Nothing over-reacts like a panicked Japanese. Because of coronavirus fears, the Tokyo marathon is being scaled back to eliminate general public participation and only allow elite runners. The Kagoshima marathon at the beginning of March was fully canceled. The Ramen-Oh contest to see which restaurants have the best ramen, held in front of Dolphin Port Feb. 22-23, was canceled. The 20 km Ryouma Honeymoon Walk in Kirishima (just north of Kagoshima) March 21-22 hasn't been canceled yet, but the homepage has a list of health precautions the organizers are taking (everyone wears masks, and there will be hand sanitizers wherever anyone gathers).
Less than 40% of Japanese polled are interested in attending the Tokyo Olympics events, and "#justcancelit" is trending on Twitter. The government has ordered schools to close for the next 2 weeks, which is making the parents of 2-income families mad because they can't find daycare options for their kids. There's a news story in the Japan Times today that panicked hording of Chinese-made tissue and toilet paper has resulted in shortages in several cities, which includes here in Kagoshima. I went to Donkey last night and all the shelves had been emptied.
The English school I work at is small, so there hasn't been pressure to close yet, but I don't get paid if I don't work. And, the owner has put in a table for hand sanitizer, which is new.
We'll see what else gets canceled in the next few weeks. Sigh.
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