national

Japan 'on the brink' as it struggles to hold back coronavirus

165 Comments
By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Elaine Lies

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Thomson Reuters 2020.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

165 Comments
Login to comment

What a surprise! I thought the government said they could all open next week. Just had to leave the windows open to get fresh air and all would be okay.

17 ( +20 / -3 )

"Japanese leaders have repeatedly said that while the country is on the brink of a state of emergency, it was not yet at the stage of officially declaring one"

Meaning: I see the truck speeding down the road towards me, but I'm going to step out of the way only when I have a couple seconds left... and hopefully I don't trip as I try to move.

31 ( +31 / -0 )

My company just scheduled me for three meetings Friday. Am I the only one going to an office?

25 ( +25 / -0 )

Not long to go now.

As I said the other day, time to leave the big cities if you can. As soon as its announced, there's going to be a mass exodus.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

No social distancing. Bad example.

24 ( +24 / -0 )

What is the government waiting for? - the only logical reason why they would not invoke a lockdown now, is if they think things will not get worse, or only a little worse. Looking at what has happened around the world to other countries, do they really think that is possible?

The only 2 things any virus needs to spread, is inaction and time - and the government here is providing both in truck loads.

28 ( +30 / -2 )

Anyone else notice in the picture that half the members are sleeping? I know, nothing new for these Diet pictures. You would have hoped that they were taking the situation a little more seriously other than just wearing masks. Maybe they were hoping they would wake up and this was all just a bad dream.

25 ( +26 / -1 )

Will it be a lockdown, or Japanese interpretation of a lockdown, i.e carry on as before but pretend we are in lockdown?

26 ( +28 / -2 )

Close every school in Kanagawa and Chiba also.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

why are two or three people sleeping?

18 ( +19 / -1 )

Prime Minister Abe, even if you do a fantastic job and somehow Japan numbers plateau out, Japan's economy will not be unaffected by the global economy. The economy is going to take a big hit anyways. Take care of the people first.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

I read that a state of emergency basically would give Abe full powers for two years...

1 ( +8 / -7 )

ギリギリ(girigiri) is an typical indirect Japanese word to say that doing things at the last minute is not good and is selfish. Ironically, this government is doing things at the last minute and firefighting to no avail.

Not a tough call at all, dump the accountability on the schools and parents. What a shocking way of setting an example and no wonder there is a declining population, I feel for the rapidly declining married couples who must think the reality of getting adequate child care support for average income families by measures introduced by the government is thoroughly uninspiring!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Another thing: If you are going to close schools, please close all Jukus (cram schools) too. Jukus just go on as per usual, and they are often held in badly ventilated buildings in tiny rooms with loads of students huddled together, since it maximises profits.

Keeping jukus open makes a mockery of the school closures, especially since most students who go to Jukus are all from different areas and use public transportation to get there, so the chances cluster outbreaks are much higher. Likewise, home teachers, helpers, etc. All need to be suspended.

If they are going to do this, they need to do it right, along with proper guidelines for online learning and support.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

For all of Japan's technological advancements, I was expecting the J-gov't to announce all schools and to hold their classes online. If you ask me, Abe should be looking hard on mobilizing the country's resources to keep basic services afloat, especially the medical sector

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I noticed people worldwide are becoming so prone to give up on their human rights, because of the fear. Containing the virus is obviously necessary and there are many things that can be done without taking some kind of authoritarian routes. People should reflect seriously about anything, but I see many persons don't reflect enough (see the blind praising of some individuals for electronic systems of surveillance en mass of population made in certain Countries).

-10 ( +11 / -21 )

So many observations from above, the scariest is emergency PM powers. They (that is the regiem) pretty much have no concern other then themselves. If they are actually awake of course. Just goes to show how usless they are. I'd like a job where I get a years worth of salery in a month for sleeping on n a 1970s chair.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

JR controls your lives. It is a system, not freedom to move around.

Example: You live in Yokohama. Your company asks you to commute to Chiba everyday. The employees who live in Chiba are sent to Yokohama. JR Wins. A state of emergency takes money away from JR. This Coronavirus exposes the flaws in the system. The government cannot be wrong under any circumstances.

The way they see it, who's going to be around to make a claim against them anyway. The survivors can be paid off. Oblivion.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

The thumbs down everytime I say something like that, is the confirmation about what I said. It's scary how some people are rejecting of giving a proper thought about some implications.

Anyway, this emergency is giving a huge push to what many governments wanted everywhere, like online payments (cashless society) and tracking systems. Everything is obviously for our sake, though.

-14 ( +12 / -26 )

Fear is the path to the dark side...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I can only see three people sleeping in that photo.

The photo is a great example of social distancing, isn’t it? NOT! They all have their masks on, which do nothing to protect them from contracting or spreading the virus.

Japan is quickly going to escalate to numbers of cases to equal the US and Europe unless these sleeping mullets take some proactive measures and not just reactive measures.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

could, should, would...hmmm....lots of probabilities and speculations. Japan is a reactive society influenced by group think. Cronyism comes to the forefront with businesses so intertwined with politics that the economic ramifications would be unrepairable.

I’m still taking the commuter trains to work. I think most small medium enterprises are too small to save. That’s the reality.

Even if things “shutdown” only the connected big corporations will likely survive. No work. No life. No pay. I think companies will toe the government’s line until it becomes impossible.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

@marcelito: I read Japanese opposition parties don't want the declaration of the state of emergency exactly because this would give the current PM full powers for two years at least. They say the emergency can be handled also in other ways. But if the public opinion will push for that declaration in the first place...

Well, I guess there's nothing wrong if this happens.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

In most of the developed world they conduct online lessons,especially in times like these.....in 'high-tech' Japan they still use the blackboard and chalk.Another wall comes crashing down.

13 ( +16 / -3 )

How could PM Abe reopen schools when all the leaders of this country are now required to wear facemasks, let alone the situation today is far worse then it was 5 weeks ago when he announced school closure??

11 ( +11 / -0 )

@Spitfire: let's hope online lessons don't become the norm, though. Children need socialization, after the emergency is over, we need to come back to normality.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

@Alex80:Absolutely agree.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

As I said the other day, time to leave the big cities if you can.

Yes, but you didn’t say where they should go. I think more than half of Japan’s 125,000,000 population live in and around big cities.

Where are the best locations for possibly asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 go? How long should they stay?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

@Spitfire: a monitor can't full to replace "blackboard and chalk". The human involvement in teaching is something that can't be reproduced online.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

How much do you want to bet it'll be a "mandatory lockdown" except for being "optional" for companies and possibly schools, since they are clearly thinking of schools being open under lockdown anyway. They'll probably still do club activities.

5 ( +13 / -8 )

Alex80: "a monitor can't full to replace "blackboard and chalk". The human involvement in teaching is something that can't be reproduced online."

Wrong. It is an old way of thinking that doesn't help, but in fact harms if you insist on kids going to school and risking infection because you can't get with the times.

0 ( +15 / -15 )

I will say only another thing, since most users here aren't not able to understand the dangers of the blind praising of anything "technological". The governments must work to make us come back to our normality, that is made of social interactions. I hope our new "normality", also when the emergency is over, isn't represented by the Big Brother and 90% of business online. I could be old fashioned, call me how you want, but I don't think human beings were made to live this way.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

Japan only tests a few hundred a day on average, so the reported cases will never go past 1000 daily so it is very unlikely Japan would call a state of emergency. Also since there’s no limitations or punishments on individuals under that law do it won’t be a true lockdown like EU etc., most people can still freely move about under the emergency law, it mostly affects the businesses which may be compelled close.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

@smith: it's okay how "emergency method" but it shouldn't become the norm, and you can't say that in normal conditions, online teaching is better than traditional teaching. Maybe for university students is the same, not for little children that need to develop secondary socialization.

@marcelito: they can make some kind of lockdown without declaration of the state of emergency, I think.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

@Reckless:

WHO says you don't need to wear mask if you are not sick so you don't need to if you don't feel like.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

The government in hot action with 2 politicos in the photo background taking a nap as normal. If they don't care enough to be awake why bother running for office and getting paid to sleep. Seems that

Japan remains on the brink of a state of emergency as the rate of new coronavirus cases and its not important enough for them or the rest of Abe's admin. If Japan would have banned "all" incoming travelers from China there would be no issues with this virus. All the mega rich are on their owned private islands so no issues to worry about concerning this virus.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Public high school ALTs are just stood down and left to rot until things change. Private high schools have renewed contracts, but are only paying a percentage of salaries until things return to normal. JETs are also on their own as their contracts are not being renewed until schools are open again. They should have got out if Japan while they could. I originally planned to leave in April this year, but pulled the pin in December instead. How glad to you think I am?

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Everyone where a mask!

Cuts droplets.

Reminds you to not touch your face.

Lets get 100% of people in masks.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

@Frankus23: about masks, WHO doesn't make any sense since there's plenty of asymptomatic people.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Well, at least the politicians are all wearing masks in meetings now. Evidence that they can still learn how to do things right one step at a time.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Masks are always necessary because also the sneezing of an asymptomatic person is able to infect people.

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

"One of my friends, who works in Tokyo, is still commuting on packed trains,"

Yeah, there's no other way for most people working in Tokyo to get to their jobs. I guess the government is going to have to order businesses to close until the number of COVID-19 cases starts dropping. Economy is going to take a huge hit. Japan will be importing less from China, which has already been severely battered, yet, incredibly, they are reopening their wet markets from which this virus was born, unless you believe the conspiracy theories about it was manufactured and released on purpose.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Japan needs to convert the corona virus task force into a crisis management commission with full powers to manage the upcoming crisis. They will need it.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Everyone where a mask!

Cuts droplets.

Reminds you to not touch your face.

Lets get 100% of people in mask

Good luck finding any if you haven't already got some sleepytanuki!!

I had a box, but the last one - which I had been using for weeks - fell apart this morning. I have been scouring the shops all over the city for more than three weeks, but I haven't been able to buy even a single mask!!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Alex80: "I could be old fashioned..."

No 'could' needed. You are if you think that online learning is not an alternative to classroom based "teacher as dispenser, student as receptacle" approach that is resulting in some countries falling behind as others progress in new ways of learning.

"Masks are always necessary because also the sneezing of an asymptomatic person is able to infect people."

Something you only need to worry about when you're crammed into a tiny box with 42 other students and a teacher who can't control them shouting all the time. And by the way, who is praising "all technology"? And "Big Brother"? Paranoid much? You kind of remind me of the people who shrieked about the ballpoint pen "being the end of society!" And yet here you are, dispensing your wisdom... online... not in a classroom.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

how did we go from "don't panic everything is under control" to "state of emergency" in 4 days? Ah yeas the olympics got postponed...

11 ( +12 / -1 )

For all of Japan's technological advancements, I was expecting the J-gov't to announce all schools and to hold their classes online. 

you are confusing "technological advancements" with "forward thinking"

8 ( +8 / -0 )

If this happens...

How about the teachers? Hopefully they will also be able to stay home as well.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Isn't that Aso Taro in the grey suit sitting to Abe's right?

It obviously can't be - because only yesterday they announced they wouldn't be attending the same meetings together, never mind sitting next to each other in the Diet.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

@Smith: you obviously never studied pedagogy and stuff like that. You probably don't know the meaning of "secondary socialization". I never said that in the current stage of emergency we should send children to school, here in Italy we are using online lessons too. I said we must come back to traditional teaching obviously after the emergency, because unlike what you think there's no way online teaching can replace the experience of traditional teaching. The high level of suicide between children in East Asian Countries is a FAILURE of those education systems, that isn't present in Italy or Western Europe in general. It's damn stupid to think that you should stop traditional teaching because of bullying. Actually, online bullying is also higher than bullying in real life. What school must do is to prevent bullying both in real and virtual life. Little children must develop "secondary socialization" and that can happen only outside home. Or do you think we should grow up a generation of hikikomori? Maybe that's okay in East Asia, where competition is all you care, apparently. Our Italian kids don't kill themselves because of school how massively happens in East Asia. Most of them want to be with their classmates.

To the other guy: I am not Japanese, I don't live and I don't teach English in Japan. I am only interested in Japanese culture.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

“why are two or three people sleeping?”

”I can only see three people sleeping in that photo.”

The first sentence needs an ‘only’, in the second it’s in the wrong place.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

That picture looks like Japan pretty much anywhere you go. Everybody dressed the same, wearing those mask (long popular before the corona to hide behind) and miserable

JETs are also on their own as their contracts are not being renewed until schools are open again. They should have got out if Japan while they could. 

I seem to recall a precedent for this? That is...leaving contracted teachers out to dry during bankruptcies etc.?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@smith: I write some comments in a newspaper forum, something you can do only online. But I don't "socialize" online, I prefer real life to virtual life, sorry.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

japanese government useless until the end !!

pathetic!!!

14 ( +16 / -2 )

Plus, when I speak about "traditional teaching", this doesn't mean you can't include also some e-learning techniques, obviously. We are already mixing the things in Italy. But you can't give up completely on "traditional school" as a home for education when you are speaking about children and teenagers. E-learning can replace that completely if we are speaking about university, with adult students who already developed secondary socialization, learned to interact with other people according to some shared civic norms, values, ethics, etc. School isn't only about notions (that is the BIGGEST problem in East Asia and probably also in the US).

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

NIce to see the Dear Leader in his Granny Mask- a useless strip of gauze with another strip of gauze folded up inside it.

Who cares that it's utterly, utterly pointless? Perform the Ceremonial Rites! Keep pandering to the oldies who vote LDP every single time.

And I know I should be past this by now, but every time I see these useless, scavenging parasites sleeping on our dime in work hours, I start shouting at the screen.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

This is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Unbelievable.

18 ( +19 / -1 )

I think school is mainly a "palestra di vita", where you learn how you must face hardship without give up. Where you learn solidarity. Where you learn how to be a human being, not a robot. I don't care if some other Countries have "higher rating" in math or informatic, when both their children and adults are mentally so weak and unable to face life properly, so they kill themselves in thousands. Their education system is a failure, since you must teach people to live, not to give up on life when you fail.

This is why we need to come back to "traditional teaching" after this emergency. The "innovative" East Asia can continue with exclusive online lessons forever. And with their absurdly repressive systems.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

@Tora

Not long to go now.

As I said the other day, time to leave the big cities if you can. As soon as its announced, there's going to be a mass exodus.

...time to leave the big cities and spread your viruses to the small cities and villages, that surely can't cope with covid patients, especially if they need ICU's? No. Stay where you are, and stay home, STAY IN. Be responsible, think of others, not just yourself.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

@Christopher: indeed lockdown is the perfect way to treat with the emergency. If you care about the economy, to adopt half assed measures how the electronic tracking system, that isn't obviously necessary in the case of lockdown. It's not a surprise that Germany would be prone to adopt that, since they didn't make any lockdown.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Thanks for yet another pandemic, china. if the world doesnt open its eyes and do something after this, thanks for the next one 10 years later, too.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

you adopt*

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

That's it - wait until the very last possible moment, then when the virus hits us hard they'll still say they did every thing they could to stop it. Japan cares a lot about work. About the workers not so much.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Abe only recently on TV said each household will be provided two free masks. So will families of four cut them in half?

12 ( +12 / -0 )

To be honest if Japan does aggressive testing and contact tracing with really strict measures of gatherings and F&B controls they still have a very high chance of containing.

I think they are lucky that many companies and taking actions on their own despite expecting profit loss.

Despite most measures being only "recommended" I see many business owners are already taking some measures early even thou they aren't being forced to.

Whereas in some countries businesses would operate without measures unless a legal actions is implemented.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The country should go on a mandatory lockdown-period!

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Masks too little too late... Abe got some bad advice.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The swimming school near our home refuses to close and if we choose to stop going, we are required to pay a certain fee each month to "keep our spots". Has anyone else experienced the same? Have you stopped your kids from attending swimming school--with a whole bunch of other kids? Some have said swimming is harmless, though approx. 50 kids share 1 big locker room...

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Better safe than sorry, May is good or until safety can be guranteed.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Meanwhile Abe fiddles as Japan sickens.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

The temper of our elected officials has changed drastically from this morning to this evening. Finally they are scared. Good deal.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

This is even more scarier in a country where people are reluctant to allow their employees WFH.

I am the lucky one to be allowed work from home but some of my colleagues still need to go to office because the customer prefers this!

How can even companies implement social distancing when their customers are reluctant, and how will they all of a sudden start to understand?

The only answer is when the government imposes strict laws and forces companies to work remotely, for the rest the government needs to provide economic packages. There is no stopping this virus with the current attitude of the government!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

TARA TAN KITAOKAToday 07:49 pm JST

Better safe than sorry, May is good or until safety can be guranteed.

Hey, Tara Tan, I'm not trying to be smart, but safety won't be guaranteed until we get a vaccine, or everyone has caught the virus and survived.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"We are barely holding the line and remain at a critical point where virus cases could surge if we let down our guard," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a parliamentary committee.

Can I use the words "I told you so?" well so much for the week end at home advice, this virus has been passed around whilst its incubating for the last past 12-14 day, during the last past 12-14 days people have been walking, traveling around on the tube, trains, busses, cars, planes, unknowingly passing it around, and the maths are staggering, 1 infected person passed it on to 20-30 people on a train each day, those 20-30 people then pass it onto 20-30 in the office, those 20-30 people go home and pass it onto the family and shop owner and his family etc, so you can see how the numbers multiply by the thousand, 20x20x20 is 8000. what Japan should have done ( like Germany) as soon as it heard about this virus was to stop flight coming into Japan, made it compulsory for people to stop at home and stop this nasty virus from spreading like wild fire.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Those who were downplaying the virus in Japan - now it's hitting close to home the hardships they face

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I truely wish this was an April Fools joke:

PM Abe has just announced that to combat the spread of the virus, he's directing that every household in Japan will be sent two cloth masks. Yep, 2 masks/house.

I've never felt so embarassed for a country due to its leadership.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200401/k10012362911000.html

14 ( +14 / -0 )

We are barely holding the line

by doing nothing?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Mask. Still NOT available in most stores for more than a few minutes then gone. However, almost ALL government officials in the Diet and in the TV news reports you can see have mask. Amazing how their supply system is working faster and supplies all of them but out here in the Public, Mask are still hard to come by.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@ Rory

Sarcasm is easy to miss when in written form, coming from a complete stranger, to an audience who are not all native English speakers and on such a divisive topic. Of course some people were going to miss it.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I would suggest that the Japanese government empties the Tokyo dome and starts filling it with beds as the hospitals will be over flowing very soon, they also need to import 1000's of ventilators, and instruct companies to make hand sanitisers by the truck load, testing kits need to be made available for key workers like doctors and nurses, and volunteers, they should be tested daily.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Well, I got promoted to assistant professor.

This is meaningless in Japan though. It just means you've been teaching English longer than somebody else.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

What?

“"We are barely holding the line and remain at a critical point where virus cases could surge if we let down our guard," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a parliamentary committee.”

it’s this a joke that I don’t get? Your guards been down all along....

11 ( +11 / -0 )

There is bound to be a silver lining down the line; just wait and see.

Well, I got promoted to assistant professor. Still waiting to see if I’m filling the boots of someone who passed away from corona virus.

Congratulations!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The government has to declare a state of emergency now. And confine the population to their homes. Even deploying the JSDF to help the police carry out the confinement.

And the people who break it. Heavy fines or even prison sentences. Even if it's for a week as punishment.

Health is paramount, and only in this way can we get out of this crisis and defeat the virus. 

Please. Stay home.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Wow, whatta development!

All the políticos wearing masks in unison-who lines up to buy them in the morning, I wonder?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Is that Taro Aso in the picture? I can't tell. Weren't they NOT supposed to be in the same meetings again?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

shogun36 said "Is that Taro Aso in the picture? I can't tell. Weren't they NOT supposed to be in the same meetings again?"

Hahaha, that was 24 hours ago.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

@HBJ

As people get older, short term memory usually degrades.We have to understand that they just aren’t able to remember what was said yesterday, last week or last month....

7 ( +7 / -0 )

We are all getting two useless reusable cloth masks each. That way they can justify not having social distancing etc. the magic masks will save us!

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Luddite said "That way they can justify not having social distancing etc."

Hahaha, what social distancing ? That is poor man's mask.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Lockdown is coming and it won't be fun. To avoid any stigma I may also have to wear a mask though I despise them so.

Assuming you have no symptoms, you only have to wear the mask if you are in a confined area with other people for more than 15 minutes. Definitely have one to put on if you have to ride a train or bus or taxi, and for chrissakes, don't ride a packed train or bus.

Well it really has come down to sides, either sacrifice the economy it ( or ) sacrifice living human beings.

Sacrificing the economy would kill more people than the virus. It is what it is.

Thanks for yet another pandemic, china. if the world doesnt open its eyes and do something after this, thanks for the next one 10 years later, too.

It won't take 10 years, they've already reopened the wet markets in China where this virus was born.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPRkZbGvRsg

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Japan is struggling to hold the line against the coronavirus and is on the brink of crisis with medical experts particularly worried about preparations in Tokyo, officials said on Wednesday,

How can one struggle not doing anything.

Since when did they become worried when they have been telling us how Japan is holding well against the virus,how it has flatten the curve, how Japans medical system is fantastic and cannot be overrun. They have been fanning nationalism and making feel-good statements.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Japan has some 2,200 cases of the coronavirus and 66 deaths, relatively small tallies compared with those of United States, China and some parts of Europe.

Yea, relatively small. Why not compare the number of test as well,

It might pass domestically, but the rest of the world is not stupid.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Yeah this is some serious stuff, I dont blame Trump as he was ignorant, as we all were from the jump but to ignore and continue with the gambaru Japan group gatherings and arrogant ware ware Nipponjin so we so special crap is just insanity. I never follow any of them. Once you get ARDS...wow, nasty stuff indeed. I cant even imagine India and what will happen.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

after one week corona virus "arrived" in Japan we passed from 40 to 80 then to 60

and actually the virus is in Japan since February, not the day after olympic games were postponed

hospitals after 2 months are neither collapsed nor in dramatic situation as Italy or USA and still everyone alarmed and ask for quarantine and loose our freedom rights.

South Korea didn't quarantine the citizens and infection data are slowing down...

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-korea/

virus arrived here the same time it arrived in South Korea and Italy, how is possible that after 2 months it didn't spread like in Europe ?

Lockdown will kill economy and kill more people than the outbreak will do, clear and simple.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

drlucifer said "It might pass domestically, but the rest of the world is not stupid."

What is the rest of the world ? Japan is the only country among the top three world nations that doesn't have breakout. If China saved the world two months time, Japan saved herself an additional one month. When the weather becomes warmer, the virus sexuality will be much reduced. That is Japanese strategy. In that sense, the canceling Olympics is a huge mistake.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Yeah this is some serious stuff, I dont blame Trump as he was ignorant, as we all were from the jump but to ignore and continue with the gambaru Japan group gatherings and arrogant ware ware Nipponjin so we so special crap is just insanity. I never follow any of them. Once you get ARDS...wow, nasty stuff indeed. I cant even imagine India and what will happen.

Don't blame Trump? A guy that deliberately ignored and undermined the entire coronavirus response from the beginning?

Many countries have struggled to hold back coronavirus so it is hardly a Japanese thing as the usual crowd out there thinks.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

"We are barely holding the line and remain at a critical point where virus cases could surge if we let down our guard," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a parliamentary committee.

What guard is this man talking about when there hasn't been any at all.

Could surge, tell us how you intend to find out whether it has surged or not since we know testing is not one of them.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They are all wearing masks it must be serious.

How about they blocked entry from infected areas months ago, could have prevented this terrible drama unfolding in this supposed modern world.

They are disgusting !

I expect this to be moderated ..................for off topic or some such .

If only those in positions of power were held accountable for their actions !!!

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Don't blame Trump? A guy that deliberately ignored and undermined the entire coronavirus response from the beginning?

But so did everyone else, anyways thats past. with this pandemic, one week is past; next week? who knows what the number will be. Its what we do today. My point is, its full attack mode now, except in Japan, but if you want to believe all is fine, on you, I dont.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

the virus sexuality will be much reduced

Mr. or Mrs. Virus, or both?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Akie

What is the rest of the world ? Japan is the only country among the top three world nations that doesn't have breakout. 

Only a fool will expect a breakout without testing.

If China saved the world two months time, Japan saved herself an additional one month. When the weather becomes warmer, the virus sexuality will be much reduced

China saved the world by eating anything that moves, Cockcroch, spider, scorpion, fowl stool , should I name more?

The virus is raging in Africa and last I checked Africa is hot.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Akie.

Here in Spain I have been confined to my house since March 14. I work as a tester and regulator in a 1st division football stadium. I have come to have a high fever, after 12 days after March 8. The day the last league game was played, before it was cancelled. I begged up to three times for the coronavirus screening test. And all the authorities told me was to stay locked inside my room as long as possible. So as not to infect the rest of my family. In case you have the virus. Which I totally don't know, if what I've had is the virus or a common flu. That's for sure. I had a really bad time those days.

China showed us the way. All economic and social interaction must be stopped. We have to be confined to our homes. Leave only the essentials to search for food at the nearest store. Respecting the safety distance of 1 meter minimum, although 2 meters are recommended. The mask does not protect 100% against infection. But it does make it extremely difficult to spread. And above all, wash your hands. That's the main thing.

As for the isolation. At least 2 months in general case. May be longer in some areas, depending on whether the pandemic area is more aggressive. There is no other solution until an effective vaccine is found. That's what China taught us.

All you have to do is imitate them. And remember, it's a temporary situation.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Hong Kong and Singapore are reporting just 50 new cases a day and have already closed down bars , clubs , karaoke and have implemented strict social distancing measures . While here we are seeing 200 + cases a day ( 261 Today btw )and no restrictions in place what so ever. Do nothing or go all in ! This game of low testing and slow response would make this pandemic here for a very very long time .

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Japan can not have a mandatory lockdown.

The government can ask people to stay home, similar to the situation now, nothing more.

It can not tell business to close, limit movement or put police on the streets to enforce a lockdown.

Abe said this today

It is impossible!

I am thankfully we dont live in a police state.

Wash your hands stay home, if sick stay home.

And if your one of those people demanding a lockdown dont go to work.No one is forcing you.

Your will probably lose your job but as many of you like to say safety is more important than money.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

dougthehead13, my sympathy to you and agreed with your optimistic view that this is only temporary situation. Virus breakout is with us since the very beginning of humanity. We do what we can to prevent it from happening. Economic loss is superficial, all can be gained back later time. It seems we sacrifice a lot to stop the spreading, in fact we did the same thing in the past, from time to time, from historical point of view. We are much more advanced in terms of technology and material life, as consequence, it appeared that we lost so much because locking down. All things are relative. 100 years later, when looking back, people will say that it is really small thing to sacrifice our conveniences to save others, and small price to pay in terms of money. We did it because we can afford, we are no longer fear for hungry. I wish you best, with a warning that the battle between humanity and virus will not end, it is eternal.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

That looks alot like Aso on the left? were they not ment to be kept apart? Also i just read"Abe plans to send cloth masks to every household"

Well that shows our worrth! 2 material (washable) masks per address.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If anybody want to know why it is imperative EVERYBODY wear a mask, read this. Good to see the mainstream media finally telling the truth. I wonder why governments and the mass media are at least TWO MONTHS behind this at every turn. I am beginning to think there is some kind of plan to kill off a large portion of the population.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/health/coronavirus-asymptomatic-transmission.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Now, if you must go out, then please use that free mask that Abe is going to send you. No damned excuses.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

My company just scheduled me for three meetings Friday. Am I the only one going to an office?

Haven't they heard of google meet, etc?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

therougou said "China and WHO conspired to screw everyone else over. They covered it up until it was too late."

What cover up ? China stopped the virus by locking down the whole nation, if that is the cover up, then it is a good cover up.

If China is too late, then good luck to your too early govt.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Well there are some good things about living far from Tokyo.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Just on the topic of masks...the main purpose of a mask is to reduce the risk of YOU spreading your droplets to another person or surface, (thus surgeons wear a mask to reduce the chance they will spread germs to a patient during surgery.)

So it is a totally responsible action to wear a mask if you are out in public.

One of the problems we all face is a shortage of masks.

Enforced Lock Down, (although curbing our freedoms) is necessary to reduce the spread to levels our hospitals can deal with, whilst also mitigating the shortage of mask supply.

We can't make Covid19 go away, but we can manage it.....if the Government acts NOW.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The government will not act now

The photo is a clear example of their understanding

Don't understand why they can't do literally anything right to the point you wonder who is actually in charge?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The time the government decided a lockdown its already too late...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

With no cure and no vaccine, the closest model we have to how long this will last is the pandemic of 1918-1919. It began in January 1918, but most fatalities were in 1919. I think we are looking at more than a year of social distancing, unless we get a cure or a vaccine. It will take more than a year for the new flu to spread out into all of our communities mildly, with the least fatalities. Once enough people have developed anti-bodies, so that we have herd immunity, it will stop being a pandemic. Until then we have to protect ourselves in the only way available, with lockdowns and social distancing.

My mom lived in New York City during the flu outbreak of 1918-19. I grew up listening to her stories, over and over again, and have been thinking all my life of what it would be like to have to live through something like that. Well, it has happened. Modern medicine can cut the mortality rate, but only if we are smart about our actions.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@1glenn

May I ask roughly how old you are

If your mother can remember 1918 you must be at least 80.

Hope your keeping well

0 ( +1 / -1 )

lock down should happen long time ago . but government missed lead the peopole and lied

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Don't blame Trump? A guy that deliberately ignored and undermined the entire coronavirus response from the beginning? 

And made up for it big time, so what’s Japan’s excuse?

Many countries have struggled to hold back coronavirus so it is hardly a Japanese thing as the usual crowd out there thinks

Japan is pretty much the only country where the government is vague about closing anything down until further notice, not pushing every governor and major in each prefecture to enforce social distancing making sure all schools are closed, making sure all hospitals are adequately equipped and stocked with masks, gloves and respirators. No detailed mentioning about Nationwide testing or setting up drive-thru testing centers. You go around most areas in Japan, people are still gathering in clusters and public places, Izakaiya’s, coffee shops, a lot of people not wearing masks, kids playing in the park, there is no unified sense of serious urgency in this country and that’s because the government doesn’t convey that, but they’re working very hard to make sure the Olympics go on as planned next year. They continue on this path if an outbreak does occur on accelerated level, it’ll be too late and then the government will blame the people for getting sick since self-isolation is not enforced, makes it easier for the government to not be held accountable should virus claim massive lives.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

True, he was exonerated. Do you know why ? Because what he did, accidently as a side effect, alerted the top CCP leadership, and accelerated the whole lock down process.

'A side effect'? How tragically hilarious. Let's recap. He told the truth, but it wasn't his job to tell the truth. It was supposed to go through several layers of party bureaucracy who would slowly decide if it was a truth that they wanted Akie and the masses to hear.

So initially he was detained for telling the truth, whilst the Party denied it was the truth. Eventually, his truth became the truth, by which time he was dead, and the virus was out and about.

You could have just listened to him without silencing him.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Still waiting for my free masks Abe!

look at the old men fast asleep....!

says it all really !!!!

absolutely useless!!!!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

https://jp.usembassy.gov/letter-to-us-citizen-english-teachers-in-japan/

The US embassy in Japan is urging American English teachers to evacuate from Japan ASAP.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Lockdown will kill economy and kill more people than the outbreak will do, clear and simple.

However, after seeing what is happening in Italy, Spain, France and New York in which the health system is on the blink of collapse, scores of doctors and nurses infected or even dies, some governments just do not want to gamble and play it safe. Also if you do not want to do a lockdown, at least ramp up the testing, it is the only way to give you some idea how widely spread the virus is.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The US embassy in Japan is urging American English teachers to evacuate from Japan ASAP.

They could have given the advice to the JETs, working holidays, single ones to do that when schools closed, but it's a bit late now. Regular flights are few, direct ones probably canceled, prices higher and no warranty to reach destination. If they get stranded in a third country, what's the point ? Will US army give them a lift ? Won't be cheaper. Then, say they arrive in New York, are they better off there ? What about the non-US-citizen wife and children they may have ? At least in Japan, they have the national health insurance, and a large number have a flat/house in Japan only.

If your mother can remember 1918 you must be at least 80.

It's my cousin ? My sister can remember Julius Caesar, and my mother Charles V... We're the "Highlander" family. And we compare, so we're not impressed by Abe, Trump and others.

Japan is pretty much the only country where the government is vague about closing anything down until further notice

No, Japan is not that special, just one week late or one week in advance. We had the same comedy in France, our politicians made us go to vote with hanshakes/hugs/kisses, and a few hours later 'you idiots, stop walking in the street it's so dangerous, now stay home'... That was not better in UK, the US. Overnight they changed of tone. Then, don't believe lockdown is a solution. It's a useful step at best. Then what to do next ? Most countries don't know what to do in one month time.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Keep a close eye on the numbers over the next few days. It could easily get higher very fast. That is how this virus progresses.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

WHO says you don't need to wear mask if you are not sick so you don't need to if you don't feel like.

somebody cough in your direction are those droplets got more chance going into you lungs with or without a mask? your meant to wash your hand regularly and not touch your face, is it harder to touch your face with or without a mask. Its common sense wearing a mask while not fool proof it certainly cant do any more harm than not wearing one

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Data is invaluable in the fight against the virus. Japan’s data collection is so last century: “Okay let’s add them up. Onegai shimasu.”

“Let’s see...44 in Setagaya-ku and 21 in Shinjuku. 5 are female 8 are male. 21% experience coughing.”

That’s pretty much the extent.

You have to test and track. Wristbands with QR codes. Smartphone apps monitoring movements. This is science changing science, happening in the world now but Japan’s missing out on mining the valuable and revealing information.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

why are you foreigners ( i am a foreigner too ) fighting about wearing a mask? if i hear some idiot say mask don't help, i will.........

Now CDC is changing their tune about masks in U.S,

just wear the ....mask,and do the other necessary stuff to get your family safe and other folks safe too.

is that too hard? or you are going to fight this to the end, maybe your end,

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

ClippetyClop said "Dr Li Wenliang was detained and forcibly made to apologise for discovering something that was an inconvenience and embarrassment to China. When it blew up, the CCP was forced to exonerate him & apologise to his family in the face of enormous public outrage. He died for it. You may continue to smear him, but you should be giving him medals. He probably saved thousands of Chinese lives. He's a hero of the revolution etc."

Little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Dr. Li was a hero, but not perfect. Do you know why he died ? He died because when he examined a patient's eye' problem, he didn't wear protection suit. At that time, China didn't prove beyond doubt that the virus transmit people from people, and the patient carried the virus no people knew. Later, the doctor died because of the virus. Your dishonest govt paint him as somehow an anti Chinese hero, totally fake. If he saved thousand lives, as you claimed, why can't your best doctors of the world can't save your people given the known information that a pandemic is going on worldwide ?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@fillmore2

why are you foreigners ( i am a foreigner too ) fighting about wearing a mask?

That have never stopped anybody to be biased a for example inferring nationality of people and using it to make a uniform pack.

if i hear some idiot say mask don't help, i will.........

You will what ? Insult them ? You already did.

just wear the ....mask,and do the other necessary stuff to get your family safe and other folks safe too.

is that too hard? or you are going to fight this to the end, maybe your end,

How come you still do not get some do not consider mask as necessary as some think they are useless. What about leaving them alone ? Trying to force people to wear mask is no better than trying to force them remove mask.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Flute said "How come you still do not get some do not consider mask as necessary as some think they are useless. What about leaving them alone ? "

What ? No one is born to know that mask is useless. He must learned it sometime from some people. Don't blame people for their ignorance, blame your stupid govt, and their "education".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Spitfire

In most of the developed world they conduct online lessons,especially in times like these.....in 'high-tech' Japan they still use the blackboard and chalk.Another wall comes crashing down.

and send final tests by fax :-)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@flute and others who still oppose wearing masks

You guys didn't read my comment linking to the NYC article mentioning that wearing masks may be one of the most important things you can do to stop the spread, since at least 20% are asymptomatic and spread the disease very efficiently, just by breathing. Oh, and an Iceland study found that 50% may be.

I also wrote that it took the non-Chinese mass media MONTHS to figure this out and report it. And the CDC was even recommending people DON'T wear them. The Chinese meanwhile, arrested people who weren't wearing them.

Meanwhile, in Japan the spread has been slow. Steady but slow, and finally catching up. Mask wearing, and a built in social distancing cultural trait turned out to be huge, especially in winter, where they have less festivals, etc. As soon as they started running out of masks and having hanami, etc the rate goes up.

Since the mere fact of breathing can spread the virus, PLEASE don't go outside without a mask, or something else covering your mouth.

For the rest of us, to have a chance of slowing this thing to a crawl, it probably turns out that mask wearin, social distancing when out and about, and frequent hand washing are the three most important things we can do.

Hard to believe it, but these low tech solutions can sustainability reduce that curve and stop our hospitals from being overrun. This will in turn will hugely reduce the overall death rate.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Italy has had lockdown for weeks.

Daily death count continues the same.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I look at Worldometer every day. Deaths are increasing. But not exponentially.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

somebody cough in your direction are those droplets got more chance going into you lungs with or without a mask? your meant to wash your hand regularly and not touch your face, is it harder to touch your face with or without a mask. Its common sense wearing a mask while not fool proof it certainly cant do any more harm than not wearing one

There are a lot of people in Japan that don’t wear masks. Either way, wearing a mask helps, it may not entirely prevent 100% but it helps with droplets, if they didn’t help, then why do doctors wear them? Makes absolute sense to wear them.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Lockdown in Tokyo will mean only mayhem: empty markets, skyrocketing prices, fake news, general panic and depression. Beside, police in the streets? lol I do not understand why so many are invoking it: what's going on abroad isn't evident enough? And numbers are not going down. We already had a similar thing after the quake in 2011. What can't be done now that would be possible with the emergency state? Stealing people properties or imposing to hotels to become hospitals? They could do it even now.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Honestly I don't see how, when all the old people are standing in line at many Asahi stores waiting for them to open and rushing to buy available stockage. Even though there is a limit, it leaves none for the poor employees working later shifts and get out of work much to late to be in a line waiting to buy 2 masks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ Tora

@flute and others who still oppose wearing masks

Were do I oppose people wearing mask ? Because I request people which are not wearing them to be left alone ?

Kept your inference for yourself, thank.

You guys didn't read my comment linking to the NYC article

No I didn't. I tried to go back reading it but I stopped as soon as you started yelling and ordering people around.

I read the article thought. No impact on my opinion (which you, most likely, have no idea about).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanese were given so much time ahead and always this way ???.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Tora

"Since the mere fact of breathing can spread the virus, PLEASE don't go outside without a mask, or something else covering your mouth."

Sure, I'll get right on that. Let me know where I can buy some masks up here in Aomori as most of the stores that do have "Oshirase" signs telling customers that they're out.

I'm still waiting for the powers that be to tell me it's cool to work from home.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Close all non essential shops.

Close the bars and restaurants.

Close the cinemas, karaoke, clubs, snacks, kyabakura and live house, etc.

Forbid all gatherings and cancel events.

Put messages on TV, radio, internet and social media ALL THE TIME.

Ask celebrities, especially popular with the young audience to make warning messages. They will listen more if it comes from them than old politicians.

Tell and tell again to people that it will go to (more) ruin if they don't act NOW.

Unfortunately, not everyone is responsible and careful. The authorities have to say again and again, and not just for the weekend, to be careful, to stay at home as much as possible and to respect physical distance with others. If we don't act now, even a lockdown won't save Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Wonder when the members of the J.Govt will start getting infected - and, what the response will be thereafter ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

slack government. ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There is a theory that the BCG vaccination (a 9-prong needle (!) that leaves a mark to prove vaccination) that basically all Japanese get as babies may help to prevent infection. Interesting as the US has never used it, Italy also, Spain did until 1981, France until 2007. South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia also use it so if you think about the death rate of Covid-19, one wonders if it's a coincidence.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This article appeared on April Fool's Day. It is now the 4th of April. Just how much longer are we going to be on the brink?

I do see most people wearing masks - but I always wonder to myself, where the heck are they getting their masks from? I haven't seen any in the shops for two solid months.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Flute fute

cdc just recommended wearing masks

keep the anti mask campaign going. You and 1 more idiot

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hi carpslidy

My mom was young during the last pandemic, and she had me late in life. What she went through was so traumatic that it made a lasting impression on her. She could not forget seeing bodies that had to be carried to the streets of her neighborhood in NYC, to be picked up by a horse drawn wagon. She could not forget her neighbors, with three beautiful young girls, all of whom succumbed. What can I say. She could not forget it, and now neither can I.

If there is anything to be grateful for in regard to this latest pandemic, it is that it does not seem to be targeting young people. I am not in a hurry to pass on, but at least I have lived a full life. The young people still have so much living to do.

In the first part of the twentieth century, most people in this country only got 8th grade educations, and that included Mom. That did not stop her from leading a very full life. Worked for the US Navy during WW II, and retired as an office supervisor with the California Highway Patrol. I think the happiest day of her life was when she got her high school diploma....after she retired.

Read an article yesterday that immunity to this new virus after infection and recovery is not assured, although it is certainly to be hoped for. The article said that the common cold is caused by a coronavirus, and that immunity for that only lasts three months.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Want to pass on a tip......

I only have one mask, but have been making it work for a couple of weeks. After using it I spray it liberally with hydrogen peroxide, and then hang it up to dry. Dries pretty fast. I prefer to use hydrogen peroxide to clean surfaces, as it is friendlier to the skin.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For every recorded case there are at least ten unrecorded cases.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

By wearing a mask one protects others from infectious breath and spit and if everyone keeps one's own face covered then every one is protected. Of course touching ones face will leave virus on everything one touches there after.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Months of turmoil will follow the delaying tactics. Get tough, shot down everything all movement and contact that is not absolutely necessary for twenty one days, and do some serious spot check testing especially around the current hotspots, if needed keep it shot one extra week. By then almost all infected will get out of it, few will die but everything will be seen and registered. That would be the only workable and health and economy saving way. One month is better then six months and billions of bailouts.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

shot down everything all movement and contact that is not absolutely necessary for twenty one days

 

One month is better then six months and billions of bailouts.

None of the epidemiologists I've seen are saying that 21 days or a month should be enough to eradicate the virus. Where are you getting these numbers from?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For every recorded case there are at least ten unrecorded cases.

Really? I heard that the number is actually for every recorded case, there is a thousand, or even a million unrecorded cases.

I'm not sure which to prioritize more, the random number guessed at by someone that you heard or the random numbers guessed at by someone that I heard.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Shake the mask of outside, then put it in the oven at 80C (or lowest setting). Also dry them outdoors in the sun.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites