Updates on the State of Emergency in Japan (日本の緊急事態宣言について)

The article and photos by Fumiko Koike

Contents:

1. What is Japan's State of Emergency like?

2. What is being popular in Japan when people cannot dine out?

3. Message from Fumiko Koike

Last Friday (January 8th), the State of emergency was declared in four prefectures of Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama.

This Thursday (January 14th), the same went into effect in seven additional prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Aichi, Tochigi, Gifu and Fukuoka.

Altogether, eleven prefectures are under the second State of Emergency as of today (January 15th).

Unlike other countries, it’s not very strict as it doesn't involve penalty nor legal binding force at least for now.

However some businesses are being asked to shorten their business hours basically voluntarily and citizens are also being asked to stay home unless going to work or going shopping for necessities. 

The current State of Emergency will be in place until February 7th, but there is possibility that the length will be extended further depending on the number of cases in those prefectures.  

According to some TV shows, frozen food has been really popular lately- as some people who tend to eat out for dinner rather than cook their own meal  at home cannot find a restaurant which opens when they finish their work, under the present circumstances.

I experimentally purchased some frozen food items at Family Mart (Japanese convenience store) today. The following pictures show Okonomiyaki and Tori-no-Kara-Age. 

Okonomiyaki being a Japanese-style non-sweet pancake, Tori-no-Kara-Age being Japanese fried chicken - both of which are representatives of "reasonable and delicious food" in Japan.

If you come to Japan after the Pandemic is over, I recommend you check out some frozen food at a convenience store (or at a super market) - they have a huge variety of Japanese food that you can try while you are in Japan. These stores usually have a microwave, so you can take the food out to a park or somewhere in which you are allowed to eat and drink.

The article and photos by Fumiko Koike