Paul Laimal-Convoy comments

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do many of these new bread machines use propriety "ingredient delivery mechanisms", like how some of the new coffee machines work (similar to how printer or razor companies make profit)?

“Authoritarian states have no need to ask the populace, they have no need to compromise on policy, there is no political opposition (by definition) and most delivery services are state-run, ensuring the smooth running of the event,“ Grix added..."

Arguably, this could refer to Japan, too and if China should be "punished" for "hosting" Covid 19, then perhaps Japan should also be reprimanded for delaying action (testing, etc) prior to the IOC postponing the Olympics?

My (pre/kindergarten) school (in Tokyo and Kanagawa) is opening on the first of June. Although there have been measures and procedures put into place, we've not had much time to prepare for going back. Due to time and the situation, the minimum "safe distance" between pupils (indoors) has been set to 50cm. Masks should be worn by children (but they don't have to).

I'm worried, as the trains will probably be heaving, the kids will be just as clingy and dirty as ever, and I'm sure there will be fellow staff members or parents who ignorantly/purposely flout the rules. One staff member at my school didn't understand why I didn't want to shake hands and why I often used santiser, in March, just before the SOE was declared.

I don't support the death penalty, at it simply brings "us" down to "their" level.

@LastBroadcast

~ "Yes. According to this article, the less-virulent "B-type" strain is the main coronvirus circulating in Japan/most of East Asia, unlike USA/Europe.

> https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Japan-s-coronavirus-response-is-flawed-but-it-works"

However, the death rate statistics are open for debate:

~ " Lack of testing and delayed numbers take blame for possible undercount Tokyo officially recorded 16 deaths from coronavirus in the five weeks starting Feb. 17, potentially undercounting by 50 to 60 deaths a week over that period.

> The Japanese capital may have suffered more than 200 excess fatalities from pneumonia and other causes early in the outbreak, possibly dwarfing the period's official coronavirus death count of 16. Even more deaths could have been undercounted in April, whose numbers will not come out until next month.

> The National Institute of Infectious Diseases tracks fatalities from flu-like illnesses by collecting data from public health departments around the country. The tallies include those who died from pneumonia. Excess fatalities are calculated by comparing these figures against baselines derived from past data.

> The newest numbers show 50 to 60 excess deaths a week for the five weeks starting Feb. 17, adding up to hundreds more fatalities than usual. Weekly excess deaths exceeding the margin of error come to 20 to 30. The NIID does not publish the raw numbers. Excess deaths also occurred in the second half of 2019. Flu season had come early in Tokyo, peaking in December...

> ...More COVID-19 fatalities may have been missed in April, with many of the dead never having been tested. Data on that month's deaths will not come out until late June. The delay is due partly to the slow penetration of electronic reporting. It takes a "certain amount of time" for local governments from cities on down to digitize written death notices to send to health departments, according to a representative at the central government's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare...

> ...Global media outlets have said actual COVID-19 fatalities may exceed reported numbers by 50% to 60%, based on excess fatalities. "Weekly excess deaths could provide the most objective and comparable way of assessing the scale of the pandemic and formulating lessons to be learned," said an April letter in the British medical journal The Lancet..."

(Source: - https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Tokyo-s-excess-deaths-far-higher-than-COVID-19-count-data-shows )

My local hospital, upon joining, has a machine that you can use to make appointments (Japanese language only). However, we still have to go to the counter to pay, I think?

@oldman

Absolutely untrue despite those on here who will passionately agree. There are multiple resources online that totally destroy the myth that Japanese are apolitical and afraid to speak out on things like politics, lest they stand out against the grain.

Thanks for those links. They were very interesting. I think the main point was not the fact that Japanese people don't protest (or take political action), but that they don't do it as much or to such as degree as other nations.

I couldn't find any in-depth studies about the state of Japanese protests, but I did find this opinion piece, which you're welcome to read, in full, via the source link below:

~ "Public protest in Japan is often not as visible as it is in, say, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Middle East, Europe or the United States...For today’s Japan, however, it’s the 1960 anpodemonstrations against the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty that are most remembered — fondly, it seems — by older Japanese involved in citizens’ movements, and with anger and sometimes fear by those on the right. In addition, protests in the 1960s over Minamata Disease led to a national awareness about the environment...Still, at the end of the day, the kind of public protests the media loves to cover aren’t really the way Japan works.

> ...“There’s a quiet underground movement that takes many invisible forms and it eventually leads to de facto change. That, in turn, eventually leads to policy change. It’s not necessarily a noneffective way of protesting.”

> ...The police keep tabs on different kinds of protest movements in a yearly report on public safety issues...In the 2014 report... ...Between January and October, the report says, 1,240 right-wing groups involving 3,320 people publicly protested against China’s claims to the Senkaku/Daioyu Islands. What’s more, around 3,600 people in about 1,500 groups protested over the issue of “comfort women,” denying that any coercion by the military had taken place and calling on Japan to sever diplomatic ties with South Korea. The anti-Korean group Zaitokukai was mentioned for the first time ever in the 2014 report...

> Other public protests cited were those directed against nuclear power restarts, the U.S. bases in Okinawa and Japan, the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, the collective self-defense agreement and the state secrets law..."

(Source: - https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/12/20/general/public-protest-japan-power-people/ )

Indeed. The lack of testing, social distancing measures and communication measures by the government seems less than most other (developed) countries.

Japan, when compared to the Netherlands ( fairly high testing, but little or no social distancing, poor communicating from the government, with a higher infection/death-rates than Denmark and other neighbors) or South Korea (high testing, high communication and targeted quarantine, with a lack of lockdown) , seems to have done little or nothing.

Regardless of how one infers the stats, the lack of testing in Japan leaves its data open for scrutiny and/or a lack of trust, which in turn creates a valid reason to also question the preventative measures, as compared to the rest of the world.

It is not the lockdown that is too blame, but rather the slow and inadequate rates and methods of:

testing for the virus.

enforcing social distancing/isolation/quarantine procedures.

communicating with the public.

giving financial aid to medium and small businesses.

Oh wow, now everyone, who's already watched the Manadlorian for free online, can pay to watch it several months after the rest of the world!

GREAT job, Disney!

Good.

Disgraceful behaviour from Japan's healthcare system.

@zichiMay

"Quite the opposite to countries like the UK, with the nation once a week coming out to applaud the health service. People there have raised millions of yen for the health service."

Although what you stated is somewhat true, there has been bullying/physical abuse of medical workers in the UK:

~ "Spat at and called a "virus spreader", Amy Hall went out to buy her mum flowers for Mother’s Day, only to face abuse for working on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis..."

(Full story here: ~ https://youtu.be/swZDqmXlJyo )

@Pukey2

I loved your comments. Keep up the good fight against the trolls and idiots here with that same wit, please.

This report wasn't made by Japan Today, but rather by Reuters. The reporter themselves might not even live in Japan.

Another problem is that some "black" companies (which hire cheaper workers, including foreigners) will often hire such workers as "contractors", but make them work the same as fully-paid "employers" (when that is not legal). The shady employers gain cheap workers who can be easily fired AND they don't have to pay the workers any money for unemployment/health insurance.

This happened to an 50 year old ex-colleague, who worked for a place called "Crayon Kids International" (in Yachiyo, Chiba). After previously asking them to stay, they suddenly have her the sack, just before the Covid 19 pandemic and kicked her out. Due to her being hired as a "contractor", she is unable to get unemployment benefit.

Currently, all of the workers have had to work at the (small, and often cramped) buildings, even though hardly any kids are there. This includes foreign teaching staff, who aren't registered nursery teachers and don't need to be there.

The reason? Probably greed and/or mismanagement.

The BBC made a video about the same hospital, which can be watched here:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=R8GMs6N3vN4

Or, searched for, at YouTube under "Coronavirus: Tokyo hospitals trying to stay ahead - BBC News"

@dougthehead13

"...The evacuation of Fukushima was unconstitutional. And the PDJ government did the same as in the case of the JSDF, in Article 9. Ignore their existence and use force majeure. Which is an illegal but necessary act..."

This is interesting. Please reply with quotes and/or sources/URLs to back up your statement.

@Bububu4

"I’m pretty sure nobody is calling an ambulance to take them to emergency care if they have mild or no symptoms.

It's a pretty dire situation when thousands of people are being turned away from hospitals daily and aren’t even able to get the seen by doctors, let alone tested for the disease."

~

"...On 10 April, her friend had developed a fever and cough, but waited four days, as per the guidelines. "By then she was having trouble breathing and was dizzy from lack of oxygen," Jordain tells me. "I called the Covid hotline. They refused to help. They said if she's sick she should call an ambulance."

(Source: ~ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52466834 )

"Cases of hospitals in Japan turning away patients on ambulance transports, mostly because they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, increased more than fivefold in April from a year earlier, according to a survey by Kyodo News."

Did you mean to write a month earlier, JT?

@finto

"And anyone who will tell me masks has no part to play in slowing down the spread of this virus still has a lot to learn about the virus..."

As far as I've read, noone here has stated that masks are not useful. However, as has been stated (or quoted) numerous times, with links (containing videos, diagrams and scientific facts), it depends on the mask/correct use/situation.

Masks are also the "topping" on a much bigger "cake" of preventative measures, which take priority over mask use.

Please take the time to read the quotes/ visit the links given to you above/in other articles' posts before continuing to make such erroneous statements.

"Masks will help us all protect each other and also prevent super spreaders out there, it’s more important than unnecessary testing"

Why are "super-spreaders" more important than any other spreaders? They are irrelevant, as any preventative measures (including mask use) are designed to prevent infection by anyone, super-spreaders included.

@i@n

"Great posts @finto.

It's doubtful if you'll be able to convince the people you're in discussion with but the discussion itself would be invaluable to many others."

As has been stated, factual evidence has been provided to the contrary and I'm sure that both of your opinions would be as refuted anywhere that people are as well-read/informed upon the subject as here.

@AgentX

"No. It's this fear-based logic that is slowly becoming outdated in light of the damage these closures are causing. The closures will not stop the spread, so it's time for the popular narrative to evolve."

Incorrect.

Japan has been criticised, not only due to a lack of lockdown/strict social distancing, but also due to a lack of testing. Whereas some countries have excelled in one or the other (with mixed results), Japan has excelled in neither.

South Korea, for example, has avoided lockdown, but enacted strict social-distancing measures and thoroughly tested for Covid-19 and shared information with the population:

~

"While Taiwan and Singapore have excelled in containing the coronavirus, South Korea and China arguably provide the best models for stopping outbreaks when large numbers of people have been infected. China quarantined confirmed and potential patients, and restricted citizens' movements as well as international travel.

But South Korea accomplished a similar level of control and a low fatality rate (currently 1%) without resorting to such authoritarian measures. This certainly looks like the standard for liberal democratic nations.

The most conspicuous part of the South Korean strategy is simple enough: test, test and test some more. The country has learned from the 2015 outbreak of MERS and reorganised its disease control system. It has a good, large-capacity healthcare system and a sophisticated biotech industry that can produce test kits quickly."

(Source: - https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-south-korea-success-coronavirus-due.html )

~

"South Korea was one of the worst-hit countries in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. But an aggressive response has made it one of the exemplars in the midst of the pandemic — thanks to its swift implementation of a mass-scale testing regime as well as its consistent, transparent messaging to the public throughout the arc of the crisis."

(Source: - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/17/south-koreas-coronavirus-success-story-underscores-how-us-initially-failed/ )

As has been posted here, with sources, numerous times, Japan has been criticised for failing to:

test extensively for Covid-19 - enforce strict social-distancing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19

enforce a lockdown (in conjunction with testing) to limit the spread and/or identify high risk areas for resource management to treat Covid-19

share (testing/infection/death-rate/etc) information with the press or public effectively about Covid-19.

All of these factors, combined, has caused both domestic and international concern/criticism of Japan, regarding Covid-19.

For more information, you could start with the link below: - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_responses_to_the_2019–20_coronavirus_pandemic#Japanese_government

@finto

You wrote (and edited for legibility) : -

"I keep reading here how ignoring testing everyone will kill us all, but in the coming weeks/for the past two months we are still here.

We all can compare data on deaths in various countries. Considering Japan had the highest cases after China in early February, does this mean anything to you guys? "

If you've "been reading here", you might have read links or quotes, that have repeatedly challenged your notions, such as these ones, below:

"Meanwhile, Japan is only using a sixth of its capacity even as it is increasing its ability to do so, government data shows. Japan’s health ministry has been focusing on clusters of cases, with the biggest around the megacities of Osaka and Tokyo, and in the prefectures of Hyogo, Hokkaido and Aichi. But with the rate of testing low, unseen clusters may be emerging elsewhere in the country."

(Source: - https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-GLOBAL-TESTING/0100B5LC45H/ )

"...on 10 March, the picture in Japan changed. It had 59 new cases of coronavirus infection, the biggest rise in a signle day since the start of the outbreak, public broadcaster NHK said. Two weeks later, the spike has become near-daily, with 45 new diagnoses confirmed on Thursday, making it the second straight day with 40 or more new confirmed cases.

While testing seemed unimportant when the outbreak was low, now authorities have not been able to track all the contacts of more than half the newest cases, leading to more severe restrictions..."

(Source: - https://inews.co.uk/news/coronavirus-japan-deaths-cases-covid-19-lockdown-measures-why-measures-2521139 )

"The Japan conundrum is just the fact that if you don't test for it, you're not going to find a lot of cases," says Jason Kindrachuk, PhD, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba. Kindrachuk isn't the only one who suspects underreporting.

Kenji Shibuya, former chief of health policy at the World Health Organization, told Bloomberg that Japan has either "contained the spread by focusing on outbreak clusters, or ... there are outbreaks yet to be found."

With a population of over 126 million, the country has conducted 32,125 tests over the past month. However, because some people are tested multiple times, Japan has actually only tested 16,484 individuals — or about one test per 7,600 people.

In comparison, South Korea, with a population of over 50 million, seemingly slowed the spread of the virus by testing more than 270,000 people — one test per 185 people — through a well-organized program..."

(Source: - https://www.businessinsider.com/why-japan-cases-of-coronavirus-are-so-low-2020-3?op=1 )

You wrote (and edited for legibility) : -

"Back in February, most of you guys were quoting CDC guidelines on mask wearing, saying they were useless; now what can you say about them?"

I would say exactly the same thing that I, and others have stated; that different types of masks offer some protection, but are a secondary or tertiary measure, and sod be used alongside proper hand-washing, social distancing and/or other preventative measures, as stipulated by the WHO and/or other official medical/governmental organisations.

Masks can cause infection or spread by incorrect use/disposal and/or, with some masks, priority should be given to essential/emergency workers and/or those in close proximity to those most at risk. Furthermore, basic cotton masks offer little or no protection to "aerosol" based viruses, including Covid 19, but offer some protection from viruses in water droplets.

For more information, check out these links: - https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks

https://www.businessinsider.com/types-of-masks-used-for-coronavirus-outbreak-n95-surgical-2020-3?op=1

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/health-51881555/coronavirus-do-face-masks-actually-work

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P27HRClMf2U&feature=youtu.be#

@Hervé L'Eisa

"The better example to follow would be Sweden. They are nearing herd immunity already. Yes, they've had a higher number of deaths, but still within winter pneumonia levels and mostly with the least likely to survive any other illness groups."

Incorrect.

"Over 100 countries have issued a full or partial lockdown as the world fights the coronavirus pandemic. But one nation has taken the unusual step of continuing to have schools, shops and pubs open, albeit with some social distancing measures. Sweden’s Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell maintains this is the right approach for the Swedish people, but the decision is not with its detractors. And more than 2000 people have died of Covid-19 there, compared to a combined total of fewer than 800 from neighbours Denmark, Norway and Finland - all of whom locked down..."

(Full story in video: - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pzzVxw5FyYs&feature=youtu.be# )

"Some of the country’s leading medical professors and academics have been fiercely critical of the decision not to follow much of the rest of Europe into strict lockdown, publishing open letters and petitions calling for an urgent change of course and highlighting a death toll which, at 2,194, is three times the per-million tally recorded in Denmark and Germany and more than six times that of Finland...

> ...Despite avoiding total lockdown, Sweden’s heavily export-dependent economy has been as hard hit by the pandemic as most countries. The government has launched relief measures worth about 100bn kronor (£8bn) but still expects GDP to contract by up to 10% this year. Unemployment is already surging..." (Source: - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/27/dont-judge-swedens-light-touch-on-covid-19-yet-says-minister )

"Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist overseeing the government’s response to COVID-19 has said the government should allow the virus to spread slowly through the population, an approach initially employed by the [UK] and the Netherlands before [they] rapidly changed strategy [due to] evidence that this....would...overburden health care systems. Tegnell [stated] COVID-19 could be stopped by “herd immunity or a combination of immunity and vaccination.” (A vaccine for COVID-19 is likely at least 14 months away.)

> [However] “Herd immunity doesn’t make sense because we don’t know whether or not you can become immune,” says Nele Brusselaers, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology. She added, “this is a virus that can kill anybody.”

> At the end of March, 2,300 doctors, scientists and academics signed an open letter to the government calling for stricter measures. “We think there is no scientific evidence for their strategy,” says Cecilia Söderberg-Nauclér, an expert in microbial pathogenesis who signed the letter. She says the government has been reluctant to share its data with scientists, leading her to believe that the government’s strategy is “not based on evidence.”

> Carina King, an infectious diseases epidemiologist, agrees that the government’s lack of transparency makes it “really hard to give proper scientific thoughts on their approach because they haven’t released their science.” She added that the government has made no concrete efforts to test, contact trace and quarantine—as South Korea did—which is standard protocol to stop localized spread at the beginning of an outbreak..."

(Source: - https://time.com/5817412/sweden-coronavirus/ )

In the article above, we can see some parallels with Japan, such as a lack of testing, poor social distancing/lockdown implementation and a lack of transparency with the press/scientists/etc.

@Objective

"To date, a lock down has never been necessary in Japan. The virus has been here since January... etc... etc..'

Incorrect.

"The strict constraints on testing for the virus by Japanese health authorities have drawn accusations from critics such as Masahiro Kami, a hematologistand director of the Medical Governance Research Institute, towards Abe of wanting to "downplay the number of infections or patients because of the upcoming Olympics." Reports that only a small select number of public health facilities were authorized to test for the virus, after which the results could only be processed by five government-approved companies, has created a bottleneck where clinics have been forced to turn away even patients who had high fevers. This has led some experts to question Japan's official case numbers..."

(Source: - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_responses_to_the_2019–20_coronavirus_pandemic#Japanese_government )

"With a population of over 126 million, the country has conducted 32,125 tests over the past month. However, because some people are tested multiple times, Japan has actually only tested 16,484 individuals — or about one test per 7,600 people. In comparison, South Korea, with a population of over 50 million, seemingly slowed the spread of the virus by testing more than 270,000 people — one test per 185 people — through a well-organized program."

(Source: - https://www.businessinsider.com/why-japan-cases-of-coronavirus-are-so-low-2020-3 )

"Other basic information is kept from the public without any explanation. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has a COVID-19 web page and seems to be promoting transparency by putting out the daily number of the infected. However, it won’t tell you how many people asked to be tested or how many people were actually tested; basic data is lacking so that the numbers have no context. The same is true of the statistics released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. There seems to be no interest in getting an indication of the prevalence of the virus in Japanese society"

(Source: - https://www.thedailybeast.com/japans-covid-19-state-of-emergency-locks-down-criticism?ref=scroll )

"...What it shows is Japan is only testing people who are already quite sick. In fact, the official guidelines for doctors say they should only recommend a test if the patient has pneumonia. That is the reason why the level of testing actually done in Japan is about half of the capacity according to a health ministry official, even weeks after the government has started to ramp up its testing...

> ...Jordain Haley is an American working in Japan as a business analyst and volunteer translator. Via Skype she told me what happened when she helped a friend, who doesn't speak fluent Japanese, to get a test...."She must use the side entrance." Jordain was told. "She must not tell anyone where this testing is taking place. It could cause a commotion."...

> ..."Japan is identifying those who really need help and its medical care is excellent, and that's why so few are dying." This is not untrue according to Professor Kenji Shibuya of Kings College London. "From the physician's point of view, it makes sense," he says. "Forget about mild cases, focus on cases with major symptoms and save lives. Focus testing on those who have symptoms."

> But, says Professor Shibuya, from a public health point of view, Japan's refusal to test more widely is incredibly risky. He points to a study done by Keio University in Tokyo. Last week, the University hospital published a study of Covid tests done on patients admitted for non-Covid related illnesses and procedures. It found that around 6% of them tested positive for Covid-19. It is a small sample and not "generalisable".

> But Professor Shibuya still describes it as "very shocking". "We are definitely missing a lot of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases," he says. "There is clearly widespread community transmission. I am very worried by this situation.".."

(Source: - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52466834 )

My flat overlooks a local park. It was busy with gangs of kids, joggers and the occasional tent. Below my room, a group of old women were standing together, chatting while their dogs yapped.

No, social distancing is NOT being followed, at least in my neighborhood, by a very ignorant and selfish minority.

Hervé L'EisaToday  

"Do NOT extend the stupid "State of Emergency". Economic suicide over an illness that has linked to far fewer deaths than the seasonal influenza!"

Incorrect:

"Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has similar symptoms to the flu. They also spread in similar ways. So it's natural to want to compare the two. But Covid-19 is very different, in ways that make it much more dangerous. And understanding how is key to understanding why we have to take it so seriously."

(Video link: - https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=FVIGhz3uwuQ )

For more information:

https://heavy.com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-death-rate-vs-flu/

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-similarities-and-differences-covid-19-and-influenza

@noriahojanen

Actually, countries that have decided to take limited steps up open up have been criticised:

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/10/21215317/coronavirus-europe-lockdown-denmark-austria-czech-republic

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/14/countries-risk-second-wave-of-coronavirus-infections-by-easing-restrictions-too-early-says-expert.html

Also, the US is NOT "opening up", but rather certain parts are, most notably part of Georgia, which even President Trump has criticised as being "too early":

https://youtu.be/XYwSfrHH-1s

AlexBecu wrote:

"...Look at facts and look at the numbers..."

Okay, please supply some. In the meantime, I'll supply some, relating to your opinions.

AlexBecu wrote:

"...Japan compared to many other countries has done well. The numbers speak for themselves and we didn't use the same drastic and harsh measures as others have..."

Incorrect.

1/ "A state of emergency was declared in Hokkaido, Japan, weeks after the Sapporo Snow Festival had two million visitors. CNN's Blake Essig speaks with experts who are critical of the Japanese government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak."

(Video Source: - https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/03/10/japan-coronavirus-covid-19-no-problemism-hokkaido-snow-festival-intl-hnk-vpx.cnn )

2/ "...With a population of over 126 million, the country has conducted 32,125 tests over the past month. However, because some people are tested multiple times, Japan has actually only tested 16,484 individuals — or about one test per 7,600 people.

> In comparison, South Korea, with a population of over 50 million, seemingly slowed the spread of the virus by testing more than 270,000 people — one test per 185 people — through a well-organized program..."

(Source: - https://www.businessinsider.com/why-japan-cases-of-coronavirus-are-so-low-2020-3?op=1 )

3/ "...Much of the data about the coronavirus epidemic and covid-19 is flawed. It is collected and reported in different ways by different countries, and almost certainly undercounts the number of cases and deaths..."

(Video Source: - https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=O-3Mlj3MQ_Q )

The video above cites Japanese statistics of an example of "underreporting" the (possibly larger) results.

4/ "...For weeks Japan has limited its testing for the coronavirus, which emerged in neighboring China late last year, despite calls from many health experts who see testing as vital to detecting and isolating cases and slowing the spread.

> Japan conducted about 52,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in March, or just 16% of the number carried out in South Korea, according to data from Oxford University..."

(Source: - https://japantoday.com/category/national/as-coronavirus-infections-mount-japan-at-last-expands-testing )

AlexBecu wrote:

"Staying vigilant, aware and taking basic health steps should be the new normal for the foreseeable future."

Indeed, as cited by the following:

-https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

I DO hope you are engaging in social distancing, cleaning your hands regularly and/or staying at home as much as possible?

The BBC made a video report about a "makeshift" Covid-19 centre, created recently in Japan:

"Until recently, Japan had been one of the success stories in controlling the spread of Covid-19. In February and March, Japan succeeded in suppressing early cluster outbreaks, and in keeping total infections in the hundreds. But now the capital Tokyo appears to have a developing epidemic with more than 3,500 cases confirmed. Countrywide there are now more than 12,000 cases.

> Doctors in Tokyo say a state of emergency, declared two weeks ago, is not slowing the spread of the virus enough to stop new cases overwhelming the hospital system.

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes and the BBC's Tokyo team have been inside...[St Marianna Hospital, Kawasaki]...south of the capital, which has built a makeshift Covid-19 unit in just 10 days, to try to deal with the overflow."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=R8GMs6N3vN4

Part of the responsibility for not being cash-based falls on the shoulders of the banks/credit card associations (sic)/government. If they made it possible for more smaller businesses to adopt credit card transactions (without incurring expensive transaction fees), then I believe more people would use them.

Regardless, Japanese banks are light years behind in most areas, compared to other developed countries. The one area I've cited to a British bank (HSBC) that (many) Japanese banks/financial services offer (and which "The World's Biggest Bank" did not, at the time), is in multilingual GUIs for cash-point machines.