- A government task force tracking group infections of the coronavirus has stressed the need to reduce human-to-human contact to contain the outbreak, saying 420,000 people in Japan could die in the absence of preventive measures.
- The Osaka Municipal Government is asking citizens for their unused raincoats as an alternative to protective gear that is in short supply at medical facilities, with some medical staff in the city having to wear trash bags when treating patients.
- The Abe administration unveiled an economic package of COVID-19 measures last week, but the government is taking flak for not offering money to firms that agreed to shut down during the state of emergency, reports Satoshi Sugiyama, leaving many business owners no choice but to continue working through the pandemic.
- Meanwhile, Tokyo is taking matters into its own hands, with Gov. Yuriko Koike saying the capital will prepare its own ¥800 billion package, including offering up to ¥1 million to small firms that heeded the city’s call to curb operations, reports Kazuaki Nagata.
- Finally, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government will consider providing ¥100,000 in cash per person across the board, without setting an income limit, in response to the outbreak. This would be in addition to handouts of ¥300,000 to hard-hit households.
Latest COVID-19 statistics
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8 hours ago
The state of Japan's emergency
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a monthlong state of emergency on April 7, giving his government and prefectural governments more powers to tackle the spread of COVID-19. Japan Times politics reporter Satoshi Sugiyama discusses how far these powers extend, on the latest Deep Dive podcast.
Also, Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki on what she learned about isolation from her time aboard the International Space Station. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.
Episode 47: The current state of Japan’s emergency - The Japan Times
In this episode, Japan Times politics reporter Satoshi Sugiyama discusses how far the powers of Japan’s central and regional governments extend under the state of emergency.
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a day ago
Holding out for a hero
In this viral tweet, which has nearly 70,000 likes, a Twitter user said he needed an extra hand fastening his face mask. Thankfully, Spider-Man saved the day.
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2 COMMENTS
J.L. Picard
7 hours ago
Well, this is certainly worthy of our attention.
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Hu Iz Kiddinghu
6 hours ago
I'm holding out for accurate case numbers
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Apr 1511:00 AM
Infection puts Tokyo police academy on stand-by
In an example of how a single new coronavirus infection can send institutions into turmoil, a 20-year-old female student at a police academy in Fuchu, Tokyo, who tested positive for COVID-19 has prompted the school to halt all classes and order its entire student body to remain in their own dormitory rooms and self-study until further notice, local media reported Wednesday.
The total number of students? A whopping 1,119.
警察学校に入校中の警察官ら３人感染 警視庁 | NHKニュース
警視庁では、警察学校に入校中の警察官など合わせて３人が新型コロナウイルスに感染したことが確認されました。
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Apr 1510:30 AM
Are you self isolating but have run out of things to watch? Film critic Matteo Boscarol is here to the rescue by recommending one Japanese movie a day on Twitter. Since March 23, Boscarol has gone through some of his favorite flicks, from the hit made-for-TV movie "Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?" (1993) to obscure finds such as "The Taste of Tea" (2004). Keep an eye on Boscarol's Twitter as he continues to share another classic each day.
One Japanese film a day.
From today till the end of the pandemic (let’s hope it is sooner than later) I’ll recommend a Japanese film a day.
Day 1
A Page of Madness 狂った一頁 (Kinugasa Teinosuke, 1926)
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Apr 1510:00 AM
Virtual 'kanpai'
On the night of April 8, a day after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency over the new coronavirus, Chiaki Michibayashi, 31, raised a glass of beer toward her computer screen at her home in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, in a “toast” with other online party participants.
Online drinking parties like these are becoming becoming increasingly popular in Japan as more people stay home in self-isolation to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 and pubs operate for shorter hours at the request of local authorities, Kyodo reports.
Virtual kanpai!: Drinking parties go online as coronavirus keeps people at home | The Japan Times
More drinking parties are being held online in Japan as people increasingly stay home in self-isolation to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 and pubs oper
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Apr 159:34 AM
Social distancing like it's 2022
A one-time lockdown won’t halt the novel coronavirus and repeated periods of social distancing may be required into 2022 to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, Harvard scientists who modeled the pandemic’s trajectory said Tuesday.
The Harvard team’s computer simulation, which was published in a paper in the journal Science, assumed that COVID-19 will become seasonal, like closely related coronaviruses that cause the common cold, with higher transmission rates in colder months.
But much remains unknown, including the level of immunity acquired by previous infection and how long it lasts, the authors said.
Still, the world may have to buckle up — for an extended period of time.
Some social distancing may be needed until 2022, Harvard study finds | The Japan Times
The simulation assumed that COVID-19 will become seasonal, like closely related coronaviruses that cause the common cold, with higher transmission rates in colder months.
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Apr 144:17 PM
Untraceable COVID-19 cases on the rise in Japan
Day after day, the rising number of new cases of the coronavirus in Tokyo and nationwide is making headlines. But what is even more alarming is the increasing number of instances where authorities can’t track where the patient got it from, writes the JT's Magdalena Osumi.
Tracing the source of infection is vital in curbing the outbreak, sparking concerns among medicine and virology experts that the situation in Japan may get out of control like it has in Western countries.
Untraceable COVID-19 cases on the rise in Japan, weakening government’s control of the outbreak | The Japan Times
Experts from a government-appointed panel have said they were not able to verify where or when patients had contracted the virus in 40 percent of reported cases.
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1 COMMENTS
R. U. Kiddingme
20 hours ago
IDK, maybe if they'd bothered testing those who had mild to moderate cases back in Jan and Feb, when I caught mine, or at any time up til now, where they STILL aren't testing most mild cases, maybe they'd have a better idea of where the spread was coming from. It's community spread at this point. You waited until the horses had bolted to shut the barn door.
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Apr 149:29 AM
Biz cash, SOE response too little, too late: survey
More than 80 percent of the public believes the government should compensate businesses that have complied with a request to suspend operations in response to a surge in coronavirus infections in Tokyo and other parts of Japan, according to a new Kyodo News survey.
Conducted by telephone over the four days through Monday, the survey also found widespread dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's declaration of a state of emergency last week in Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures, with 80.4 percent of respondents from across the country saying it came too late.
82% say government should compensate firms that shut down for virus | The Japan Times
A poll by Kyodo News also finds that support for the Abe government is dropping.
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Apr 132:22 PM
Osaka, Fukuoka call for business closures as Japan aims to slash number of commuters
Osaka and Fukuoka prefectures officially decided Monday to call for business closures in their fight against further spread of the coronavirus.
Both prefectures are among the seven currently in a state of emergency as designated by the central government, which is meanwhile calling for a 70 percent cut in commuters in the nation’s emergency zones.
Osaka and Fukuoka call for business closures as Japan aims for 70% commuter cut in emergency zones | The Japan Times
Osaka and Fukuoka prefectures officially call for businesses to shut down to help fight further spread of the coronavirus.
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Apr 1312:30 PM
Hanko'd out
Some office workers are facing a small but insurmountable hurdle to staying home under the state of emergency declared in parts of Japan over the new coronavirus: personal signature stamps.
Traditional Japanese seal system hampers telework for some | The Japan Times
Some office workers are facing a small but insurmountable hurdle to staying home under the state of emergency declared in parts of Japan over the new coron
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Apr 1312:10 PM
Areas under SOE see 70% reduction in people going out over weekend
Central Tokyo, Osaka and other areas under the government's state of emergency saw a more than 70 percent decrease in the average amount of people going out over the weekend, the first since the SOE declaration, NHK reported Monday.
The government is calling on businesses in the seven prefectures under the SOE to reduce commuting by at least 70 percent.
“Social interactions must be reduced by 80 percent, or at least 70 percent, in order to end the emergency declaration in a month,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday at a meeting of the government’s coronavirus response headquarters.
Japanese government urges 70% commuter cut in emergency zones, extends nightlife restriction request nationwide | The Japan Times
Dissatisfied with the response to his emergency declaration, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe leans even harder on the already hurting services industry as workers go elsewhere to make a living.
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Apr 1311:42 AM
Hokkaido state of emergency
Hokkaido issued a new state of emergency declaration on Sunday, following one issued in late February, after seeing an increase in the pace of coronavirus infections.
While Hokkaido is not covered under the central government's seven-prefecture state of emergency announced earlier this month, the prefectural government and the municipal government of Sapporo, the prefectural capital, issued a joint emergency declaration following reports of double-digit increases in infections for the fifth straight day.
“We are facing a crisis of a second wave in the spread of (the coronavirus) infections,” Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki told reporters, asking residents to refrain from making nonessential outings.
Hokkaido had declared its own state of emergency on Feb. 28 ahead of the government and lifted it on March 19, citing signs that the coronavirus spread was abating in the prefecture, a popular area for both Japanese and foreign tourists.
Hokkaido declares new state of emergency amid ‘second wave’ of coronavirus infections | The Japan Times
The move follows reports of double-digit increases in infections for the fifth straight day.
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Apr 119:30 AM
Kyoto, Aichi seek SOE coverage
The Kyoto Prefectural Government will ask the central government to add it to regions placed under a state of emergency amid the coronavirus epidemic, Gov. Takatoshi Nishiwaki has said.
In a related development, Aichi Prefecture, home to Toyota Motor Corp.’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities, has declared its own monthlong state of emergency and requested that people refrain from making nonessential outings and visits to the seven regions placed under the central government’s state of emergency declaration.
Aichi’s governor has also asked the central government to add it to the list.
Kyoto joins Aichi in asking to be added to state of emergency list | The Japan Times
Kyoto’s governor called the situation
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Apr 119:08 AM
Osaka Metro to slash number of trains by 20% over weekend
The Osaka Metro has announced that, in a bid to counter the COVID-19 outbreak under the state of emergency declaration, it will cut the number of trains operating by about 20 percent on Saturday and Sunday (April 11-12), it said in a statement.
The move will affect the Midosuji, Tanimachi, Yotsubashi, Sennichimae, Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi, Imazatosuji and Nankō Port Town (New Tram) lines.
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Apr 119:00 AM
'The swab goes really deep into your head'
"On March 26, I woke up with a bit of a cough and felt a bit wheezy in my chest. My condition got a little bit worse the following day. I started coughing a bit harder and that’s when I started to worry," writes Joe Oliver.
When his condition failed to improve he did what perhaps only a handful of foreigners in Japan have done — he was tested for COVID-19.
‘The swab goes really deep into your head’: What it’s like to take the test for coronavirus in Japan | The Japan Times
Have you wondered what it’s like to get tested for COVID-19 in Japan? With little Japanese, Joe Oliver learned the hard way after being sent by his doctor to head straight to the hospital.
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Apr 118:15 AM
STAY HOME! campaign hits nightlife district
Officials from Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, members of the Japan Medical Association and police call on passers-by to return home Friday in the Kabukicho district of the capital.
「感染拡大を抑えるためにも、まっすぐに帰宅されるようお願いします」
新宿 歌舞伎町では東京都や新宿区の職員、それに医師会のメンバーなどが「STAY HOME」などと書かれたステッカーを掲げながら、通行人にできるだけ早く帰宅するよう呼びかけていました。https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200410/k10012381241000.html …#nhk_news
1,743 people are talking about this
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Apr 109:00 PM
Baby blockers
Nurses hold newborn babies wearing protective face shields amid the coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Bangkok on Thursday. REUTERS
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Apr 104:19 PM
Tokyo vs. the virus
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike revealed on Friday the capital’s overarching plan to conquer the coronavirus outbreak by calling on residents to continue isolating themselves and asking businesses to temporarily close or operate under reduced hours.
“Nobody ever thought it would come to this,” Koike said during a news conference on Friday. “It’s imperative that we do everything we can over the next month to prevent the virus from spreading further, and to stop this crisis from worsening.”
Tokyo reported an additional 189 cases on Friday night, bringing the total in the capital well past 1,700 following a string of record-breaking days.
Tokyo announces monthlong action plan to contain coronavirus outbreak | The Japan Times
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike revealed on Friday the capital’s overarching plan to conquer the coronavirus outbreak by calling on residents to continue isolating
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8 COMMENTS
Show previous comments...
Wanderer
5 days ago
Bye bye
2
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ergtrjtkiyul resthfyuy
3 days ago
According to NHK news, there is 137 dead and not 123 as your counter indicate. Thank you to transmit accurate information PLEASE
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Apr 103:31 PM
YouTube star Hikakin raps with Tokyo Gov. Koike
Last week, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike gave a shoutout to YouTuber and rapper Hikakin for making a video about the importance of staying inside amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now Hikakin has gone a step further to get the message out about social distancing by featuring Koike on his very own YouTube channel. The two break down a variety of topics, including the exact definition of "social distancing" and how to protect oneself on a crowded train, and Koike even thanks him for publishing videos about coronavirus on YouTube. "Of course, Hikakin, you're so amazing!" Koike says.
The video has only been out for a few hours but already has half-a-million views.
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Apr 1011:42 AM
Narita welcomes passengers with COVID-19 tests and cardboard beds
People are posting photos on social media showing that Narita airport has turned into a cardboard hotel. Passengers coming to Japan from abroad are being asked to take a COVID-19 test and to rest at the airport until their results arrive. The people who posted these photos explained that if a friend or family member can come pick them up at the airport in a car, then they are free to go. But if they need to take a bus or train to get to their destination, they need to hunker down in a bed first and wait for results.
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