Quote of the Day
Arts and culture have been categorized as nonessential, with financial assistance for workers given a low priority.
Playwright and director Setoyama Misaki. A survey of workers in Japan's entertainment industry shows that more than 30% of respondents said they had thoughts of death due to the impact of the coronavirus. Read
The reality that those placed in vulnerable positions in society, such as elderly people, single mothers, and foreigners, are being driven into a corner has come to the fore amid the third wave of coronavirus infections.
Munehiro Nakamichi, a judicial scrivener and head of Anti-Poverty Network Gunma, a group of legal experts and welfare workers in the prefecture, who have been offering free consultation services for people struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read
The coronavirus epidemic has raised concerns over an increase in the number of people suffering loneliness, due to a range of reasons including restraint on going out, loss of employment and school closures.
An official of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party which plans to establish a panel to consider measures to address the issue of loneliness, which they claim is emerging as a serious public health challenge amid the spread of the coronavirus. Read
It’s likely the LDP will seek to vote in a more popular leader in the September party leadership election. A lot of LDP lawmakers are concerned about their prospects under the Suga banner because the party leader is the face of the lower house election.
Yu Uchiyama, a professor of political science at the University of Tokyo. He says that with poll numbers falling as sharply as coronavirus cases are rising, questions are emerging as to whether Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga might join the long list of Japanese leaders forced out after short stints. Read
We are prepared for the government to publicly name our restaurants for non-compliance.
A PR spokesperson for Global Dining, operator of popular restaurant Gompachi and other eateries, which is not complying with the government's business-hour requests to close its 30 restaurants at 8 p. m. in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures. Read
The broadcaster should consider seriously what it can do to reduce the financial burden on households amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Communications minister Ryota Takeda, urging NHK to further lower viewing fees. Read
I think that more and more people, including those spending more time at their homes, are eager to enjoy analog sound, not being satisfied with listening to the music on smartphones and other devices.
Taichi Aoki, manager of Tower Records Japan's Shinjuku outlet in Tokyo. The vinyl record floor, which opened in March 2019 in response to rising demand, sells about 70,000 items. Vinyl music records are regaining popularity in Japan with annual production reaching some 1.22 million units in 2019, up roughly 12-fold… Read
I'm not a friend or an acquaintance. I'm free of the bothersome things that accompany relationships, but can ease people's sense of loneliness.
Shoji Morimoto, 37, who says he rents himself out to other people as a companion for 10,000 yen "to eat and drink, and give simple feedback, but do nothing more." Read
As the amount of information in our society has increased, it has become ever more difficult to distinguish between correct and dubious information. The principle for dealing with infectious diseases is that, until the vaccines and wonder drugs become widely available, it is important to follow the basics of public hygiene: wearing masks, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
Nobuhiko Okabe, 74, former director of the Infectious Disease Surveillance Center of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and currently, director general of the Kawasaki City Institute for Public Health. He is also a special advisor to the cabinet on anti-virus measures. Read
Though the percentage of individuals who are granted bail has increased, Japan still detains suspects for significantly longer than other countries in white-collar and other crimes. Using GPS as a way to encourage more releases would be a good idea.
Hosei University law professor Tomoyuki Mizuno. A year after former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's escape from house arrest in Japan, Tokyo continues to grapple with the question of how to keep defendants from jumping bail, with electronic monitoring among the top proposals. Read
