Like many other countries, Covid-19 has affected Japan to a great extent as well. Major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Yokohama are red hot spots in which each city has 1000+ cases of Covid-19 cases confirmed every day since April 2020. Although, Japan has many cases confirmed every day, the country strongly values the importance of health care, and did so even before the pandemic started.
For many years it has been a normal custom for Japanese to wear face masks when feeling sick. Before Covid-19, it was the norm to see few people daily wearing a mask while they were shopping for groceries, taking the train to work or simply studying inside a library. Of course, Japanese would not go outside if they were really sick, but they wear a mask when they have a slight cold and still has the energy to go outside. As for me who is writing this blog post it was a total shock to a foreigner to see normal individuals wear masks in public, as in my own home country I would only see people at the hospital such as nurses or doctors wear masks. However, after moving to Japan I quickly learned about their culture when a Japanese friend of mine handed me a face mask to wear when she noticed I had a slight cold while walking to class together. She taught me about the importance of wearing the mask, or else Japanese would think you are very rude and not respecting their culture. The mask was uncomfortable to wear at first, but it is something you get used to. I even learned later on that masks are somewhat of a fashion statement in Japan. Now, I have five different colored masks to choose from so that they match my outfit of the day. I also wore a mask when I had a big pimple showing on my chin as I would be too lazy to cover it with makeup. This time was before Covid-19 and no one would ever look judgmental at me as it is the norm in Japanese society. The Japanese are actually very grateful that a foreigner cares about health precautions and shows that by wearing a mask so that you protect fellow citizens.
When Covid-19 was confirmed to be a pandemic the Japanese government was quick to encourage all people that reside in Japan to wear a mask, and of course everyone did so. Till this day I myself have not seen a single person without a mask in public in over a year. I often discuss the topic of masks with my parents. In my home country a lot of people give excuses to not wear the mask, because it limits their breath, it is uncomfortable, or people will think they are infected. I am happy I am in Japan as I have never had an argument with someone to wear a mask. People are very encouraging towards a healthy future and they know the only way to achieve it is to wear a mask, keep social distancing, regularly wash your hands with hand sanitizer and take the vaccine when you get an appointment.
I am also a university student, and I am quite happy with how my university has handled the Covid-19 pandemic. I attend the international university set in Japan known as Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU for short). When the pandemic was declared in mid-March 2020, it was one month till I was supposed to start a new semester. Japan was quick to close its borders for people applying to any type of visa and was in a state of emergency on how to handle this virus. Similarly, APU was quick to notify the students that the semester will start in early May instead as they needed more time to decide on how the university will function during this pandemic. The virus was so new, anyone at this time did not know much, but I am quite satisfied with how the university decided for things to go. The campus was closed, and all classes would be held online. The university provided the video teleconferencing app Zoom to all students for free and supported its students who did not have a computer or Wi-Fi. APU continued with this plan till one year later. Overall APU granted 30,000 yen as financial support for preparing the necessary environment for taking online classes during the pandemic.
Now in the Spring 2021 Semester, APU still operates all of its classes online, but introduced a switch and hybrid system to make it less stressful for students that do not have good Wi-Fi at home. Switch classes depends on your student id numbers, meaning one week you will take the class online on campus and then next week you will take the class online at home. The other style known as hybrid means the students can select to take their class at home or go to campus. The professor will always be teaching in a large lecture hall so that social distancing is kept, so if you wish to go to campus one day then you can do so. Furthermore, when on campus it is required for everyone to wear a mask. Campus is filled with posters hanging inside halls, classrooms, the library, the cafeteria, and simply everywhere you go to remind people to wear a mask and keep social distancing. You will also see hand sanitizers offered at the entrance of all rooms so please try your best to wash your hands regularly. As a student who works on campus and take a few on campus classes I feel very safe at fellow students and faculty keep these rules. In addition, I limit myself to not go to campus more than two times a week as it is safest to stay at home and avoid crowded areas.
As for the city APU is set in, Beppu city, the situation as of now is quite stable. Beppu is set in Oita prefecture, and this prefecture has not had many cases confirmed. Ever since the pandemic started, Oita prefecture has not had more than 100+ cases confirmed in a single day. Of course, Oita prefecture, especially Beppu city is not a major city as only 114,000 people currently reside here so it should not be compared to major cities like Tokyo (別府市, 2021). However, because Beppu does not have a big population it is definitely easier to keep social distancing and easy for the city government to track down new cases. As of July 3rd, 2021, there is currently 2 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Beppu and both of them are required to quarantine till they test negative [NHK, 2021]. Beppu has started vaccination as well so all citizens should have received a voucher to receive vaccine from August to November. APU is providing a vaccine for all of its students as well. Best part about it is that the vaccine is free.
If you wish to learn more about living in Japan during this Covid-19 pandemic, then please do not hesitate to contact us at Instagram. The link is provided down below. If you wish to move abroad and live in Japan but you are too worried about Covid-19 precautions, then please check out APU’s website as you can find information there as well.
Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/apu.leaf/
APU website: https://www.apu.ac.jp/home/
Bibliography
別府市. (2021, July 15). 別府市の人口. Retrieved from 別府市: https://www.city.beppu.oita.jp/sisei/sinogaiyou/detail11.html
NHK. (2021, July 15). 新型コロナウイリス. Retrieved from NHK: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/data/
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