Japan’s GoTo Travel Campaign and Coronavirus

Capitalism needs people spending money to work, but what happens when a global pandemic threatens to shut down commerce? What if your country isn’t experiencing it very harshly and you’re still suffering a slumping economy with businesses closing? Japan tested one possible solution to help its especially struggling tourism sector: The GoTo Travel campaign was […]

Life in Japan With Covid-19: Government-issued Masks (Abe no Mask)

The day has finally arrived! After first hearing about this in Spring, it only took until June for my wife and I to receive our masks from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe! Well, not from him directly, but from a government initiative to provide each household in Japan with two reusable masks to assist with keeping […]

Life in Japan With Covid-19: State of Emergency

A few weeks ago, Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency for a few choice provinces around Japan. Just last week, he expanded that to include the entire nation. So what does that mean for me and the rest of my community here in Japan?

Life in Japan With Covid-19: Anti-Coronavirus Mascots?

Japan has a mascot for just about anything and a global pandemic doesn’t stop those creative impulses. There was, earlier this year, the introduction of an official quarantine mascot who came out of the shadows of obscurity to shine once more. Additionally, an old Edo-era monster, known as a Yokai, has been gaining popularity for […]

Life in Japan With Covid-19: Government Inaction

In my continuing series on living in Japan during the now pandemic-level spread of COVID-19, I wanted to take a look at the sociological and political toll its has taken here in Japan. Disclaimer: As an outsider, and someone not extremely proficient in the language or completely understanding of the culture, my opinions may contain […]

Life in Japan With Covid-19: Hoarding

The point where I can calmly look on without much introspection and investigation has ended: There is so much going on in Japan in regards to the outbreak of Covid-19 (AKA the latest iteration of the Corona virus) that I can’t help but start digging around. How do the Japanese handle serious situations like these? […]