Telework, stockpiling spread in Tokyo after Koike's press conference

The politicians cause the panic buying with their incompetent lack of planning. They should have announced that all essential shops like food stores, drug stores and alcohol stores will remain open and people will be limited to buying only one or two packet of any item for the foreseeable future to prevent panic buying. Also that there will be set times each day when only the elderly and essential workers can shop to ensure everybody is able to purchase what they need and stop the hoarders making the situation worse.

Koike disappeared for six weeks before resurfacing the instant the games were cancelled, and is now waving placards and glaring into the cameras at nightly press conferences.

There's no plan, no proactive thinking, absolutely nothing. The response is entirely reactive, like Abe's, and is completely driven by opinion polls. The result is utterly incoherent and is causing panic buying across the city. What a total shambles.

What a mess.

olympics are gone so now at last people are getting a major wake up.

expecting Japan to be the next epicenter.

if we can bite the bullet and start being honest. Then perhaps we can think about saving lives.

Why take reasonable measures when you can just panic and make life even more miserable for everyone else?

So Japan is about to experience what we have had in the UK for several weeks - idiots stockpiling because they think things will run out... and causing the very shortages they fear.

Amazing how medical centers don't have enough masks, but these idiots like K-1 and pro wrestling are holding events and giving out masks to attendees. If you have thousands of masks to give out, give them to the medical community.

One old dear in my local supermarket with two baskets full of perishable goods which she clearly can't eat - there are just her and her stick-thin husband at home. Gave me a nudge and said "My refigerator is already full hahaha!"

As if there was something funny about someone whose wisdom I am supposed to revere filling the cupboard with fish and oranges she's going to have to throw out within a week, which other people could have eaten.

Could be a soft indication of a lock down on the horizon? Or just Japanese way...to show an effort is being made?

My school isn't closed and we have to work as normal. Our graduation ceremony is going ahead, but only one parent can attend per pupil, and those parents will all be sitting right next to each other.

All of the teachers and staff have been in close proximity to each other, getting ready for the ceremony and the next academic year....

How any one posting here can call that “panic” buying is way beyond anyone who knows what panic buying is. That aside, the Japanese people have been duped. This is going to bite back on Abe and the LDP SO hard... one hopes.

Burning Bush and Caliboy are unusually quiet these past two days... I wonder why.

Only 3 days ago BB was gloating about being right and the rest of us being idiots.

Can't believe it! Lines 20 or 30 people long in front of each of 6 cash registers at my supermarket. NEVER seen that before.

I'm reading a lot of criticism of Abe and Koike in these articles,

and it's totally warranted. The chance to fight Covid was at the beginning of March when schools were shut down.

Following what is happening overseas gave a big clue, so we did our shopping in anticipation of a full scale shut down yesterday afternoon. There's a very good Doctor on You tube who gives up to date advice, and figures.

I hope that the virus is not as widespread as we think it will be (by some miracle).

Dear commentators - How are the possibilities for remote working in your companies, or your partners' companies?

My friend's company has made remote working pretty much impossible, even tough he's in the high-risk group for covid, and his job could be done remotely. He'd need some kind of a permit, and to get that, he'd need to go through multiple channels, fill multiple papers, with multiple stamps, which would of course take a lot of time and effort. RIDICULOUS.

@Jaques-'Jaques’ Liverot, where have you witnessed “panic” buying?

@ Alfie Noakes,

Koike san appeared now due to election in May 2020

At this moment Koike san is just good for nothing.

Don’t open the schools for another month.

I think they have a plan and are going through the motions. But the speed by which they are rolling it out will cause chaos. They left it too late and they know it. And, I'm certain it's not a good plan even though they've had two months to cook it up.

@Reckless, please DON’T be with your “spray” toilet. We have a washlet on ours. Also a dryer and a bidet.

"The governor's remarks were serious,"

And to think 48 hours ago everything was under control, completely fine, and any cancellation or postponement was completely "unacceptable". So, was she lying, uninformed (and therefore not qualified to do her job), or just completely inept?

I'm not going to worry untill Abe says something......Abe, Abe, Abeeee. I need your leadership. Oh that's not your job? Sorry my mistake.

I have been slowly stocking up a bit since the beginning of the month, just stopping by a super & picking up canned goods, pasta, sauces & of course beer whiskey, could see this coming miles away.

I didn't buy tons of anything, we should all have this stuff on hand anyway living in the land of earthquakes.....

As for koike & abe & their ilk.....I cant type what I really THINK of those two, people will DIE because they wanted to keep the games on no matter what, EVIL!

We’ve been slowly stockpiling since the first week of February (2 trips a week for dry goods and canned goods). We also have a large freezer so I’ve been parsing out chicken etc. we never did a big buy. All stuff has a 2 year (meaning really 3-5 years) shelf life. We think this will be a norm (this either won’t be seasonal or will come back each year). However this virus was introduced to the world I’m becoming more convinced this is going to be around a while.

Koike has lost credibility with me some time ago. Her words are meaningless at this point except those which might have a direct impact on our lives.

She should resign

And, so it begins! Better late than never. Watch out for the panic shoppers.

It is puzzling that many news articles say 41 cases were reported in Tokyo, but seldom mention that the number of tests was 74, which means that more than 50% (47/74) of the sample was tested positive. Of course, this does not mean 50% of the Tokyo population is infected, but it is ominous even considering that the sample was taken from patients with severe symptoms.

I'm with Tora on this. Many Japanese know their government is lying, but they feel powerless and just go with the flow.

Japanese were the first to hoard toilet paper in all this situation. 

Not true. Happened in Hong Kong first. Then Japan caught on. The the Aussies took it to a whole new level!

Does the request from the each of governors of Kanto region not to go out over this weekend unless due unavoidable circumstances, include supermarkets?

This should be clarified since at the moment, people are assuming it does, and aren't taking chances.

I was caught in this mess this morning.

I’m not really buying anything. This lock down talk is for foreign press and PR. Koike lack the law to call for an enforced lockdown, and the no national politician have the guts to take responsibility for a lock down decision.

Pretty much I expect mostly normal situation in Tokyo with maybe a very minor reduction in traffic.

Urging or even mandating social distancing is useless here, too few people will abide by it. My company even set a rule that people must work from home except for business critical for weeks, but department and team leaders just ignore that and have everyone come in anyways, even for a 30 min internal briefing they can make it as a excuse to have everyone come in for the whole day. Working from home and virtual meetings are against the culture, so it is pretty much impossible to enforce.

I do not think a mass epidemic of Corona will hit Japan, why because if it did, Tokyo would have felt it long before NYC since we are lot more connected to the original epicenter than the other hard felt cities like Italy or East coast USA.

I don’t quite buy that, for one thing the Japanese are not doing any testing and the second thing is that it could all change and as a result of not testing it could potentially blow wide open over there, so we don’t really know unless we start testing people and then we can get a clear picture of how widespread if it indeed is, but we don’t so, we will never really know the actual numbers

@Triring

Please give us your link to official daily/weekly/monthly death count.

Speculation work the 2 way round. We know we do not know and we will have to wait for the number to come out.

If there was an overflow we surely heard about it by now.

Why ? Do you have a lot of friend working in the cremation business ?

There is more than 3000 people dying a day a Japan. How much increase do you think will be needed for the system to overflow ?

I'm originally from a part of the U.S. that runs out and buys all the bread and milk in the stores when the TV weatherman says the word "snow". And yet I've never understood why people did that. I learned from my Depression-era parents to stock up when items are on sale or I have a coupon (and those golden times when coupons line up with sales). Also learned (the hard way) from the 2008/09 collapse to have at least six months income set aside and to live within my means. I can't do my job from home, and may even end up getting laid off if this pandemic drags out too long. But I had already started taking time off a couple of weeks ago (had loads of vacation time saved up) as I'm in a higher risk group due to my age. The only thing I'm really worried about is either getting this disease and/or transmitting it to someone else. Well, that and daytime television.

"Don't go out this weekend". but... "Make sure you get on the packed commuter train on Monday morning for work".

Does this mean the virus doesn't spread or infect people on weekdays? I'm confused.

Koke preparing us for a complete lockdown?

Goodbye Golden Week?

As awful as this disease is, one silver lining may be that it'll push companies to start and keep teleworking as an integral part of they way they do business.

God knows it's way overdue and really needed in these overly crowded cities.

Japan lives by booms and herds

70s Oil Shock and toilet paper; 1988 taifuns and ’taimai’.

Glad washlets pervade now, but so still does supply built around shopping for the day rather than week or month.

Gov't are supposed to create peace. Too much of untruth is not wise. Any persons or person should know this esp abe and his gang.

Triring: "Has anyone heard of spikes of death in Japan due to disease/ phenomena compared to previous years?"

Dude, if they have not been testing LIVE people at more than 12/1,000,000 I highly doubt they have been doing full autopsies to test the dead. They have been hiding the numbers and situation for the sake of the Olympics -- that we know -- so it is safe to assume that they are not going to fully investigate the deaths of the elderly as Corona victims and add to the death toll, which they bragged is under control.

And furthermore, it is going to spike FROM NOW with the added testing and sudden 'seriousness' of the issue as opposed to before, which goes back to my and many others' original point that since they are not testing, they will not find it. Don't you worry... you'll see the government suddenly saying previous deaths may be linked to Corona (oops! We quickly cremated them!) before long. It's pretty funny watching international news say they don't understand the sudden increase given that the government "had it under control" until just the other day when the Olympics were postponed.

@Jimizo

Most Japanese people I know, and polls will confirm, don't trust the government at all. The issue is that they are taught from a very young age to follow authority without question and to not challenge it. The just resign them to the fact that that is the way things are. Kind of fatalistic.

Most Japanese people I know, and polls will confirm, don't trust the government at all.

I‘m not necessarily talking about trust in the government but certainly too much trust in what is reported in the news and disseminated on TV.

I’m aware that Japanese can be too passive but I’m not sure that is worse than those actively spreading misery and panic.

"The only thing that can change the absurdity of politics is the organized power of the awakened people."

Someone said this to me.

@triring. I think you’re speaking way too soon and you are probably wrong. However I really hope you are right and if you are feel free to tell me so later

@smithinjapan

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

If there was a massive epidemic there would be a massive amount of deaths whether they had been tested or not does not matter since the resulting spike in total number of fatality would show like a sore thumb. It will overrun the cremation facilities that are running at about full capacity already. (I should know how difficult it is to reserve a spot at one of those places after my father's death)

If there was an overflow we would have heard about it know on the morning show since it is impossible to hid that kind of information.

Statistics will back me up since there should be no abnormalities in number of fatalities year to year unless there was a abnormality in cause like an epidemic.

An expert was saying on TV this afternoon that only 1800 artifical respirator equipped beds exist in the whole of Japan. It won't be very long until they are at capacity. They are looking more and more worried now. The government is finally taking things seriously now, but it will be too little, too late. Tokyo is just 10 days away from a NY situation. They have even been comparing it on the variety shows. That is why people are panic buying.

Don't think it won't happen here? Look at some examples of where they tested extensively, and isolated people early on.

HK, Korea, Singapore, Germany

Look at where they locked down early:

China (after a bad, bad start) Australia, NZ.

Look at where they pussy-footed around and left things way too late:

Italy, Spain, France, US, Japan.

You can see where this is going!

And what does Tokyo have in common with NY? Many people coming and going and congregating together in close quarters, a lack of testing and people who just ignored the great and continued on as usual.

Within days, Abe is going to implement that new law that allows him to lock the entire country (or parts) down. They are already discussing it.

The only way to stop this is to trace all cases, isolate and then fully lockdown when the time comes, so that you may flatten that curve.

But they should have done this week's ago, similar to some of the countries I mentioned above.

@triring

Just repeating the numbers.

Hopefully it's wrong, but we will see in just a week or so. If the numbers continue to climb over the next few days, then it's time to panic and get out of this metropolis like a few other commentators have been saying.

I just don't see it turning out well, and neither do the authorities, or, it seems the people of Tokyo, as is evident by their increasing sense of panic.

Remember the laughing Americans from a few weeks ago? Or the Spanish/French/British who ignored the warning signs?

It's a mistake to think it won't happen here, especially since there is uncontrolled community transmission.

twatanabeToday  11:49 pm JST

I have heard of dramatic drop of death in Japan due to flu or cold. Isn't it interesting?

Once again we thank you for sharing your unique expertise on this matter.

From where I'm living now, the people here have already panic bought about two weeks ago. And that feeling, it's like a calm before a big calamity, it's very unsettling. I fear for those living in Tokyo considering that how many people live there vs how many groceries and convenience stores are there (Don't count the restos, they'll most likely close soon). Chances are that once these shops fail to restock, even the Japanese will start to lose their tatemae and go into survival mode. I pray that the government is prepared for this, they had more than enough of a time to prepare anyway.

Heed this warning, If you're in Tokyo and can afford to move into the countryside, do so before the government orders a Tokyo-wide or nationwide lockdown. Just remember that cities manage to function on a daily basis because of the logistics that goes into supporting it. Cut that off and you can imagine the rest.

IT use and teleworking should further be encouraged to take hold in Japanese society. Tokyo with high population density is vulnerable to various crises. Meanwhile communities in the countryside are starting to disappear or ill-function as more people are gone away or aging. There are some negative stereotypes or bias held among Tokyo residents regarding rural life. Japan should tackle not only the overall population decline but also its geographical imbalances. Teleworking can be a solution.

Problem is many Japanese people have flown/are flying back from other countries with severe situations (Italy, Spain, France and now the US as well). Japan should have shutdown when the Diamond Princess was in town way back on Feb 4.

There won’t be a lock down in Japan.

The politicians won’t have the guts to do it. No one would want to take responsibility for it

Even if they pass a lockdown, they wont be able to enforce it

Most people will ignore such orders, due to reason #2

Right now I am sitting in front of my computer here in Columbus OH US. The governor sent kids home from schools starting 3/16 and has set a date for return on 4/6, but has stated that they could be out for the rest of the school year (which would likely end the first week of June). As of 11:59PM 3/23 all "non-essential businesses" are to be closed until further notice, and many are working from home; that includes the local news media, which I watched earlier. They have one person at their studios while the rest are reporting from their homes (comedy in the raw if a kid/dog/cat/lizard somehow walks in on them :))

There have been panic buying for the last two weeks, even before the order on 3/23; all the stores around me have been sold out of TP, hand sanitizer, alcohol (including wipes), bread, water, lunch meats, bleach, milk and a variety of other household items, despite the fact that we regularly see video on the news demonstrating that their warehouses are FULL of these essential items, and there is no shortage of them.

But the howling mobs keep running in, loading up their carts, cramming the lines and, who knows, making a fortress of TP protected by the masses of guns they are also buying up at Vance's?

Earlier today I got a card in the mail that details guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been telling us for the last several weeks (wash your hands, keep from touching your face, practice social distancing, etc.)...except that, in big letters on the front, it says, "PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES FOR AMERICA".

Now, knowing that our functionally illiterate "leader" has spent the last two months downplaying the threat of COVID-19, and even now spreads false and misleading information about what is being done about the spread (and at least two people have died from his misinformation involving an anti-malarial drug), now the government agency responsible for these little cards expect me to believe that our orange king is lucid enough to "produce" these guidelines?

He's simply using the threat of coronavirus to win a second term. God help us all if that happens.

As for us, since we buy essentials when they are on sale, and use coupons to pare down what we spend, we're good on TP and other needed items. Grocery stores are considered "essential" and thus are kept open, so I'll likely only visit them to attempt to buy needed items or to pick up needed medicines (I'm diabetic, so according to the guidelines I'm considered "high-risk"). I have nitrile gloves if I need them, as well as a mask to cover my mouth/nose when I do go.

But given the situation I will likely not go as much as before. Not because I'm overly worried about getting coronavirus (not any more than I should be), but because I just get thoroughly disgusted with all the people STILL loading up their carts like it's the @#$@ apocalypse.

My parents grew up during the Great Depression; my mom lost four members or her family before the age of five during that time because of malnutrition. I had relatives in WWII, and an elder brother fighting in Vietnam. Compared to those things, I can deal with this MUCH easier.

got my supplies early from a well stocked and empty store because I anticipated that this would happen. The JGov has been fibbing the number and the proverbial ish is starting to hit the fan. I predict in the next coming days, Japan will be in complete panic mode.

And so it begins.

Look at that photo - teo metres apart for pity's sake.

A 27-year-old woman said she made the stop to buy instant noodles and sanitary goods

Thank god I'm a man. There's one type of sanitary product I don't need to worry about.

As for food, bog roll and drinks - stocked up a long time ago. Today, I noticed at last that the Japanese realized that pasta makes good non-perishable food.

@Flute

I had to call ten cremation centers after my father had passed to make reservations and that was two days before the funeral.

The cremation process takes about 30-50 minutes and I know that they will not turn down a request unlike emergency hospitals sine their clients will not complain about the service 100%.

@inkochiToday 

Japan lives by booms and herds

70s Oil Shock and toilet paper; 1988 taifuns and ’taimai’.

Glad washlets pervade now, but so still does supply built around shopping for the day rather than week or month.

Buddy,.. if you did not just speak some truth. I fear japan somehow influenced the outside world on those 'booms' and herd mentality in western countries who were, in the past, more independent in though and mind when it came to making choices and purchase choices. I do not think in the 90's you would have had so many people all go out and buy toilet paper in the same way like mindless robots. It is really unheard of. Almost like video game characters all doing the same thing in the villages!

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51527043

It's all kicking off now.

We don't want people panic buying but knowing that they are ... Well, maybe we should buy more, just in case. Because there's a chance that the local shop could be bare.

And the more articles and news reports we ingest, the more we get anxious.

How are the possibilities for remote working in your companies, or your partners' companies?

Personally, it's not an option. I wished I had the kind of 9-5 gig that I could do that.

Who knows where we'll find ourselves next week? Stay safe and sound, folks.

The politicians won’t have the guts to do it. 

Most of the resistance and lack of response is coming from the private sector, not politicians, as far as I can see.

Almost like video game characters all doing the same thing in the villages!

We must not attack Animal Crossing residents in these trying times.

Can't believe it! Lines 20 or 30 people long in front of each of 6 cash registers at my supermarket. NEVER seen that before.

That is TV viewers for you. Now pasta will go the way of the toile paper...

knickkankknokker:

The thing that annoys me about the panic buying in this country is the irresponsibility particularly shown by the supermarkets. Japan is a nation used to disasters so all supermarkets should have a plan they can instantly put in place to make it harder for individuals to buy too much of certain products. It's ridiculous.

Well, if you don´t have a a warehouse, panic buying empties the shelves very quickly.

This is the "just in time delivery" system that economist have been so proudly touting as superior in the last few decades. So not just in Japan, but everwhere in the world, supply chains have replaced warehouses with endlessly moving and fuel-burning lines of ships and trucks. Of course, that removes any buffer in the supply chains.

I hope this Corona thing is a wake-up call.

Kids need to go back to School - being at home with the Parents who are trying to work is causing much disruption - the internet is becoming saturated with Video Streaming and Gaming Demands... once the Kids go back to School - the internet will quieten and their Parents (including the rest of us) will be able to once again work from home without disruption.

(I think, that's the logic being followed by the Government with their recent announcement to reopen Schools in April).

What comes around goes around. now it seems the stupidity is hitting Japan too.

It was just a matter of time, but a little too late.

I also do not hear of the morgue being filled up to capacity meaning there are no large sums of death either.

Something of a contrast from what I hear from NYC.

I don’t quite buy that, for one thing the Japanese are not doing any testing and the second thing is that it could all change and as a result of not testing it could potentially blow wide open over there, so we don’t really know unless we start testing people and then we can get a clear picture of how widespread if it indeed is, but we don’t so, we will never really know the actual numbers

The death toll does not get effected whether the cases are reported or not. It also does not matter whether they were filed under other unrelated diseases since the total number of deaths does not fluctuate that much year by year. Statistically speaking if there is an untold epidemic happening in Tokyo right now then the cremation centers would be over flowing with demand since 99% of deaths in Japan is required to be processed (cremated/buried( within a short term of time period(within a week) by law.

If there was an overflow we surely heard about it by now.

@Triring

My condolences.

That do not reply to any of my question.

So as of now that is just speculation, one way or the other.

Some people suggested that Japanese will be the last people stockpiling in the world.

You haven't been in Japan long enough. Japanese were the first to hoard toilet paper in all this situation. Even China and South Korea had this problem, only Japan. And during the Tohoku earthquake, the lines of cars at gas stations and empty supermarkets were the norm pretty much everywhere in my prefecture, that was remotely affected by any of the triple disasters.

No reason to panic buy. There is plenty of groceries, now masks on the other hand it was really and idiotic idea to send our supply to China without keeping enough to sustain our own populace. Now we have shortage across the land and its high noon allergy season well underway. Japan produces plenty of fresh veggies throughout Japan, enough products, and as for potable water, bountiful clean aquafers to last a very long time. Beef is both continuing to arrive at the ports. People need to use common sense and calm down. Panic buying only makes things worse.

Mirai Hayashi:

I predict in the next coming days, Japan will be in complete panic mode.

Today is March 27. Can I add your prediction to the list of failed predictions by our expert JT commentators that I have been compiling while laughing? What is your time frame?

It sounds very unjapanese. Some people suggested that Japanese will be the last people stockpiling in the world.

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200326-00000058-it_nlab-ent

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN3V3RGLN3VUTIL004.html

"How any one posting here can call that “panic” buying is way beyond anyone who knows what panic buying is."

You said it: they don;t know what panic buying is.

Them belly full but they hungry.

I'll be blunter:

They don't have a scoobie!!!

Panic buying is what we have right now over here in London.

@Tora

I actually do not see it.

If it was true then those 1800 would have been maxed out already since Japan is much more closely related to Wuhan then Italy, Spain and/or NYC.

There are various Japanese companies have offices in that city as well as it is lot more economical to travel to Japan then the other cities I had mentioned which should result to more accelerated numbers of patients and more importantly fatalities showing as a spike in deaths in Japan.

No one is talking about any spikes and no one is talking about any high demand in funerals or more importantly cremations.

Cremation facilities around Tokyo is severely limited due to it's extreme difficulties in constructing new ones and expansion of present ones due to NIMBYies. (If you think opening a new preschool is hard, try opening a new cremation center and fell the resistance)

It looks like no big panic or no ugly shop fighting or no looting there. Nice queue.

I do not think a mass epidemic of Corona will hit Japan, why because if it did, Tokyo would have felt it long before NYC since we are lot more connected to the original epicenter than the other hard felt cities like Italy or East coast USA.

Many strongly speculate, it is because Japan have not tested enough potential subjects to define the actual count but if there were more patients then shouldn't there be a spike of fatalities as well.

Has anyone heard of spikes of death in Japan due to disease/ phenomena compared to previous years?

I certainly have not.

The morgue is certainly not full and I have not heard of cremation service being over runed by demand which should be if an epidemic had struck.

I do not know the why but as death tolls(numbers) shows, I do not think Tokyo has been/will be struck by an epidemic of serious Corona virus related death.

Has anyone heard of spikes of death in Japan due to disease/ phenomena compared to previous years?

I have heard of dramatic drop of death in Japan due to flu or cold.  Isn't it interesting?

Don’t open the schools for another month.

How about stop train service for a couple of months? I am pretty sure that's where a lot of virus transmissions occur. Everyone take off for a couple of months! No wait, that would cause major disruptions and ruin the economy. What was it Trump said about the cure cannot be worse than the problem itself?

There has been panic buying of toilet paper and masks in Tokyo for a few weeks. The Seiyu near my house is sold out of such items every day soon after opening. My local 7/11 in Tokyo also has bare shelves for such items.

People dig their own graves when they choose to live in a big city for the cool factor and being able to brag to friends living in the boonies. When disaster strikes, millions suffer.

Blame Abe, blame the governor's, blame the people for not distancing correctly but can we put the blame where it would be - on China.