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Week 19 - Thursday in Tokyo brings abundance and a little concern

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy

Ian and Minako - Tokyo, Japan


 We are both very well, the summer heat and humidity are now at maximum intensity and so is our air-con cooler/de-humidifier!

 

 The number of daily reported coronavirus cases for Tokyo and the rest of Japan seems to be leveling out but at a much higher level than a few weeks ago when it was in single figures. Now the 7 day average for Tokyo is 340 and total deaths 333. Nationally there have been 47331 cases and 1042 deaths.

 

 Despite the high number of positive cases, the number of deaths has increased very slightly. Why is this? Do many of the new cases have very mild or non-existent symptoms, has the virus mutated into a less severe form, have the medics learned how to treat the critical cases more effectively?

 

 According to news reports, 30 of Japan’s 47 prefectures still have inadequate testing facilities. In the early days of the pandemic some people had to wait days for the results of tests so this may still be the situation if there’s another surge in the virus in those areas.

 

Nighttime walking in Tokyo

 In Tokyo two hospitals are being refurbished with extra facilities and will be set aside for coronavirus patients so that other hospitals can return to dealing with all the non-corona illnesses. Also the number of lodging facilities is being increased, these are for those with no or minor symptoms to recuperate in isolation.

 

 This week marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The annual ceremonies were held with limited attendances reduced by around 90%. The mayors of the two cities urged the international community to unite work together against serious threats to humanity such as nuclear weapons and coronavirus.

 

 We are really enjoying our night walks. There was a full moon a few days ago with quite a clear sky so we relaxed in the warm breeze on a park bench and took in the view.

 

An abundance of fruit

 Finally we were able to put our umeboshi (pickled sour plums) out to dry in the direct sunlight. They need 3 days of full sun before they can be put into jars and stored to use through the year so as soon as the rainy season ends you can see bamboo trays of neatly arranged plums drying on balconies.

 

We have also been inundated with gifts of fruit from our wonderful generous neighbours – watermelon, blueberries, peaches and pears, all sweet, seasonal, fresh fare from various parts of Japan. However, fruit and vegetable farms are still suffering from the recent appalling weather and lasting effects of earlier typhoons and flooding. Many crops are greatly reduced, limiting their availability and substantially increasing prices. Hopefully the autumn harvest will be better.

 

 On Saturday evening we walked along a busy street where there are several small bars, some were packed, people crowded close together, no masks, shouting, laughing, singing. It felt scary and we went past quickly, making sure our masks were secure. We feel really sorry for the people who have to work there all evening, every day putting their health at risk. At least they are now requested by the Tokyo Metropolitan government to close at 10pm instead of continuing till the early hours.

 

Fun at the Animation Museum

 A highlight this week was our visit to Suginami Animation Museum. Unsurprisingly there a several animation museums in Japan, this is a relatively small municipal-run museum in our local area. Suginami ward, the municipality where we live, is home to 138 animation studios including Sunrise which produced ‘Gundam’, forming Japan’s largest anime production community.         

 

 In this museum, as well as various displays of animation history and objects, there are an anime theatre, library and workshop areas where the visitors can get hands-on experiences of tracing, colouring, editing and voice-over. 

 

 Normally we would walk there and back about 30 minutes each way but as it was 36 degrees we hopped on the bus there which only takes 5 minutes and walked back later when it was slightly cooler.

 

 

 

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