ishel comments

So I'm hoping someone can enlighten me - my limited experience of kagura has been those done mainly by miko at various shrines such as Fushimi Inari Taisha, and I was under the impression that these were quite widespread in major centres around Japan. These Hiroshima ken kaguras seem to be something different, and maybe unique?

Peter Collignon is not someone I would bother to listen to. There are much more worthwhile epidemiologists in Australia.

Nice to see two litigation-crazed demagogues taken down in one week :)

There is scope for this to be made much more proactive. Australia has a system of 'Working with Children' registration, and anyone wanting to work with children in any capacity has to obtain such a registration. That is withdrawn if the holder is ever convicted of various relevant offences. Of course, any such system can never prevent the first offence, but having a national registration makes it easy for everyone.

You can tour through it a bit on Google Maps in StreetView: http://bit.ly/KasukabeFloodTanks

So much hate and ridicule... so sad as a commentary on the readers of Japan Today. Where are the usual more positive and open minded commenters today? :(

Forget fancy stuff like this and just get international airmail back happening - honestly, other major economies are managing it, even the US with all their experience of Covid-19... I usually have top admiration for Japan Post, but after months now with no service, their leaders clearly have no imagination in addressing the issue which must be costing Japanese business billions.

She shouldn’t have been wandering around in the bears territory anyway. She’s extremely lucky she got a lucky shot in.

@Vince Black - Ummmm... she was in her own back yard :P

The Andrews government of Victoria is embarrassing in its ineptitude in managing this mask issue. One would have hoped that alongside all the vehement denials that Aussies needed masks, they would be working away to ensure that when masks did eventually become necessary, there would be a coherent roll-out of information and actual supplies of masks. They have had months. And they have done nothing, it turns out. And now they are caught flat footed and with their pants down with a fumbling, blundering make-shift on-the-run policy. Let this be a lesson to the governments of the other states where masks have not yet become advisable and that they make good use of the last few weeks they have before the virus is rampant in every state. Which it will be. Will any of the other states manage a more pro-active and better resourced policy? It will be interesting to see.

@comanteer

I have friends and family with expensive homes on the West Coast, and virtually every year they have to worry about wildfires wiping out their neighborhood, not to mention earthquakes and some landslides.

Your friends are experiencing those phenomena on the West Coast of where?

Visited here a couple of years ago, inspired by the description in the World War II era autobiography of pioneering female media personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The valley was a place of adventure for children from her alternative-style elementary school. As I walked through, I could sense why. It is also (I believe) one of the few valleys of this type in the Tokyo area.

Didn't feel a thing in Australia :P

Mostly, I hope everyone is safe! I have many friends across Japan, and I always fear for them when I hear of earthquakes... and of course typhoons.

Australia (and probably other southern hemisphere nations) don't align with the September academic year commencement. We start at the end of January after our main summer break which begins with Xmas. We certainly don't suffer any real issues with our education export programs (currently devastated however by the virus shutdowns). There is negligible reason for Japan to feel any pressure to change their school year unless they want to for their own reasons. Not everything in the world revolves around the US and Europe.

He seems to have overall been as happy as a rich man can be. Let him be. RIP.

I have never been attracted to cruises, and would never have gone on one even prior to this virus outbreak. So I am definitely not an apologist for the cruise industry, and in fact I regard the practices of many cruise companies as reprehensible on all kinds of issues.

That said, I find it interesting to consider the risks of cruising. While over 700 caught the virus (and some died), in fact almost 3,000 apparently remained healthy - the vast majority. This suggests that despite the highly infectious nature of this virus, more people don't catch it than do. I had a relative in New York who had it (survived well, and didn't even need medical treatment, though he was pretty unwell for a week or so)... but neither of his two flat mates caught it.

So despite the suffering and death for many, even in a highly prejudiced setting such as a cruise or a small apartment, with some basic hygiene practices, most people won't catch a virus which is circulating. Sadly, I think the future of cruising long term is guaranteed - though I reiterate that those sharks will never get a cent of my money :)

Someone left the taps on but accident or on purpose. There is a reason that the tweet is now deleted

Sounds likely, doesn't it? Or that at least some explanation was provided.

The bottom line is that the government has been able to control the speed with which the virus spread initially, giving health/medical services - and mortuaries - some breathing space. At this point, as things open up, it is up to the individual how much risk they are prepared to take. There WILL be more cases - and more deaths - in Australia, but Aussies now have the best chance at survival so long as their specific set of physical characteristics don't predispose them to a fatal outcome. And exactly what ALL of those characteristics are is as yet unknown, apart from age, possibly certain blood groups, possible certain vitamin deficiencies, probably obesity or lack of it, etc. So anyone who feels risk averse will need to remain in isolation - not because the government says so, but by their own decision. Any economy now starting to open up again is not giving any sort of guarantee to its participants - only that the chances of being able to be treated if necessary is now better or improving. The decision-making shifts from the authorities to individuals, companies and other organizations what level of risk they can accept.

Simple fact: moronism knows no national boundaries; there are gullible, credulous fools who will absorb any kind of loony fringe doctrine no matter where you live.

Jogging and any other exercise results in much more voluminous and powerful exhalation, so that if the jogger is carrying SARS-CoV-2 the air where they have been is more likely to contain the virus, which can remain suspended in aerosol form for several hours. This is parallel to the case of the mass infection of choir members in the Seattle area, although that was further aggravated by being indoors - singing, like jogging, results in more powerful spread of virus infected air. Therefore it would be important for joggers (and singers, hehe!) to avoid areas where people are walking for their exercise. Those people here who comment about jogging in more isolated areas are to be commended for their community spirit.

My question is if I had coronavirus and now have recovered and have antibodies is there any reason I should stay home?

It is not yet known if having the virus once definitely confers immunity. Seems this virus is a whole new ballgame in various ways.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/03/15/can-you-get-infected-by-coronavirus-twice-how-does-covid-19-immunity-work/#ec788f75c0f8

In London, the homeless have been moved off the streets and into hotels.

Yup, this is happening in Australia too. It's humane, but it's also essential for proper control of the pandemic that everyone is able to isolate. There is talk here that help for the homeless will become permanent, but you hope it's not just talk that evaporates once the virus is past.

I don't mind it. My local Chinese grocery has it (so far anyway) as does the Japanese supermarket nearer to Perth city (Australia). I make my own Aussie version - slice of toast, natto on top, then a good helping of sesame-flavoured shredded wakame, and top off with slices of cheddar cheese. Grill until golden brown. Enjoy! Been eating this as a light lunch for a few years now. Whether it will protect me from the virus is entirely another story. I'll let you know in a couple of years :P :P

@Bruce Chatwin

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hh/xls/1-29.xls

data up to Heisei 28

Many thanks for that. I wonder why so far behind, one might expect at least 2017-18 to be available. In any case, looks like it will be a few years before the data becomes publicly available.

In the absence of testing, the revealing statistic which may emerge over time will simply be a comparison of deaths from pneumonia across Japan, this year as compared with past years. This will not be hard then to detect the true level of COVID-19 mortality in Japan - unless those figures are actively falsified, which would be a whole other ball game.

Anyone know where to find such medical statistics?

“Take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another. But by all means, try something” - FD Roosevelt

Just a question here: when did the practice of the woman taking the husband's family name begin in Japan? Was it a historical practice, or something introduced in imitation of (some) other countries in the 19th century?

Australian coverage: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-14/former-fire-chief-calls-out-pm-over-refusal-of-meeting/11705330

@CrazyJoe - Thanks for intelligent commentary there, spot on as far as I can see. I'm amazed that some folks have downvoted what you said. Must be Morrison supporters, haha!

Space being apparently completely unregulated, or any regulations that do exist being probably unenforceable against rampant self serving capitalists, more seeds of future havoc being sown for short-term gain by a few.

It's just a traditional ritual. Nothing to see here. Storm in a teacup. As usual, people looking for something to complain about.