Jay Foulsham comments

Posted in: Gov't to give ¥300,000 in cash to each household in need See in context

@Strangerland

Sorry, I did not see that you were actually responding to @Peeping_Tom

@Peeping_Tom

Britain does not provide financial assistance to Japanese nationals living over here.

See my comment above - I cannot find any evidence that this is true. According to the Citizens Advice Bureau, if you are from outside the EU, to claim public funds you must have the right to reside in the UK and not be subject to immigration control. I don't see why any Japanese national in the UK would be subject to immigration control. The only exception may be international students, but I imagine most of these have returned home now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Gov't to give ¥300,000 in cash to each household in need See in context

@Strangerland

And if the UK isn't supporting the foreign residents of their country, shame on them. That's pretty non-humanitarian, and irresponsible.

Do you have a source for this? As far as I can see, that's not true... If you have the right to reside in the UK (are not subject to immigration control - which is pretty much just those who did not enter the country legally, and those whose visa required an external sponsor to fund their stay), then you have access to public funds such as Universal Credit, Statutory Sick Pay and the government's Furlough Scheme... I don't see why a Japanese national based in the UK and paying UK taxes would be excluded from anything. Maybe someone on a shorter term visa would not have access to these, but you did specify 'foreign resident'.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Virus infections not rampant nationwide but Japan on brink: Abe See in context

@Tokyo-m

I'm simply saying that there is no need for a lockdown when numbers are low. What is the point of destroying the economy and causing mass unemployment and the untold suffering that would bring over 57 deaths?

The problem is that you're not 'simply saying'.

Italy - lockdown - 13,155 deaths

UK - lockdown - 2,532 deaths

Sweden - no lockdown - 239 deaths

Japan - no lockdown - 57 deaths

And don't say "oh, but the numbers in Japan will rise" because people have been saying that on this site for weeks now, and they've all been proved wrong.

By stating this, you are making a false equivalency, suggesting that lockdown = more deaths. Perhaps this is actually the case, but if this is the claim you are making, point to evidence. The disparity in numbers could be due to any number of factors. The UK only went into lockdown after cases and deaths started to escalate. The govt was heavily criticised for not enforcing lockdown as a precautionary measure. The escalation happened very quickly, and before the UK looked very much like Japan. This could just as easily happen to Japan.

On your point of 'proved wrong'. In what way? Japanese media is less vocal on coronavirus than in other countries, at least per my experience. There is so little testing being done, how do we know the true extent of the virus situation? (I'm not saying there's a cover-up, as others have) Also, even if cases are low, there is no social distancing taking place. People are out in droves to see cherry blossoms, I've seen packed streets, Round 1/arcades/cinemas are still open, I see my friends posting pictures from bars and restaurants. It would not take much for the virus to spread.

What is the point of destroying the economy and causing mass unemployment and the untold suffering that would bring over 57 deaths?

I just wanted to pick you up on this. Maybe the economy would take a hit, but why the mass unemployment? What prevents the Japanese govt from stepping in and helping businesses/employees like other countries? To return to the example of the UK, most employees are working from home. If they can't and their employer can't afford to pay them, the govt is paying 80% of salaries so that the employer does not have to terminate contracts. Warehouses are still open doing online orders and deliveries. Those that are finding themselves without jobs, mainly those in service industry such as waiters etc., are taking jobs at supermarkets who need thousands of extra staff to cope with increase in online shopping. The govt is also preventing evictions of those who cannot afford rent at this time.

I'm not saying the economy won't suffer and that there won't be unemployment, but other countries have shown that people can be protected in this time.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Posted in: Crowds disappear from Tokyo streets amid virus, snow See in context

@mmwkdw

It was so cold yesterday no one in their right mind would have been out on the streets yesterday.

This. It seems bizarre to attribute people not going outside to anything other than the unusually cold weather. I don't feel that the severity of the virus has become clear for many Japanese people. Now that the Olympics has been postponed, hopefully the government will be more forthright.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Crowds disappear from Tokyo streets amid virus, snow See in context

Before the cherry blossoms people were doing really well from the start staying home and distancing, however, after the blossoms bloomed peoples' brains exploded, clearly. They were out in droves and were acting like the virus had all but disappeared quite shocking and frightening.

I left Japan just as the cherry blossoms were starting, and my experience was completely different. In Kyoto, no one seemed to be staying home or following social distancing measures. There were fewer tourists, but trains had plenty of commuters on them, streets were full of people shopping, and bars and restaurants seemed no less busy. Aside from the closure of schools and museums, people seemed to be doing nothing out of their usual routine.

One good thing I'd say is that most public places including shops had hand sanitiser pumps, and people seemed to be washing their hands more (despite what people say about Japanese cleanliness, just like anywhere else before the outbreak I observed plenty of men not washing their hands after going to the toilet). Now if only public toilets would add soap/handwash and driers...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Recent Comments

Popular

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites


©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.