＜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
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・三度目の緊急事態宣言の「対策」には不可解なものや無意味なものが多い！
<Added 2021/7/31> Economic Losses from State of Emergency Exceed the Economic Benefits of the Olympics and Paralympics!
Nomura Research Institute has compiled an estimate stating that “economic losses from the state of emergency will far exceed the economic benefits of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The estimate states that the economic losses resulting from the application of the state of emergency to four prefectures, including Kanagawa, will amount to 940 billion yen.
Furthermore, if the extension of the state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas is included, the economic losses from a “fourth state of emergency” will swell to 2.19 trillion yen.
This far exceeds the expected economic benefit of 1.6771 trillion yen from the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and the estimate concludes that the Olympic effect will “completely be canceled out.”
<Added 2021/4/27> Immediately designate India as a “country where variant strains are prevalent” and prevent the Indian strain from flowing into Japan.
Rather than implementing the many inexplicable and meaningless measures described below, India, where the infection is spreading explosively every day, should be immediately designated as a “country with a variant outbreak of concern,” and strong border control measures should be implemented to absolutely prevent any further entry of the highly infectious “Indian strain” into Japan.
Even to a layperson, it seems strange that India is not included in the 29 countries currently designated as “countries with a variant outbreak of concern.” Nepal, which borders India, is also at risk of being left out if it is not designated similarly.
During the initial “Wuhan virus” outbreak, the delayed “ban on entry from China” led to the spread of infection. I believe the slow response to “border control measures” was also the cause of the spread of the “British variant.” I hope we can avoid repeating the mistakes of those who came before us.
From April 25th to May 11th, 2021, a third state of emergency was declared for the four prefectures of Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo, and Kyoto. As I wrote in a previous article, I believe the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and I have doubts about its effectiveness.
1. Questionable Measures
While it’s understandable that during the first and second states of emergency, there were many unknowns about COVID-19 and a wide range of measures were implemented, this latest state of emergency, more than a year later, should have focused on effective measures after reviewing the effectiveness of previous measures. However, many questionable measures continue to be implemented, seemingly casting a wide net.
While this may be aimed at “restricting the movement of people,” a frequently discussed goal recently, many of these measures seem inexplicable or meaningless.
(1) Request for Department Store Closures
The Japan Department Stores Association submitted a request to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Osaka Prefectural Government not to request department stores to close even under the state of emergency.
The request explains that “department stores have implemented high-level infection control measures, including thorough disinfection and requiring employees to wear masks during meals and eat silently, and have not experienced any spread of infection within the stores.”
Furthermore, it states that “department stores are a vital part of social infrastructure, and their closure would have a significant impact on people’s lives.” It also points out that “small and medium-sized enterprises that do business with department stores are facing a difficult business environment and struggling to maintain employment.”
This is absolutely correct, and I wish they had continued to advocate for it more strongly. I myself had planned to buy clothes and gift certificates at a department store, but I now have to wait at least until May 12th.
The chairman of the government’s expert panel, Mr. Omi, also acknowledges that “no clusters have occurred in department stores.” However, it seems they decided to request department stores to close, aiming for an “announcement effect to curb foot traffic.”
The government’s expert panel’s request for closures, simply for the “announcement effect” and the government’s attempt to demonstrate that “sufficient COVID-19 infection control measures are being implemented,” is far too reckless.
I believe this is a “mysterious measure” and “excessive measure.”
(2) Request for temporary closure of large commercial facilities such as electronics retailers
On April 25th, I went to K’s Denki, an electronics retailer in Takatsuki City, to buy printer ink, and was surprised to find it temporarily closed. I think there are many people who want to replace their air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, etc., at this time of year…
Electronics retailers, like department stores, had been thoroughly implementing infection control measures, and I hadn’t heard of any cluster outbreaks. Along with surprise, I felt a sense of doubt and anger: “Is this really necessary?”
I think that small and medium-sized shops under 1000 square meters are far more prone to “3Cs” (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings) because “capacity control” is more difficult…
Incidentally, in a TV interview this morning, the owner of a small bookstore said, “The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s website listed electronics retailers, bookstores, and bicycle shops as businesses to be closed, so I was wondering whether I should close. Then I looked at the Q&A (frequently asked questions) on the same website and it said that ‘electronics retailers, bookstores, and bicycle shops are essential for social life, so they are not subject to the closure request.’ I think the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is also confused.”
By the way, it seems that “used bookstores” are included in the list of businesses subject to closure requests and requests for cooperation.
(3) Closure requests for large amusement facilities such as theme parks
The statement that “theme parks can be allowed to hold events without spectators” is unreasonable and nonsensical. Perhaps there was some guilt about requesting closures, but this is extremely inexplicable.
In that respect, I believe the Rakugo Association’s decision to continue performances at rakugo theaters, after thoroughly implementing infection control measures, was the correct judgment, as they consider rakugo theaters to be “essential to social life.”
Entertainment and leisure are by no means “unnecessary to social life.”
(4) Requests for holding large-scale events such as sports without spectators
In the case of professional baseball, broadcasting rights fees can be expected for popular teams, but leagues like the B.League cannot expect such income, so this is effectively the same as saying “don’t hold the event.”
Until now, professional baseball has held events with thorough infection control measures and limited spectator numbers, and I have never heard of any cluster outbreaks.
Why are they now requesting “events without spectators”?
2. The industry and the public should raise their voices in protest more actively
(1) Food and beverage industry
The restaurant industry, having endured repeated requests for shortened business hours and closures due to two “states of emergency,” was finally seeing a return of customers. They had high hopes for the Golden Week holiday, a peak season, so this news is likely a huge disappointment.
Furthermore, it’s impossible to provide “compensation for closures” that satisfies all businesses, and those not subject to closures receive no compensation whatsoever, leading to growing dissatisfaction.
I believe the restaurant industry, which is being unfairly portrayed as the villain, should take the lead in actively protesting against the government and relevant prefectures for repeatedly issuing these “closure requests.”
(2) Travel and Tourism Industry
The travel and tourism industry has also been at the mercy of the government and local authorities since the chaotic and constantly changing “Go To Travel Campaign.” Just as they were finally looking forward to Golden Week, another “state of emergency” has thwarted their plans.
The travel and tourism industry, too, has been targeted due to its focus on “people movement” and “human flow.”
The food and beverage industry, the travel and tourism industry, department stores, large amusement facilities, and electronics retailers are all spending large sums of money on infection control measures, so I believe we should raise our voices in protest more strongly. Furthermore, we should strive to return to normal economic activity appropriate for the “with-corona” era, without relying on compensation for business closures.
(3) The General Public
Even if Prime Minister Suga apologizes, saying, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused to the people,” I am not convinced.
While the government readily accepts requests for a “state of emergency” from Governor Yoshimura of Osaka Prefecture and Governor Koike of Tokyo, I question whether the government has any real initiative.
I believe there should be a judgment to “wait and see how the situation develops.” Even with provocations from the opposition parties such as “the coronavirus response is lagging behind” or “do you have the resolve to protect the lives of the people?”, I believe we should maintain an unwavering conviction based on a broader perspective.
Currently, we are in an abnormal situation where we are excessively (overly) afraid of the coronavirus.
3. Osaka’s infection situation is showing signs of peaking out.
Currently, Osaka is seeing around 1,000 new daily infections, but it appears to be gradually peaking out, thanks to the effectiveness of the thorough infection control measures implemented over the years.
Since it’s impossible to eliminate COVID-19 completely, I believe we will continue to see waves of infection, such as a “fifth wave,” “sixth wave,” and so on, before gradually subsiding. If a “state of emergency” is declared each time, the public will become weary.
Unless COVID-19 is a “biological weapon developed by China,” we must treat it as a natural disaster, like a typhoon or earthquake, and simply “wait for the storm to pass” after each individual has taken thorough infection control measures.
While there are cries of “medical strain” and “medical collapse,” this problem can be solved by changing COVID-19’s classification from “equivalent to Category 2” to “Category 5,” eliminating the need for strict protective gear in hospitals, and allowing private hospitals to handle it, similar to seasonal influenza.
4. I oppose Toru Hashimoto’s “lockdown theory.”
Mr. Toru Hashimoto advocates a short-term, intensive, and thorough lockdown combined with compensation for business closures as a COVID-19 countermeasure, but I disagree.
The “zero-risk belief” of eliminating COVID-19 entirely is unrealistic. We should learn to live with COVID-19 effectively, implement proper and appropriate infection control measures, and promote normal economic activity.
Furthermore, Governor Koike of Tokyo’s “blackout campaign after 8 PM,” a wartime-like “blackout,” is undesirable from both a crime prevention and public safety standpoint.
The prevalence of “young people drinking on the streets” is also a side effect of “reduced business hours” and “bans on serving alcohol in restaurants.”