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A View of Godzilla Road, Shinjuku in mid-June

Changed Japan, and Japan I didn't know

Global pandemic was declared due to Covid-19. And my life in Japan started in early January of this year. I am in a foreign country at a time when everyone is deterred from going abroad. So I have a very special experience. In Japan, the current situation is called the 'Covid-19 disaster'. Taniguchi Shinko, who helped me come to Waseda University, told me: “I heard you were coming in early January. But Covid-19 was making me half-doubted.”

I arrived in Tokyo after two weeks of self-isolation at the hotel. The school staff led me to do a resident registration. So I went to Shinjuku Ward Office where the hostel was located, submitted documents and received a 'My Number Card'. My Number Card is a kind of resident certificate. It means that Tokyo Metropolis identifies me as a resident of Shinjuku City and who received the vaccine, and replaces the health insurance card. I did a register at the Shinjuku Ward Office at the end of January. By the way, the mail to receive the My Number Card came at the end of March. Although “fast” is not a good idea in administrative work, I thought it would take too long to issue a card. What if I had been seriously injured in the meantime?

In the second half of the 1990s, I was an international student in Japan. At that time, I often felt the economic abundance of Japan. And I was impressed that the social system is relatively well-organized compared to Korea. However, when I became a resident again in 2021, I do not feel the same gap as before. Is it because Japan has not changed much? There is a big difference from that time. Now, any mart or convenience store in the neighborhood has Korean Shin Ramyeon, Soju and Makgeolli on display. Not long ago, I bought bibigo Yukgaejang and meat dumplings at a large mart.

(left) Ramen displayed at Japanese convenience stores

(right) Korea Town in Shin-Okubo

Uneasy build-up to the Tokyo Olympics

The Tokyo Olympics are finally closed. Japan has achieved the best record in history with 58 medals including 27 gold medals as a host country. The United States ranked first, China ranked second, and Japan ranked third. The Japanese government was concerned about the astronomical penalty they would face if the Tokyo Olympics were cancelled. So they pushed the Olympic Games, but eventually the cost of the Olympics will be the highest ever. The cost Japan spent to host the Olympics is estimated at 3.4 trillion yen(about 35 trillion won). This is three times the cost they expected. The problem is that they have already spent a lot of money. However, since the event was held without a spectator, it did not earn 90 billion yen(about 930 billion won).

In Japan, hosting the Olympics has been the biggest news since the beginning of the year. It was postponed once last year, and it was not decided whether to hold it because the vaccination did not start. It was postponed once last year, and that was when it didn't start vaccinating. So it was not decided whether to hold the Olympics. The Japanese government decided to hold it, but failed to provide concrete measures on Covid-19. As the official's remarks and past scandals were revealed, Japanese media and the people responded coldly. This criticism continued; “The government calls on the Japanese people to self-restraint for a long time and shorten business hours, citing Covid-19. However, it is a contradiction to bring the world to Japan and play the Olympics in this situation.

At the opening ceremony, it seemed that Japan did not fully reveal its own color. Traditional cultural elements and popular cultural contents representing Japan were rarely used. The opening ceremony made me feel ‘empty’. There must have been a reason. I think the negative factors that the director was dismissed just before the opening ceremony would have affected.

However, Japan is comforted by the fact that they are ranked third and young athletes in various sports have won medals and have been replaced in the sports field. In previous years, I would have enjoyed the sports festival of the world. But this year’s Olympics continued to be a constant controversy and negative news, and I felt tired as a viewer. The Korean women's volleyball game was very fun to watch. I applaud all the players who have played in the game with all their strength.

The Spread of Covid-19, and the Japanese Situation

To make matters worse, since the opening of the Olympics, Covid-19 has been spreading explosively around Tokyo. On the opening day, July 23, there were 4,225 confirmed cases per day. And on August 7, it jumped to 15,713. As Covid-19 entered a calming state, confirmed cases remained at no more than 200 to 1,000 per day. Then suddenly it was over 5,000. Serious cases have not been hospitalized since last week. They are on standby for admission while they are in care at home.(as of 23 August)

Japan's media says hosting the Olympics is the cause of this situation. However, long before Olympic officials arrived, there was an increase in confirmed cases. As vaccinations began in earnest in May, more people were on the streets without masks. It seems to be caused by the start of a hot summer, the low vigilance due to vaccination, the movement of people during the Obon festival, and summer vacation.

It is a matter of fact, but Suga made a mistake in his remarks in public. He read a speech at the memorial service for the 76th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6. But it was known that he had missed some of the speeches and read them. “Japan is the only war-torn country to understand the inhumanity of nuclear weapons than any other country. It is important to continue efforts to realize a world without nuclear weapons.” This was the part he missed.

On the other day, he had to say, “Don't go out without need, don't go out without urgent.” But he said it in the opposite direction of the article, “Please go out thoroughly.” The Olympics which have been under complicated circumstances, and the burgeoning confirmed cases. Sugar looked tired through the TV screen. And now, foreign athletes are entering Japan for the Paralympics.