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Commuters walk through Shinagawa Station on Tuesday, the first day after the Japanese government lifted the state of emergency in Tokyo. Image: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
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Tokyo slowly gets back into motion after lifting of state of emergency

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Tokyo is moving slowly? I'm jealous. Osaka ran back into normal life. The first day that the State of Emergency was lifted, restaurants were packed and everyone was outside.

22 ( +22 / -0 )

Great. Same here in Osaka, so good to see. Now cue all the “second wavers” ..... yawn....

-2 ( +21 / -23 )

that picture doesnt really give me a feeling of "slowly".

But its mostly been like that the last week or two anyway, so its good to lift the pretense that there was an ongoing emergency.

14 ( +18 / -4 )

Finally! Life comes back!

Let us all work hard to boost back the economy and let us all enjoy our lifes again.

And let us all do our personally best Prevention again the virus, (Wear masks, wash often hands and use sterilizers), and everything will be alright!

9 ( +20 / -11 )

Great to hear and incredible efforts by the citizens and government of Japan! Stands in grim and stark contrast to the catastrophic failure seen in Europe and North America, an absolute disgrace of a humiliation over there..

-1 ( +14 / -15 )

@Reckless

Wow! That is awesome. Unfortunately I dont have experience in Telework, but I really admire the decision from your company. Many people said Home Office is very cool!

And my opinion is that home office should become a standard in Japan and all over the world!

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Well, obviously, social distancing is a thing if the past. Let’s hope people stick to their personal hygiene practices of washing their hands and sanitizing common areas. Japan has two things in their favor. Firstly, it’s coming into summer. Secondly, shaking hands is not a major part of Japanese culture.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Tokyo was slowly getting into motion Tuesday with some people returning to their office and others heading to the park a day after Japan lifted a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus pandemic.

This is your idea of "slowly moving"? And that picture...looks as if everything is be hastened.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Tokyo is up to double digits again...lets see how long it'll take to get back up to triple digits. I hope I am wrong, but doubt it

-2 ( +12 / -14 )

This is a good time to check around your residence and make sure that people who have been living alone in your neighborhood, especially, are still alive. In my neighborhood in Western Tokyo, postal deliveries were way down compared to usual. Mail may not have piled up in someone's box over the last few weeks, but may start to do so now. Do be on the alert and notify building management or others (be they other neighbors or koban or your local city hall) if you think someone may be at home, but deceased).

People die alone in their homes regularly in this metropolis. That was the case before Covid-19. Just call friends who live alone and make sure they're OK -- be alert and find those cases asap.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Tokyo is up to double digits again...lets see how long it'll take to get back up to triple digits. I hope I am wrong, but doubt it

People seem to forget, September is not far off, be prepared.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Vince Black

Great. Same here in Osaka, so good to see. Now cue all the “second wavers” ..... yawn....

Really? I hope your enthusiasm is warranted! I don't think the possibility of a "second wave" is anything that we should be flippant about.

bass4funk

People seem to forget, September is not far off, be prepared.

Apologies. I... am not aware of what September holds for us, and why it should be foreboding. Please explain?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Tokyo is up to double digits again...lets see how long it'll take to get back up to triple digits. I hope I am wrong, but doubt it.

Yes, it very possibly will.

So, what’s your solution?

I know I’ve posted this question before but I can’t see anything constructive in these kinds of posts.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

So, what’s your solution?

A lockdown. We haven't had one in Japan yet. But it should have been done ages ago.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

@Jimizo: I totally agree with you. It's very easy to Mirai to keep warning of impending doom - He did admit in a post over the last couple of days that he has no idea how people have behaved in other countries. Well - After speaking to friends both in New York (City and State) and in the UK who had the kind of enforced lockdown that he thinks is indefintely feasible (we know its not), I can quite truthfully report that despite his protests and indignation, and despite Abe's henchmen royally screwing this situation up earlier in the year when it could have been kept under control, we have, as a country behaved very well. The restraint in my opinion has 'in general' for a nation of 120+ million people been amazing. Yes - I know, you want to dig out the Pachinko Parlours et al. But for a country that was not forced into lockdown. Good Effort.

@Mirai Hatashi:I am pretty sure there willl be a second wave of some sort - There has been elsewhere, it IS to be expected. But your solution of just 'stopping life' simply doesn't work. for ANOTHER 2 weeks, and ANOTHER 2 weeks. Yes, I am aware, as you said that we don't have a treatment or a vaccine yet,and we are unlikely too anytime soon.

All we can do quite literally, is to stay clean, wear our masked and be sensible. Nobody I know 'wants' to be in a group of more than a few people - I really don't get who these 'selfish' people are that you keep referring too. If you are really that concerned then isolate yourself until your cure comes along. Its the only way to protect yourself AND your family. You being on a train this morning? What's all that about? I haven't been on a train since March, and have no intention of for a little longer.

So, as Jimzo has pollitely asked you, What is your solution? Other than am indefinite lockdown and halt to the economy, the loss of thousands of jobs (which will be many more than die from this disease), abject despair, mass unemployment, people evicted from their homes and mental distress that has not been witnessed in modern times.

Pandemics - They happen. We are living in (sadly) historic times. We will move on and we will learn, the hard way as we always do.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

and I'm soeey @Ashley Shiba - but you keep quoting the same 'doctor friend' without any substance but the same comment dressed up differently. Before I get thumbed down - I found it very sad when the young Sumo Wrestler died. Sadly, this inevitable in a Sumo Stable where the average BMI is technically morbidly obese, many are diabetic , living in not wonderful conditions and therefore at extreme risk from this virus. For me, your knowledge of Japan summed it up there, when you stated that a 'very famous' Sumo wrestler had died. Without taking anything away at all from the sadness of death, he was a fourth division 'trainee' effectively and would not have been shielded in the same way the senior wrestlers were/are. That is for another day and I hope now that the Stables will adfdress the living conditions of the younger guys.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

@Do-the-hustle all very good points. And just with the general emphasis on hygiene in Japanese culture alone, should help at least mitigate a second wave, if not prevent it.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@the resident, @Jimizo

You are wasting your time. Those people dont have any solution. The only thing that they can do is screaming for lockdowns, without any sense or a future solution.

It is very very good that Japan is going back to life. Same like the rest of the world.

As you said, the resident, if people dont agree, are upset or whatever their reason is to be strictly against the reopening of the world, they are all free to stay home and locked themselves up for many months or even years.

But believe me, they will never do it, because they are just talking without any action by themselfs behind their talks.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

@Monty

Agreed 100%

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Ashley, I understand your concern but comparing Japan to most European countries and US, I think, they’ve done a good job, Tokyo is a densely populated city and with most people using public transport, they can’t hide anything for 3 months, I think Japan has already proven that just testing and not contact tracing is useless, because it does less to stop the virus from spreading, rather focus on measures that prevent the virus from spreading rapidly and then you can get it under control, selective testing can be good if you are doing enough contact tracing, it will take all of us to defeat this pandemic, and we can do it whiles living our lives too, let’s all do our part, that’s what has kept Japan going

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Great to hear and incredible efforts by the citizens and government of Japan! Stands in grim and stark contrast to the catastrophic failure seen in Europe and North America, an absolute disgrace of a humiliation over there..

...you,re talking about the best continent in the world and the US and Canada. show some respect. ... there,s some fundamental differences between Japan and many western countries... we shouldn,t jump into cheap comparisons...

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

@the resident, well said! We cannot stop living, we’ve done well to bring the situation under control and must get back to our lives, though with caution. If a second wave comes, we can do what we did a few weeks ago and still get it under control again, we are on the pandemic ”sea” now, we must ride the waves and steer to safety, no need to be afraid of another wave, we will navigate through it

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Crossing all my fingers and toes.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@rcch, what do you mean by best continent in the world? Your statement is equivalent to saying my child is the most beautiful in the world, every child is beautiful to his or her parents, it may be the best continent in the world to you but not to me, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison “

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Reckless:

My company wants us to telework every day until the end of August! I actually am not sure I can return to the office after such a long time away.

Good for you. You are lucky to have an employer with common sense.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

i think that japan as a whole will overcome this situation quickly,As it did in the past.

Japan & The Japanese have had it rough in the past for many years Such as v iruses ,natural disasters ,typhoons etc. i belive that Japan will triumph ever. Ganbare japan

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Well Ashley - Yes, the Government did miss an opportunity. Theyu completely screwed up. BUT - We did NOT have a lockdown (where did you read that?), we had a SOE with voluntary restrictions. We continued to have semi-normal lives if we chose to and exercised caution and now we are regaining further normality. The only truth in you comment is about Taiwan and the sensibility of Japanese culture that has made this work.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

.' When Abe called this emergency lockdown'

Sorry - did I misread what you typed as above?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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