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You might come to Japan.

A few of you may be planning to come to Japan especially in 2020. The Olympic&Paralympic games or the ICPS conference, I don't know much about both. Anyway, whatever your purpose, probably you have extra time to stay in Japan other than the main purpose.

I would post videos as many as I could. You might find tips of enjoying Japan. I would post 2 or 3 videos every few days or few weeks. Hopefully you may be able to find a couple of interesting stuff. I would choose videos mainly from Japanology series. All episodes are wholesome and informative. Although many of them have a sound problem.

Please don't ask me any question in this thread or PM. I am quite useless. I met a friend of mine from Germany, who is a famous pitcher plants taxonomist, in Tokyo in the spring of 2019. It was the first time I met him, who has been a good friend of mine since I joined the cp-listserv in 1994. I needed Google Maps. And when I tried to buy our tickets at the subway station, the ticket machine continued to ignore me with my wrong operation. A young woman offered to help us purchase our tickets. How embarrassing! I had lived in Tokyo for 26 years since I was born, and then have lived in the prefecture(s) next to Tokyo though!!! lol. How many decades since I left Tokyo? I won't mention.

EDIT
Some videos are no longer watchable. So I have decided to replace them with alternatives (shorter ones).
You can watch some episodes of Japanology plus on demand (free). Please go to the NHK world, if you are interested in.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/program/video/japanologyplus/?type=tvEpisode&

Ekiben

- - - Updated - - -


Subway


- - - Updated - - -

For some reason, "Izakaya" is popular with Western people nowadays.
review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6NwG7kuNQ

 
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packaging

You may often see such kind of Japanese packaging way at the stores.

I know it is notorious as "overdo" or "a wasteful use of the packing material as resources", that was considered by many people and was severely criticized.

A few of them might change their mind after watching the next video.


You can turn on English sub.
 
Heavy snow

heavy snow

If you visit Japan in winter, please watch the video I posted before.

 
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Tourist attractions

Temple


Festivals (It may change your impression of Japanese people.)
Danjiri (for beginners), Kishiwada in Osaka
Danjiri (Don't watch it if you have a heart problem.)
Sanja, Asakusa in Tokyo
Nebuta in Aomori
Onbashira in Nagano
Soma noma oi in Fukushima

Traditional Japanese inn
 
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I miss Japan! I was there for one week in 2011 and it was such an amazing experience! I would love to go back and I hope to do so soon!
Thanks for posting! :D
 
replace some videos with alternatives

I miss Japan! I was there for one week in 2011 and it was such an amazing experience! I would love to go back and I hope to do so soon!
Thanks for posting! :D
:-O
I hope you can find a couple of interesting stuff in this thread.

Some videos are no longer watchable. So I have decided to replace them with alternatives (shorter ones).
You can watch some episodes of Japanology plus on demand (free). Please go to the NHK world, if you are interested in.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/program/video/japanologyplus/?type=tvEpisode&

After a while, I will post videos about food or souvenirs.
 
COVID-19

A member of the UKcpforum asked me about the COVID-19. A few of TF members may be interested in the situation in Japan. I only paste my reply because I do not have permission to quote his posting. Go there if you are interested in his posting.
https://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/62910-you-might-come-to-japan/

Here is my reply:

Dear JMHoff-san,

Konnichiwa!

First of all, I would not be in the proper position to answer your question. I will share my personal thoughts with you.
I do not attend the ICPS international conference. It is not related to the COVID-19. I never want the ICPS board members or the international conference officials to discuss something in this thread. So please post your question(s) to
https://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/63013-icps-conference-2020/
or
http://icps.proboards.com/thread/7611/icps-conference-2020

The following is my thoughts,

It may be reported "The number of infected people in Japan is the second highest after China".
There are two main reasons:
1) One cruise ship has arrived at Yokohama Port. Passengers and crew are isolated on board. There are many infected people. People who have been infected are quarantined in hospitals.
The situation on board may worsen.
2) The Japanese government rescued Japanese people in Wuhan, China by charter flights. Although they are quarantined, some are infected by the virus.
It has started to be released from those who have passed the isolation period, which is supposed the incubation period, (and were negative for virus testing.).

I don't think I will be infected with the COVID-19 even if I am staying at some tourist spot in Japan today.

However, the situation may change significantly. Its infectivity looks stronger than WHO says. A Japanese quarantine officer on the cruise ship was infected. If he is not an idiot, the virus is highly contagious.
Failure to contain the virus may cause the Olympic Games to be halted.
If I were you, I would see if "the infection in the streets of Japan begins or not".
If you are now making a decision and are afraid of a virus infection, you may have to cancel. If you have time to make a decision, please wait until the deadline.

I will post something here if the situation in the city gets worse. It seems that an infected woman who took antipyretic drugs was able to enter France.


Again
Please post your question(s) to
https://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/63013-icps-conference-2020/
or
http://icps.proboards.com/thread/7611/icps-conference-2020

Kind regards from the Far East
 
There appears to be some criticism from some press for Japan's response to the cruise ship.

Such as:
"The Japanese government can't cope with the problem." “The Japanese government is doing what it should not do." "The ship is a hot spot for virus transmission. The Japanese government is trying to have a pandemic."

That's true, but possibly there is a misunderstanding. It may be reported daily that "dozens of infected people have been identified among passengers and crew." This does not necessarily mean that the infection spread after the ship arrived at Yokohama Port. It is said that the budget for disease control in Japan is smaller than in other countries. Because of that?, Japan does not have the ability to test for viral infections of thousands of people in one day. The inspection ability in Yokohama is a few hundred in a day. People who are suspected of infection are inspected for infection in priority order. Of course some passengers may have been infected after arriving at Yokohama port.
Passengers confirmed infected are isolated and cared for in hospitals. Some are cared for in an intensive care unit. If Japan had refused to enter the ship, they might have been dead.

An American passenger expressed his opinion. Summary: We (he and his wife) have been stuck in our room for a long time. We will be released a few days later, if the virus test is negative. On a rescue plane prepared by the United States government, we must stay in the same space with the potentially infected person for an extended period of time. Moreover we will be quarantined at a U.S. military base for another two weeks. This is not reasonable.

Perhaps other international ports (of countries that accuse Japan’s response) have facilities that can isolate thousands of people. Unfortunately, there is no such facility in Japan.

Optimistic experts say it can prevent the spread of infection in Japan.
Pessimistic experts say there are tens of thousands of infected people in Japan. The reason for the inference was that tons of tourists from Wuhan stayed in Japan last month.

A nosocomial infection occurred at a hospital in Wakayama Prefecture.
Several infected individuals with unknown routes of transmission have been found.
 
Even with the greatest resources that the world has to offer it is difficult to know what to do about a huge ship filled with multi-national passengers some of whom are infected with a disease that is not well understood but considered very dangerous. If the cruise ship were anchored in another country how likely is it that the experiences of the passengers and the ultimate results would be better? But I do understand the frustrations of those involved. Theirs is a very difficult situation and certainly not what they expected. It just seems unfair to take it out on the Japanese government, who is doing what they can to improve the situation. 'Just my opinion.
 
  • #10
Safety tips

At the moment no one wants to go to Japan, although I'm living as usual for now.
If you are a healthy and brave young man/woman, you still might come to Japan. If you are not young or have any health problem(s), you have a high risk of seriousness.
When you arrive in Japan, please install an application on your cell phone.
You will have access to information in various languages in times of disaster.
Safety tips
Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.rcsc.safetyTips.android
iPhone:
https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/safety-tips/id858357174?mt=8

Through the app, the Japan Tourism Agency automatically sends you international visitors early warnings about earthquakes, tsunamis, severe weather, volcanic eruptions, and ballistic missiles (please go to https://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/54856-what-are-you-listening-to-right-now/page/15/&tab=comments#comment-397879 and https://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/59934-bear-and-missile/&tab=comments#comment-397875). You can also check how to evacuate. And you can get contact information for hospitals.
The Safety tips service is provided in eleven languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Tagalog, Nepali and Japanese. The agency plans to add Khmer, Burmese, and Mongolian by the end of March in 2020.

Another risk other than health issues.
As of today, the number of people infected in Japan is about 300 (excluding those infected on the cruise ship. I am very sorry that some of the cruise ship passengers have died.). The number of infected people is increasing daily but sporadic. I don't know why Japan is not going to be like what is happening in Italy or Korea for the moment. One theory states that they simply did not test for enough virus infection. This week, virus testing seems to be covered by insurance. Japan has adopted the system of the public health insurance for the whole nation. The Japanese people usually pay 10% to 30% of medical expenses. High medical costs are capped and are exempted based on income. Until now, inspections were conducted free of charge by government agencies, but the inspection capacity (number) per day was low. This cover will increase the number of tests per day as private laboratories enter the testing service and the government will cover the out-of-pocket expenses. The inspection capacity of private inspection organizations in Japan is said to be tens of thousands to 200,000 per day. But so far, looking at the situation in the city, not much will be tested. If many people are screened, tens of thousands of infected people might be found. Or we might find that there are not many infected people.
What I would like to say:
The situation can change suddenly and dramatically. Maybe you will enjoy your stay in Japan. But if things change during your stay, you may be quarantined in your home country for two weeks. If you are a student, the damage may be small. If you are an adult, the damage may be great.

May the United States succeed to contain the COVID-19!

p.s.
The Japanese government just announced: Request that people entering from China and South Korea be quarantined for two weeks at locations (facilities?) designated by the Japanese government.
 
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  • #11
We can hope that now another cruise ship containing infected passengers is stuck in limbo, in California this time, that we have learned enough to do the best that is possible for everyone. It seems a poor time for world traveling but things will ultimately improve and normalcy will re-establish. Let's hope that it happens before the Olympics, not to mention the International Carnivorous Plant Society meeting coming up soon.

I am impressed by the app that the Japanese government has developed!
 
  • #12
We can hope that now another cruise ship containing infected passengers is stuck in limbo, in California this time, that we have learned enough to do the best that is possible for everyone. It seems a poor time for world traveling but things will ultimately improve and normalcy will re-establish. Let's hope that it happens before the Olympics, not to mention the International Carnivorous Plant Society meeting coming up soon.

I am impressed by the app that the Japanese government has developed!

Dear Bluemax-san,

Konnichiwa!

The United States government seems to choose to segregate cruise ship passengers onboard.
One of the reasons the Japanese government chose onboard isolation was at the request of the United States government.
I don't have the knowledge to determine if the US government's choice was right. The cruise ship at Yokohama Port is registered in the UK, but the operating company is the same as the cruise ship off California. Better zoning may be possible through discussions with doctors and infectious disease specialists, who had worked on the cruise ship (at Yokohama Port), the operating company and the US government.
It seems better to replace the cooks and crews who bring food to each room, if some of them are suspected to be infected.

Kind regards from the Far East

EDIT
I seem to have misunderstood. The passengers seem to be able to get off the ship.
I am sorry for that.
 
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  • #13
A messy situation, and information coming out of it could be a lot clearer. Now there seems to be a discussion as to where the ship now anchored off of San Francisco will end up. The implication is that a military port will accept them but none, as of this writing, has been announced.
 
  • #14
Probably the first information I got was based on the President's statement. The second one would have been based on the statement of the Vice President.
I hope that the passengers and crew will get adequate care. I hope they can get not only antivirus care but also mental care.
 
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