＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
Recently, due to the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), it has become common to see guests and commentators appearing via video calls on television information programs and discussion shows, with the exception of a few MCs.
On “Information Presenter Tokudane!”, MC Ogura Tomoaki himself appears via video call.
It has also become common to see studio guests sitting at a social distance.
Prime Minister Abe also called for people to “visit home via video call” to discourage travel from urban to rural areas during Golden Week.
While I don’t think many people are currently making these video calls on their own, I believe that as the “stay-at-home” period continues for a long time, making it difficult to travel outside of the prefecture, and as teleworking and online medical consultations become more common, more people will likely be interested in using video calls.
So, in this article, I’ve looked into how to make a video call and would like to share some of the methods.
1. Types of Video Calls
There are several different types of “video calling” apps.
(1) Free Apps
Among the “video calling” apps, we recommend the following free downloadable and available apps.
“Apps” refer to various software applications for computers and smartphones, such as spreadsheets (Excel) and games. Some of these apps offer video calling functionality.
① LINE: Allows one-on-one or group messaging, voice calls, and video calls.
② Skype: A long-established video calling app popular overseas, it also offers voice calls.
③ Google Duo: Its appeal lies in its simplicity, focusing only on video and voice calls.
(2) Mobile Phone-Specific Video Calling Features
① Mobile phone carriers such as Docomo, au, and Softbank offer their own video calling features on their mobile phones. While each service is free, data charges are incurred according to the contract plan.
② Raku-Raku Smartphone
NTT Docomo’s Raku-Raku Smartphone is recommended for fun video calls between seniors and grandchildren.
This Raku-Raku Smartphone comes with LINE pre-installed. This eliminates the need to download or install unfamiliar apps; simply tap the LINE icon on the home screen to enjoy video calls.
(3) Landline Video Call Function
You can also enjoy video calls on a landline phone using an optical fiber connection. Phones with monitor screens are also available for this purpose.
2. Online Medical Treatment
(1) What is Online Medical Care?
“Online medical care” is a medical service that utilizes internet communication via smartphones, computers, and other devices to allow doctors to examine patients in remote locations via a virtual screen.
Previously, online medical care was limited to remote areas with few doctors, such as remote islands and depopulated regions. However, since the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued a notice in 2015 effectively lifting the ban on online medical care, it has been widely adopted by medical institutions nationwide.
As medical fees will be increased starting in April 2018, further expansion is expected. In March 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare published “Guidelines” outlining specific procedures and precautions.
According to these guidelines, eligible illnesses are limited to patients with stable symptoms, such as lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, cancer, intractable diseases, atopic dermatitis, and hay fever. Furthermore, the initial consultation must be conducted in person, and regular in-person consultations are required even after online medical care begins.
(2) Advantages of Online Medical Care
① Receive a doctor’s consultation without going to the hospital
② Not dependent on transportation access
③ Not dependent on weather
④ Not dependent on time
(3) Disadvantages of Online Medical Care
① Potential for increased number of visits
② Potential for symptoms to be overlooked
③ Requires internet access
④ Potential for personal information to be leaked