＜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) on X
1. COVID-19 shows no signs of abating.
Globally, COVID-19 is experiencing a second (or even third) wave of infections, and some countries are reimposing lockdowns and enforcing mandatory mask wearing with penalties.
However, Japan is fortunate to have kept the number of infections, including severe cases, and deaths low compared to other countries, thanks to COVID-19 countermeasures implemented by the national and local governments, daily media messages urging thorough infection prevention measures, and a high level of public health awareness among individual citizens.
Vaccine development is progressing at a rapid pace, but COVID-19 shows no signs of abating, and there are concerns that Japan may experience simultaneous outbreaks of seasonal influenza and COVID-19 as winter approaches.
2. Questionable “mysterious” and “excessive” COVID-19 countermeasures.
However, it is important to “fear” COVID-19 correctly, and I believe that “mysterious” and “excessive” countermeasures should be reviewed and “optimized” by listening to the opinions of infectious disease control experts.
We also hope that the “conditions for lifting” such “excessive” or “mysterious” measures will be made clear to users who are currently being inconvenienced.
We hope that the government, local governments, as well as public facilities, schools, and other facilities, will quickly review and optimize their measures, also after hearing the opinions of experts.
(1) Prohibition of the use of jet towels and paper towels in the toilets
Wiping your hands thoroughly is an important infection prevention measure. Banning the use of jet towels and paper towels could lead to people without handkerchiefs skipping handwashing. That seems even more unhygienic, doesn’t it?
What’s the “effect” of banning the use of jet towels and paper towels?
The ban on jet towels may be intended to prevent virus-laden water from splashing around, but if people wash their hands properly, the water shouldn’t contain viruses in the first place.
However, in places where many people are not washing their hands properly, virus-laden water may accumulate, making cleaning difficult.
(2) Removal of chairs from public libraries
As I wrote in my previous article titled “Excessive Self-Restraint at Libraries,” Takatsuki City Library still prohibits the use of chairs (including benches) in the open-stack area, with only a few chairs available for waiting in line.
Even the newspaper reading room’s desks (which normally accommodate four people) only have one chair per desk.
Since loud conversations aren’t common in libraries like they are in izakayas or restaurants, I still can’t understand why such restrictions on use are necessary.
(3) Wearing a Mask While Walking or Cycling Outdoors
Recently, when walking around town, almost everyone is wearing a mask, and most cyclists are also wearing masks.
However, I believe that wearing a mask is unnecessary if you’re outdoors and not conversing with others at close range.
However, even if I’m not entering a store, I still wear a mask when I go out, fearing the eyes of others and the “self-restraint police.” This is the psychology of fear of so-called “social stigma” (discrimination and prejudice).
(4) Restrictions on Entrances and Exits at Some Department Stores
At Matsuzakaya in Takatsuki City, entrances are still limited to two on the first floor and one on the second floor, with the other two entrances closed. Initially, there was only one on each floor.
(5) Disinfecting Counters and Chairs After Each Customer
We often see people wiping down surfaces with disinfectant-soaked towels in restaurants, movie theaters, and nursing homes, but doesn’t wiping multiple surfaces with the same towel actually spread the virus?
When we wipe down windows or cars at home, we repeatedly massage the dirt out to make sure it’s clean before wiping. Wiping repeatedly with a dirty rag won’t clean it. This is just my amateur opinion, but…
(6) Suspending the use of water fountains in elementary schools and drinking water coolers in public facilities
This, too, is based on unclear evidence and doesn’t seem like a rational measure.
(7) Disinfecting Library Books with Alcohol
Library books are used by many people, so washing your hands after reading them without touching your face should be sufficient. Disinfecting paper books with alcohol damages the paper, so it’s not practical.