Current Tokyo’s real situation

As you already knew, COVID-19 is now spreading from Wuhan, China to other countries all over the world. Japan is one of them. The number of its patients in Japan in total is nearly 200, and in Tokyo it is 26 as of Feb.29 (Population of Japan is 126 million, that of Tokyo is 14 million.) It is not an explosion, but new patients are still found day by day. Under the situation, the government officially requested that big events with large number of attendees, especially held indoor, be postpone or cancelled, therefore many sports events, music concerts were cancelled. The schools all over Japan were requested to enter spring holidays earlier so that students will have to stay at home till at least end of March. A lot of enterprises ordered the employees to work at home.

We are very concerned about this illness and more people in Tokyo are now wearing masks in the subway (It is common that we wear them in spring due to hay fever, though.), but it is not blocked. Everyone can go out anywhere one likes. Most of the places are much less crowded than usual with fewer tourists and residents. These pictures were taken at Meiji Shrine on Feb26, you see few people there. There should be normally 100 people or more in these pictures, while we can see only some. With almost nil people in the precinct, I remembered old days of this shrine – real sacred and solemn atmosphere in my childhood.

Most of Tokyoite live normal life now with small inconvenience only. Major difference is that I wash my hands very carefully when I come back home from outside. As I keep this good manner, I believe I would not catch that disease or even flu. I am alive well, but my guiding business is almost dead now. I really hope the world overcome the difficulties and my business return to the right track as soon as possible.