's Onagawa town, which was ravaged by the tsunami, Mayor Yoshiaki Suda said in an address to municipal employees, "Learning from experience over the past 10 years, we will overcome hardships as a team."

Too bad the government isn't working together with the citizens as a team... it's more like they're playing against us.

JT picture do not represent the reality. Most of temples were not crowded, unusually quiet.

They think businesses as important as their lives.

TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa: "We will take complete responsibility for the accident without allowing memories to fade after the 10-year mark," he said.

By bowing 90°

It looks like social distancing has gone out of the window in this picture. When will people learn? All of the money that has been thrown into the large box at the front of the temple will/could have traces of C19 on it, then the Monks collect it and count the daily offerings, then they get infected, then they pass the infection on.

Not too much different from the morning trains, but thanks to these guys and to the year-end party people, we will have another emergency situation for about one month from Jan. 9th. Many thanks. When their companies start firing people, possibly including them, then they may remember this.

Many officials of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, meanwhile, began work after doing shifts over the year-end and New Year holidays to cope with the increasing coronavirus cases.

"It's become like a long-distance run. We would like to take necessary measures without becoming out of breath," said a senior official of the ministry.

Unlike these bureaucrats in their positions where little is demanded of them with fewer consequences if performance is not sufficient, and comfortably guaranteed pensions and positions, many people in the population over which they officiate are gasping for breath and some need ventilators.

Time for some of those empty words they keep using, accountability and responsibility.

didou

It is not a temple. It is Kanda Myojin Shrine. The shrine is believed to be a god of businesses. Jan. 4 is the first day of work of the year - Shigoto Hajime.

Front center on our view to the right in the photo...nice mask protocol

the photo should have been of a packed morning train.

missed opportunity

best social distancing ever..

This is a virus that takes lives not a joke.

Yep, I live near the beach to the island of Aoshima. My family and I decided to go for a bike ride and skateboard to near the island. There is a bridge to get to the shrine on the island and it was packed with hundreds of people walking back-and-forth, so we stayed well away from it and then headed back home after checking the waves and scenery. My 12-year-old daughter was a bit disappointed but I explained to her that praying at the shrine is not so important compared to our health and the chance of getting COVID. . I don’t think the seriousness of this virus has fully been implanted in the Japanese heads. I think the leaders of Japan are too tentative and have not done enough to command and instruct people on what to do and not not to do and prevent the spread of this virus.

It seems that, yet again, religion and superstition trumps lives and intelligence.

Another day, another photo showing hundreds if not thousands of people simply don’t understand the seriousness of the current situation.

They are going to need all that good luck they are praying for to avoid catching this virus.

coronavirus continues to spread

Looking at that photo I can’t imagine why.

Just think how your prayers last year at a shrine noted for bringing good luck and prosperity for 2020 turned out

Though the majority Japanese visitors are not so religious, I think this comment is a bit insensitive and offensive.

JT picture do not represent the reality. Most of temples were not crowded, unusually quiet.

> ＠didou, I wouldn't know but the guys I talked to said Meiji Jingu in Tokyo was PACKED!

Don't get misled by the photo image. Data suggest a big plunge of visiting numbers (by more or less 70% nationwide) across major prayer sites.

初詣の参拝客が大幅に減少　異例のお正月

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0ea0ebce6738fc75ef1e593bd5e09033884b9d5f

"We Japanese are not religious".

Then this superspreader event makes even less sense. Even the Pope is telling devout Catholic believers to skip church.

We got away with it for a while, but this is going to be a very deadly few months in Japan.

It seems that, yet again, religion and superstition trumps lives and intelligence.

It has always been the case in Japan. It is cultural. There is bad and good to take from it.

The value given to life is not decided by science but by fate by Japanese. Science and personal choices shall not go against existing cultural1 stances.

That mask....everyone thinks it will stop it.......IT DOES NOT!

Funny thing is that during the BLM riots where people were walking in large groups shoulder to shoulder, people on here were saying it was no problem because people were wearing masks. The Japanese do it and all people do is hate for basically congregating in a group the same exact way. I guess people get a pass if you agree with the cause.

"Japan begins year's 1st day of work as coronavirus continues to spread".

What a crappy title for a new year !

Japan this, Japan that, whatever Japan does is wrong.

Just leave Japan as is. Go where the virus is not spreading, it is exploding.

In the sea of masks there is always at least one person not wearing one or wearing it incorrectly.

I find it very strange that so many people packed the temples and shrines to pray to stay safe from the Corona virus.

At my company meeting yesterday, our new boss told us to go out, meet clients, and shake hands.

I may not be working there much longer.