Japan’s Response to the Corona Crisis

Reporters in Isolation 2020

By Yui Fuchigami

Since February, the threat of the coronavirus has gradually spread around the world and our lives and values have changed drastically. At the beginning of the Corona crisis, I was studying abroad at the Vienna campus, so I used much energy to seek information from the Netherlands, Vienna and my home country, Japan, everyday. I've been looking at European countries and Japan side by side and noticed a lot of differences, therefore I would like to share some of them with you.

First of all, I feel like there was a huge difference in attitude to adapt to the changes in their values and their lives. At the peak of the crisis to Corona in Europe, our university immediately shut down the facilities and switched to online classes. In the dormitory where I lived in Vienna, there were students from other universities, and their universities were taking online classes at the same speed. On the other hand, in the case of Japan, I got the impression that it took a long time to take an action for switching to online classes, after the educational facilities were closed.

My Japanese friends told me that the school took a questionnaire to students about the internet environment and camera and microphone facilities at first. In educational settings for children such as elementary and secondary schools, there are not many families where children have free access to the Internet. The traditional idea that children should avoid looking at screens for long hours may be one of the factor. The switch to online classes is just one example, but it seems to me that the government and the people in Japan tend not to take an action unless the "reasons why it cannot be done" disappear.

I'm proud to be Japanese and I love Japan, so I would like to talk about the positive aspects of Japanese uniqueness. The obedience and compassion for others in Japan is wonderful. Are you aware of the fact that during the Corona crisis, Japan did not impose any fines for going out or acting in groups? Nevertheless, the number of people infected and dead by coronavirus in Japan was much lower than foreign countries had predicted. At its peak, the number of new infections per day was 743, furthermore the current number of infections per day has fallen to 31. Resilience in a crisis and patience which Japanese have result in the outcome belie against other countries expectation.

Personally, I think these months have been a good opportunity to stay in touch with my friends in Japan and Vienna and care for each other, to spend time eating, and most importantly to think deeply about a lot of things. However, it is true that it is a tragedy. I hope that this situation get resolved as soon as possible. While measures against the coronavirus are slowly easing, let's keep in mind that it's not the end yet. And I hope that there will be no more people who feel sad.