Cameron comments

The amount of cancellations is skyrocketong according to the news.

Good that I didn't go through any of those travelling agencies and opted out from the campaign.

Kagoshima and Hokkaido, here I come!

Stay away! It's not essential. This is really selfish.

Here's my conundrum.

For the last week I had a fever (between 37.5 and 38) consistently. I thought it might be strep throat because I had a really bad sore throat for about two days. After the sore throat disappeared (and ever since) I have a really dry cough and pretty bad body aches. My fever is gone but the aches are still there and the cough is getting worse. I don't have a fever anymore so I couldn't get a test if I wanted to, but since I have cold symptoms my doctors won't see me.

Im sorry, why can't the doctors are you? What an absolute joke! How can they just refuse to see you???

Which is all the more reason why I’m going to be moving to Japan in the next few years. The job that I have currently doesn’t pay enough for me to afford the move, but once I get that squared away, it’ll be full speed ahead for me to save the money that I need to make the move. Because with statements like these government officials, especially compared to here in the US led by you know who, I can’t wait to make this move!

Don't be fooled into thinking Japan is easy. It's not. But I am comparing life in New Zealand. I have to work more to survive here. It's not ideal. We will be moving back to NZ eventually.

I for one have never been busier. I'm buying a new car soon, working hard, and buying locally. I'm doing my part. Everyone else just needs to do the same to whatever degree is within their means.

How much paper work and red tape is needed to get any of this support will be the next big issue.

As a kiwi living in Japan, I hope NZ does not open it's borders to Japan. Noone really knows the virus situations here with so little testing being done. I would hate to see NZ going back to square one again.

I got the masks, I got the money. The form took 30 seconds to fill.

Are you referring to the small business/freelancer support, or the 100,000¥ payout?

The 100,000¥ payout is easy. The business/freelance is a little cumbersome. But I've heard some have already received both. We are in the process of applying for the 1,000,000yen support.

Good! Time to reopen the economy. Enough damage had been done. These masks will help do that. #joke

I hope Japan wakes up and gets rid of him.

Parrot

Everyone saying this is good news, while being aware that testing has dropped considerably to achieve these low numbers, most likely believe in fairy tales. As someone already mentioned, 12000+ were tested in Sydney. Only 8 were found positive - that is good news.

We haven't even received the personal stimulus yet!

Absolutely useless! I have no words.

Monty...

It's true that the longer the lock down goes on, the harder it will be for people to live. But this is what the GOVERNMENT is meant to stop from happening. In other words, the government needs to financially support everyone who needs it. We all pay taxes, yet no support has been given (very little at least). My juku received ¥50,000 as support from the Sapporo government. ¥50,000!!! That's it! So now, my manager is saying we need to reopen from next week because they don't have a choice. What I'm trying to say is that if the GOVERNMENT did their job and actually supported people, giving them the ability to STAY HOME, all of this wouldn't be a problem.

I am really surprised that so many posters here are always negative about Good news about numbers of infection.

I think many posters here are some kind of ~End of the World Junkies~, waiting every day for the big Apocalypse to come.

I dont understand why these people are never happy about good news.

The thing is, this isn't good news! How can you not see that! If the tests were in the thousands, with only 35 positives, that's good news! 35 positives out of roughly 68 tests is NOT good news.

According to https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/, on May 6th 65 people were tested in Tokyo, of which 38 were found positive.

That's more than 50% which is really high and way above the 10% that the WHO recommends to target to ensure the testing coverage is sufficient.

JapanToday/Kyodo: publishing numbers without context is counter-productive as it leads people to believe it is safe when it's not.

I laughed at this. OMG! That's insane. 65 were tested throughout all of Tokyo, yet 38 were tested positive!!!! That's insane. I am so glad I don't live in Tokyo.

Based on the fact that 690 were tested on the 7th when there was 108 people confirmed, if 3000 people(still a very small number) were tested, 550 of them would be positive. Not great numbers.

If it were any other country but Japan that reported lowering coronavirus infection rates, there would be loud cheers that the coronavirus infection was under control and that the people and government were doing a fantastic job of testing and adhering to social distancing/staying at home orders.

Most other countries say how many were rested on any given day as a way to prove the numbers are good. Japanese media(Japan Today included) have never listed both numbers together in the same article.

Never have I had more of a reason to say we are having the wool pulled over our eyes. The number of PCR tests are below 1000. Why are so many forgetting this! We are being deceived into thinking the numbers are great, but in reality are not great given the number of tests done. I am absolutely flabbergasted.

This is really what Japan needs right now... (Insert sarcasm)

Out of all OECD countries, Japan is performing the 2nd least amount of tests for the virus.... But we have robots in our hospitals!

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/these-are-the-oecd-countries-testing-most-for-covid-19/

Some Japanese hospitals have complained about a mask shortage. Masks have been sometimes hard to find at stores around Japan.

Don't try and fool anyone JT. Masks haven't been available at most stores for weeks/months. I have not seen a mask in ANY store, and when I do, there is a huge queue and only a limited quantity available.

Everytime I go to the bathroom, hardly anyone washes there hands. I went to the supermarket yesterday. No social distancing at all! Japan has own set of dirty habits. Don't try and fool anyone.

Notably, his well-intentioned countrywide cloth mask distribution plan was immediately branded "Abenomask," a mocking reference to his long-running signature "Abenomics" economic plan.

Well intentioned? If it was well intentioned, he would have worked harder to get more masks into everyone's hands, rather than paying ¥466 for each one, most likely to his friends who have textile companies.

I think part of the problem in Japan had been the spread of misinformation about he virus.(even on this message board) It's a shame it has come to this.

I should go to everyone over 20 with a my number and anyone under 20 with a my number card needs to apply for it in a simple manner(online)

I read on NHK that it would be given to all "residents"... For whatever that's worth at this point. In going to guess no one really knows yet.

I work for an eikaiwa here in Sapporo. Apparently we won't be closing. What emergency?

I think the government should provide some sort of "necessities" credit system where everyone gets a certain amount to over things like rent/mortgage/utilities. But that'll be too complicated to implement here in Japan. It'll be paper forms or a very confusing online system. Cash is probably the easiest.

To be honest, one of the best things that has come out of this whole situation is me being able to spend more time with my wife. She's Japanese, and she loves having me at home more. Sure we all need our personal space from time to time, but we are really enjoying being at home together.

https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/economics/economic_confe/list/CK2020040802000149.html

It seems that the so called "support" will only be available to households that have a pandemic reduced income lower than the tax threshold(under 211,000yen per month) or for households that have lost 50% or more of their income....

I am not sure how many of people will actually benefit from this... If a household income drops from 300,000 to 200,000, the household would be eligible.

I am not sure if the support is only available to families with children....