Life Under State of Emergency #3 and the Status of Vaccinations

We are under a third state of emergency here in Tokyo. It began at the end of April and was just extended to the end of this month. Restaurants cannot serve alcohol and must close by 8 pm, and retail stores larger than 1000 square meters must remain closed. Department stores are therefore closed, except for the food sections. During the pandemic's non-state of emergency phases, restaurants must close at 9 pm, large retail stores are open, but government-run facilities like parks, zoos, and museums are still closed. For us, the state of emergency does not change things all that much. We eat out infrequently, never past 8 pm, and rarely go shopping anywhere but the grocery store. 

I hear people say that residents are tired of these states of emergency and that it is not effective anymore. I can't compare with the first one, since we didn't live here yet, but I do notice thinner crowds. Also, new daily infections are dropping after steadily rising through April. So I do think that it has an impact. 

The big question, of course, is what will happen to the Olympics? It is unlikely Japan will allow foreign spectators, but will they allow domestic ones? No one knows yet. Right now, Japanese ticket holders still have valid tickets. I think most people here would support a completely closed Olympics with no spectators. 

Vaccinations are still going slowly. My father-in-law, who is 69 years old and a health care worker, just received his second dose two weeks ago. Tokyo residents 65 and older should be eligible to receive their first dose this month. Japan lags behind many other developed countries, having vaccinated less than 1% of its population so far. This is surprising because mass vaccinations would help move the Olympics forward, something officials clearly want very much. It is also surprising because Japan keeps meticulous records of its citizens, so you would expect it to be relatively easy for the government to harness this to organize a quick rollout. 

Part of the reason for Japan's slow vaccine rollout is stringent regulations / complicated and rigid bureaucracy. And perhaps because daily new covid cases are still relatively low compared to other countries, the urgency is just not there. However, I think frustrations are mounting, and the government is feeling pressure to speed things along. 

For  now, we have been going to our neighborhood park. It has a sand pit, a play structure with slides for older kids, a smaller one for younger kids, swings, and a seesaw. Not bad for a four year old and one and a half year old. 

On Sunday, we ventured farther out to visit a larger park. It took about 10 minutes to get there by bicycle. The great thing about having a mamachari is not having to take public transportation with kids. It was unsurprisingly crowded - with zoos, museums, and other kid-friendly things closed, parks remain one of the few and relatively safer options for kids.

Tired from a full morning's play:

We eat out more frequently than in the U.S. because there are more options for eating out. But overall we eat out infrequently because eating with a one year old is not ideal. Last weekend, we tried a non-dairy ice cream place nearby. They advertise that their ice cream base is only honey and coconut cream. Can you tell which child likes it and which doesn't? I can only say that I prefer Ben & Jerry's non-dairy ice cream, made with almond milk. 

The weekend is over, and we are one week closer to making it to the end of the school year. So far, no closures due to Covid cases. As impatient as I am about getting vaccinated, I am also grateful and relieved that there have been no disruptions to school and daycare these past months. It feels like the final stretch, and I hope we get there soon.