What are going on with events? Are COVID guidelines followed properly?

This morning I was disappointed, because not only I was unable to find space to run and kick footy (Aussie Rules), but also the anime event had a queue for door sales tickets.

My thoughts came up straight - where were COVID guidelines and protocols? Why was there no social ‘physical’ distance in the queue? Was the event essential? Why were door sales tickets allowed to sell?

Cafe informing customers following COVID guidelines but could be only said not acted? (Photo: Sainter Yoshi)

I went cycling to get better immune systems as always, and was curious, so I researched the event. It had been planned before the current state of emergency was declared last month. As long as the event was not essential, it should have been cancelled.

However, holding the Tokyo Olympics under the state of emergency with enforcement jeopardises the circumstances in events nationwide. The international physical competition went ahead being opposed by many Japanese citizens. Then authorities cannot stop holding non essential events, like this weekend’s anime exhibition in Kyoto.

Unfortunately I have to accept that events are going ahead, but strongly argue that COVID guidelines and protocols should be followed. If social distances cannot be made, then events should be cancelled. To maintain the safety, door sales ticketing must not be allowed. All tickets should be purchased online or at ticket agencies in advance.

In the previous blog, I  stress out that exercise should be promoted and encouraged to improve our immune systems to combat the coronavirus. I also present my opinion that we should not rely on vaccines as the only way to beat the virus.

Kyoto City Council encouraging citizens to get vaccinated by advertising on the bus, but there are other things they need to promote (Photo: Sainter Yoshi)

Here, I suggest that events promoting exercises and providing tips on nutritions should be held. Using big parks and separating zones to feature exercise programmes, the events give participants opportunities to do exercises and to be aware of the importance of doing physical activities. Nutritionists will advise participants to create a diet to improve immune systems. I strongly believe exercising and eating healthy foods are key and important activities to combat the pandemic.

Let’s live your life with a balance and hold physical activity events!! But don’t forget to follow the COVID guidelines and protocols.

Irish pub in Kyoto asking customers to follow COVID guidelines. It’s customers’ responsibility (Photo: Sainter Yoshi)

Encourage people to do exercise right now! / 今すぐ人々にエクササイズを推奨します！

*This blog is also to promote the importance of exercise in Japan, therefore I translate the blog into Japanese under the neath of the original English blog.

*このブログは、日本にてエクササイズの重要性を皆様に普及したく思い、英語の原文の下部に、私が日本語に翻訳致します。

Since the COVID pandemic has hit globally, I always think doing exercises is important to keep and maintain physical health and mental health. Creating a better immune system is important to combat the virus. Also doing exercise is to clear minds and get fresh mentally.

My physical conditions have been good apart from some minor injuries since the pandemic, thanks to kicking footy (Australian Rules), running while doing footy drills, and cycling regularly.

Many people have been fed up with many limits in their life. Too many don'ts are harsh for us and affect our mental health. I admit that I am on that boat.

Sadly the Governments focus too much on restrictions and don’ts. Media are too good at getting attention by creating unreasonable headlines and contents. In my perception, they are too defensive.

Don’t go out.

Don’t dine at a restaurant.

Don’t play a team sport.

These are just icebergs. There are so many don’ts. They are so negative, aren’t they?

Why don’t Governments conduct scientific analysis? Limiting activities is easy and cheap? Do they just want to control their citizens? Do they just want to be superior?

What are proofs that involving in sports spreads coronavirus? How is the virus spread while people are doing exercise in a gym?

I have not seen any scientific analysis on doing exercise. Deeper breathing spreads the virus to others? Where is the positive outcome of doing exercise? Why does no one talk about it?

Then, if we just stay home and do nothing, what happens? Only our bodies are weakened and immune systems are not working, right? Why is vaccination only encouraged? I think exercises improving our immune systems are as important as vaccinations (or even more important than man made medicines).

Recent The You Project episode 563 points out it. The guest Tony Doherty says about authority not encouraging people to do exercise. He also mentions the audience about unfair gym closure. I totally agree with Tony,

His media appearances to promote exercising are great and I want to influence many Japanese people positively to protect themselves from the virus.

Keep active and combat the coronavirus! Don’t sit down. Keep the heads up and do exercise!!

【日本語訳】

コロナウイルスが世界中でパンデミックを引き起こして以来、私は常に体を動かすことは、心身の健康維持に必要だと考えております。体内で免疫系の強化は、コロナウイルスに打ち勝つには重要です。また、体を動かすことは、嫌な気持ちを忘れ、心をリフレッシュするためでもあります。

パンデミックが襲って以来、私の身体健康状態は、定期的にオーストラリアンフットボールを蹴ったり、フッティの練習時に走ったり、サイクリングを行っているお陰で、多少小さい怪我をした以外は良好です。

多くの人たちが、日常生活の中で制約を受け、しんどい思いをされております。多くの「してはいけない」が私たちにとって過酷であり、我々のメンタル面に影響を与えております。私もそのうちの一人であることを認めます。

悲しいことに、多くの国の政府が行動制限や「してはいけない」ことに目を向け過ぎです。メディアも偏ったヘッドラインや記事を掲載することで、注目を集めるのがお得意です。私からしたら、彼らは防衛的です。

どこにも行くな。

飲食店で食事をするな。

チームスポーツをするな。

これらは氷山の一角ですね。他にも多くの「してはならない」があります。これらはネガティヴですよね？

なぜ政府は科学的分析や検証を行わないのでしょうか？行動の制限の要請がお金がかからなくて、容易だからですか？彼らは単に人民をコントロールしたいからですか？彼らが上に立ちたいから？

スポーツをすることがコロナウイルス感染の原因となる証拠は、なにですか？ジムで体を動かしている間に感染がどのように起きますか？

私は体を動かすことと感染することの科学的検証を拝見しておりません。呼吸が深くなることでウイルスを他人に拡散するのでしょうか？体を動かすことの長所は？なぜ誰も提言しないのでしょうか？

そして、もし私たちが家にずっと居て何もしなかったら、どうなりますか？もう我々の体が弱って免疫力が低下するだけでしょ？なぜワクチン接種だけが推奨されるのでしょうか？私は、エクササイズが免疫力を向上させるのは、ワクワク接種と同じくらい重要だと思います（または、運動が人工の薬*より重要だとさえ考えられます）。

*人工の薬はワクチンのことです。

最近聞いた、オーストラリアのポッドキャスト”The You Project”の第563話は、このことで提言をしております。このエピソードのゲストである、トニー・ドヘティーさんは、政府が人民に体を動かすことを奨励しないことについて述べられております。彼はまた、ジムを閉鎖することの不公平さを視聴者に語っております。私はトニーさんに賛成します。

トニーさんが体を動かすことの普及をするためのメディアへの出演は、素晴らしいですし、私もウイルスから守るために、体を動かすことを推奨すべく、日本の皆様によい影響を与えたいです。

皆様アクティブになり、コロナウイルスを打ち負かしましょう！じっとしてはいけません。頭を上げて体を動かしましょう！

Olympics are power and money games

The state of emergency in Tokyo was lifted on 21 June and will be declared again on 12 July. People criticise the Japanese Government for making wrong decisions on COVID restrictions, not analysing circumstances scientifically, and loosing the meanings and values of the state of emergency.

Japanese Government has been avoiding setting criteria of patronising in the Olympics and restrictions under the worst scenario. They seem to act in order to fit in the Olympics. Government makes scenarios of restrictions without scientific analysing or reviews.

Why does it happen? It’s obvious that the Government and politicians are seeking money and power. By holding the Olympics, they and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) gain profit from sponsors and TV rights.

Under the state of emergency, citizens are required to limit their activities from dining at restaurants to participating in local sport games to travelling outside the region. Many businesses lose profits and some of them will be bankrupted.

In such circumstances, how well behaved citizens can let the Olympics go ahead? They can’t enjoy their favourite activities because of restrictions or gain much income. Then why can only athletes compete while citizens cannot compete in their sport leagues? It’s nonsense and the organiser and Government are arrogant.

Also the Government has not explained the reasons to hold the Olympics and their plans to deal with the pandemic during the Olympics. They just say, “Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be held safely”, without detailing COVID strategy or any plan on patronising or transport.

Hiding negatives and connections with their friend companies make citizens angry in holding the Olympics. And they lose much trust in Japanese politics, Government and LDP.

Holding the Olympics while citizens are under the COVID restrictions is absolutely nonsense logically. The Olympics is not a sports event but a power and money game. Cancel it or Japan will be destroyed. Unfortunately the country will be split and pandemic won’t be overcome in this country. Not many people won’t be cooperative thanks to dysfunctional Government. Why is our health not a priority? I want the LDP to be dissolved in autumn. Japan needs to rebuild with a brand new and baby Government.

I will boycott the Olympics forever because of its commercial events and power and money seeking committee.

COVID Vaccines Supplying Issues - Rush Schedules and Double Bookings

Issuing COVID vaccination vouchers has been pushed forwards, but my one says that I would be able to make appointments and get jabs after August. I was very disappointed when I opened the envelope last night.

Supplying issues had been news headlines for the last few days, and my positive thought of being vaccinated next week has faded. Kyoto City Council had only established an online making appointments system recently, but it went meaningless as listed clinics are unable to provide people their vaccines for first jabs.

Two obvious reasons exist in this big issue.

Japanese Government goes into rush vaccination schedules in order to hold the controversial Tokyo Olympics with a safer environment. Vaccines had been over supplied, so the Government opened more doors for jabs.

People have choices from their home doctor, other independent doctors, and vaccination sites established by private companies, local councils, Prefecture and the Government.

The companies who established vaccination venues organised vaccines unreasonably. Even they have ordered vaccines exaggeratedly for their surrounding community members, rather than just their employees and their families.

Then they waste some vaccines, and consequently vaccine shortages occur. Local councils and independent doctors struggle with getting enough vaccines.

Japanese Government only focus on holding the Olympics, and changed the operations of vaccination incompetent. Disorganisation suffers younger people. Rushing schedules without considering the outcome is nonsense, and they lose citizens’ trusts.

Rushing schedules is likely to bring negative outcomes from my life experiences. When I worked for a railway company, I was told to take actions before the projects were confirmed to go ahead, because the schedules would be tighter if we started acting properly. Confirmations of projects going ahead were made later than times they should have been made, due to councils’ late budgeting. Such actions are improper, and people in charge are put under the pressure. Those who are in charge of vaccination will be the same.

Making appointments has other issues - unlinked systems and double bookings. Some people are thoughtless making appointments from multiple venues. They just go to their convenient venue and don’t cancel other sites. Worsening, it’s said that some elderly people don’t turn up sites because of bad weather.

Then some vaccines having been ordered to meet demands are wasted because of no shows. It’s a pandemic and vaccines should be shared with everyone who wants and needs. Such selfish acts are intolerant and could lose other people’s lives. Indeed it is the same as panic buying.

Vaccination vouchers have code numbers that are required to make appointments, although some private clinics don’t need to ask their existing patients. Venues take voucher codes when making appointments no matter by online or phone calls, but online systems are not linked each other. Then people can make appointments from multiple venues.

It’s a Government’s failure and caused because of their lack of organising skills and vaccination’s rush schedules. Just do it is not enough and instead causes a lot of issues.

Disadvantages of Privatisation

When I read an article about the medical crisis in Japan, due to the coronavirus, I was surprised that medical systems had been established with more private clinics and hospitals since the late Nineteenth Century.

Japan Medical Association has been criticised for refusing to take COVID patients, by insisting that private clinics and hospitals would not survive because of huge costs. The organisation has been established for research purposes and its members are doctors who own and operate private clinics and hospitals.

Criticism has been made because Japanese citizens believe that the medical organisation only focuses on profits, rights and power for member doctors, rather than helping the community save the pandemic. People in Japan want the JMA to look after more and more COVID patients in order to overcome the crisis. And instead the President of JMA demands the Government to declare the state of emergency to save their member doctors from risks to get infected, and so that they will be more profitable.

Therefore, doctors and nurses at state hospitals are overloaded in looking after coronavirus patients under the pressure. Their mental health conditions are at risk, I sense.

Under the Medical Act in Japan, central and local Governments cannot order private hospitals to accept patients. The private sectors are given the right to take patients or not. And on the other hand, state hospitals are subjects to obey the Governments’ orders.

From my point of view, private hospitals should take patients to overcome the worldwide pandemic. But handing medical operations to private sectors is another problem, I think, because medical treatments are linked with lifelines, therefore should be categorised as infrastructure rather than service.

Let’s move onto transport. The industry has been owned and operated by state organisations in the past. But they were expected to be more profitable in the 1980s, many transport operators have been privatised all over the world. They went from infrastructures to services. Even transport privatisation happens in big cities.

Former Victoria’s Premier Jeff Kennett privatised many state sectors including Melbourne’s buses, trams and trains in the late 1990s. The current train service operator Metro has caused big incidents and some Melburians are frustrated with their poor services.

Osaka’s subway and bus services were privatised in 2018, thanks to former Mayor of Toru Hashimoto who focused on cutting the budget of Osaka City. Two years before, its west neighbouring city of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture privatised their bus services.

Osaka Metro’s subway services are the same as when owned and operated by the city council, but I am not sure about how services are changed for Osaka City Bus and former Amagasaki City Bus. However numbers of bus services in Sapporo have been reduced (the biggest city in Hokkaido privatised its bus services in early 2000s year by year).

Services linking to lifelines should be reasonable and not be considered as profitable. Which is more important, our life or money? Privatisation affects our life somehow (no matter the amount). Unreasonable privatisation should be avoided, as many Victorians are against the privatisation (they see negatives of privatisation from its failure and believe Mr Kennett ruined the state).

Flexible working hours, what about lunch time?

At first I am extremely sad that we all are going through the tough and strange times due to COVID-19. Being isolated is not fun at all and many pleasures such as socialising, events and sport games have been taken. We also lost opportunities to get refreshed by going out. Restaurants, cafes and bars are shut mostly in the world, therefore people cannot enjoy fine cuisines or great drinks.

Meanwhile Governments and Society are seeking the new life style and social standards. Here in Japan, we are encouraged to reduce human contacts by 80 per cent to avoid getting infected. Like in the other parts of the world, we are encouraged to work at home when possible and companies are suggested to introduce flexible working hours as well as roster for working at the office.

Commuting on packed trains has been stressful for decades and now produces chanced to get infected. Therefore the Government encourages the public to spread hours to get to work and leave the workplaces. Setting flexible hours is essential. But what I have not heard about is setting flexible lunch times.

Dining under the same roof with many people may cause being infected and therefore restaurants are closed. Even after the disease is settled down, floor plans will be revised and premises will be less patronised. Restaurants and cafes had been packed before the pandemic happened.

Although many employees would work at their homes, those working at the offices would dine at restaurants and cafes. Also companies' cafeterias can be packed. Then to reduce chances of getting infected, why not spreading lunch hours? Flexible working hours would benefit both customers and businesses. Customers will be served their meals faster. Hospitality workers would be less stressed because of dealing fewer tasks at times. And virus will be less infected for everyone.

I suggest the society to introduce flexible lunch times under the rostered flexible working hours.

Stay strong and safe. We will beat COVID-19.

What are happening with retailers, restaurants and accommodation in Kyoto

Coronavirus hits the economy heavily globally and social distance is required to avoid spreading the virus.

Many shops, restaurants and bars have shorten their business hours or shut down their premises temporarily.

Worst cases were Japanese inns and accommodation having relied on Chinese tourists went bankrupt and had to shut down their businesses.

Several three to five-story accommodation buildings have been established recently around my apartment, and I have seen them closed temporarily. Bed sheets being placed on the lobby table can be seen at one of those premises.

Obviously they targeted inbound tourists. I was not surprised to see such situations.

I had been thinking about what to write for this blog and other platforms to keep me occupied, and then I started wondering what would happen with backpacker’s hostels.

In the last sixteen years, I have been staying at hostels to meet my budgets and because I love meeting new people.

Guests are sleeping on bunk beds in shared rooms for low costs. Strangers are sleeping closely in such premises. But in return, we can establish long-term friendships. I have done and enjoyed the company and keep in touch with great friends.

However with the coronavirus crisis, how can guests keep social distance in bedrooms, I am wondering.

Then I have decided to walk around to keep fit and to see what was going around.

Not surprising, I have seen many notices of shutting down restaurants and bars, and of shorting business hours. Even a butcher closes the shop at 4 pm.

Hiring kimono is popular amongst young Japanese and Asian tourists, and these shops are not exempted. I saw temporary closing notices when I was walking in between Yasaka Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple.

Closed noodle restaurant in the Gion District, Kyoto

Walking down from near the temple to Gion district, I have seen a closing notice of a Japanese inn. It's run by the same chain who owns one of the premises situated around my apartment.

I was not surprised with shutting the accommodation temporarily, but couldn’t believe them placing a noren (a curtain putting on the entrance’s top showing the business is open) even if they are closed.

Closed Japanese Inn at Gion, Kyoto

Then eventually, I got around Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Railway.  With my knowledge of two backpaper’s hostels situated in the area, I started investigating.

Having seen only a few foreigners everyday in the recent days, seeing a sign of the accommodation fully booked at the first backpacker’s was not what I had expected. Why don’t they just inform potential guests that they are temporarily closed?

Are you sure you're fully booked?

Moving onto the next hostel located in the north of the same street, I saw a quiet adjoining bar and expected them closed too. But I haven’t seen any notice and instead a staff wanted advertisement is placed there.

Keep walking, I happened to get to another premise in the North East of the district. They only have information in Japanese placed at the entrance. And any sign of the closure wasn’t found around the accommodation.

Sensing having not got answers, curiously continued and I visited their websites as well as the one of the Japanese Inn.

None of them made any announcement of the temporarily clouser on their websites. Trying to figure out if they are still open or not, I went onto the booking sections.

The Japanese Inn and the second hostel (who has an adjoining bar) had no room available on their websites or online travel agency’s sites.

What Accommodation's websites respond to potential bookings - no room is available tonight

As seen in the news, some hotels are afraid of being avoided to stay after the coronavirus issues are getting steady, as potential guests would doubt staff members and guests would be infected. Then they just inform potential guests that they are fully booked.

I could understand, but integrity is needed, I think. Due to the situations, we would understand the circumstances and not blame the clouser. Honesty is more important to establish better relationships between customers and establishments.

Meanwhile independent chemists in town put notices of unavailability of masks, thermometres and disinfectant. These items have been short stocked and purchased quickly to customers when being put on shelves.

Independent chemist noticing no stocks on some goods

Also city buses are much less patronised these days and running slower. I can’t believe that the major public transport in the city was always running late with high patronised a couple months ago.

On the other hand, some restaurants and cafes attract customers by putting signs that they change the layout of tables in order to keep distances between customers, their staff members are wearing masks, disinfectants are placed and also they are cleaning tables regularly in order to keep hygiene and to reduce infection.

Izakaya appealing customers how they deal with coronavirus

That’s all me reporting what happens with retails and hospitality/tourism in Kyoto. I wish you all the best and stay safe!