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Week 20 - We start out the week in Tokyo where temperatures soar

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy

Ian and Minako - Tokyo, Japan


 We are both very well but feeling more locked up than ever because as well as the pandemic it's too hot and humid to go out.  Maximum temperatures have been 35-38 degrees in the last few days and remained 30 degrees at midnight.  As well as the highest heatstroke warning alert level (red alert – “exercise prohibited outdoors”), some afternoons had photochemical smog warnings, with an eerie public announcement alerting people to stay indoors.

 

 With the intense heat, humidity, thunderstorms, torrential rain, air quality and the Covid-19 figures we were most definitely inclined to stay in, putting our air-con on enjoying reading, cooking, baking and popping out to the park which is luckily right on our doorstep.  

 

Excessive heat warning

 We've changed our routine so that we get up at 6am to take our walk round the park, as it's a bearable temperature then. Tokyo parks are actually very busy at this early hour, many elderly residents taking their exercise in groups – “rajio taiso” (radio exercises broadcast at 6.30) and tai chi etc. Plenty of dog-walkers and joggers exhausting themselves before going to work. Children with nets collecting bugs and quite a few birdwatchers.

 

 Birds in the park always bring us joy. We spotted one of the moorhens born in this park a few months ago; a night heron seemed to be looking after it.  One of the keen birdwatchers told us this morning that some kingfisher babies left the nest.  We are looking forward to seeing the little ones soon.

 

Moorhen with guardian night heron

 The number of daily reported coronavirus cases for Tokyo and the rest of Japan are still worryingly high. Now the 7 day average for new cases in Tokyo is 274 and total deaths 338. Nationally there have been 55049 cases and 1093 deaths.

 

 This past week was a holiday time for many people. Monday was ‘Mountain Day’, a public holiday to encourage people to get out of the city and visit the mountains. Then around 15th August is Obon, a Buddhist event for commemorating ancestors as their spirits are believed to return to this world on those days to visit their relatives. This is not a public holiday but many workplaces and shops close as people travel to stay with their families and visit and clean their ancestral graves. It's also a time of festivals and dance (Bon Odari).

 

 Sadly the festivals have been cancelled this year and far fewer families have been able to get together. Officials estimate there were only about 2% more people travelling out of Tokyo this week compared to a normal week. Which at least shows that most people are being sensible and complying with requests to avoid trips for a family visit. Normally those who live abroad would travel home too to spend time with their parents but that has also been greatly curtailed. Many people would go on summer holiday abroad as well however, the airports are far quieter than during normal Obon periods.

 

 Our own town has many small independent businesses which close for Obon, it's a bit random though, some stay open, some close all week, others close for 2 or 3 days this week or maybe even next week instead! We have to keep a close watch on social media for their announcements.

 

Delicious plums

 Our umeboshi sour plums got their 3 days of full sun on the balcony and are now safely stored in a jar in a cool, dark place ready to eat with our rice dishes.

Apart from a necessary short trip to the neighboring town we haven't been anywhere this week.

 

 It's been such a quiet week it's difficult to think of any particular highs or lows. Receiving items that we've ordered online is always nice. We got some seeds to plant in the pots we have on the balcony. There's not a lot of room and we like to try different things, this year we're being brave and attempting to grow a few Brussels sprouts, one of our favorite winter veg that's not easy to obtain here. We just have to take care that the seedlings don't fry in this scorching heat!

 

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