People think "I am gonna be fine" or "The beach is gonna be safe"

That's what many think. If you go to a park there are dozens of people.

Hey guys and girls on Ask Japanese... It's Cathy Cat and today I am joined by my friend....

Hi I am Hiroko from Hiroko TV!

(and the director edited her on the left side so I am pointing in the wrong direction)

And today we are gonna talk about what things have changed in Japan now that we have

The state of Emergency.

What's been going on and stuff like that, we though we are gonna get a Japanese opinion in as well

And there we go, let's start this! - Let's start!

So then "State of Emergency"

So since we are in this right now... how has the cityscape changed around you?

I heard that there are less people out in Tokyo....

Many people are not going outside or try not to go on the trains....

Watching Japanese TV it looks like in Tokyo there are less people out. I live in Yokohama

But here in Yokohama... around my house there isn't anything exciting...

Normally you would not see many people around here... but people can only stay near their houses now...

That's why I feel like there are actually MORE people outside now.

More people out?

I can look down to the streets from the veranda and I see more people walk around there now.

I think they might be shopping... my local supermarket is a lot more crowded now too.

Isn't that bad?!

Yes this scares me so I only buy online or go shopping really late at night.

I quickly hop in just before the supermarket closes and get my things.

If I go earlier it will be too busy.

In Yokohama are there a lot of people who work in Tokyo generally? - Yes cause it's close.

The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship was also stopping here in Yokohama.

How did Yokohama react when the Diamond Princess cases started emerging?

Nothing changed much. They talked about it in the news but in Japan...

we were scared but didn't think it would affect us yet, at the time.

Did people think they will be fine since guests of the ship were closed in?

Yes and next comes my personal opinion...

The cruise ship case happened BEFORE the olympics got cancelled right?

True!!!

The Japanese media didn't yet know what was gonna happen to the Olympics....

During those times the media couldn't say "Corona is dangerous, do not go outside."

The "This is dangerous, stay at home" order wasn't out at that time yet.

At that time, there wasn't anything like that.

AFTER the olympics got cancelled, suddenly the way people covered it changed drastically.

True true.

Many were suspicious of that.

I think the media couldn't warn people at the time.

They didn't warn as much even though they maybe should have.

I think people were not worried at the time.

In Japan for better or worse there is no way to force people to stay inside their homes right?

Yes our law is like that.

People and businesses who don't abide by the rules do not get fined or anything.

In a good way, the freedom of the people here cannot be taken away...

Supporting the freedom of humanity is good but in the case of the virus now...

you can't push Japanese citizens to follow the rules.

I read that this morning but many pachinko gambling parlors aren't closing right?

This is pretty dangerous. Near my house there is a pachinko gambling parlor.

Yeah. - It's not like people HAVE TO gamble right now. - Yeah

The doors are closed, and the air inside is stuffy and so many people!

When I went to my supermarket late at night yesterday...

But that parlor was still open. The prefecture of Osaka is telling the parlors to close...

and they announced the names of the parlors that are not listening to the closing request.

Saying "They are not listing to our requests!"

They announced their names, but the pachinko parlors made excuses,

saying "if we don't open we won't be able to pay our parlor employees"

What else can we do?

But that's the same for all businesses right now!!! - Right!!

Fashion stores and everyone is the same. This is not a good enough excuse for gambling.

Many businesses are enduring this closure time. The earlier we all react now,

the earlier we can all return to our work! But if we half heartedly keep unnecessary places open

especially badly ventilated places...

It makes us wonder if our endurance is in vain.

I don't think it's in vain but...

The bosses of pachinko parlors want to have their way right?

But the staff might actually be scared to work.

That's possible. - "I still gotta go? I can't take this time off?" they'll think.

Of course if you tell people not to work...

there will be many who can't work, can't pay the bills and will become homeless...

There might be people like this soon.

That's what makes it hard for me to strictly say "close the gambling places."

But if we all don't work together on this, it might drag on for longer and destroy more.

Especially gambling places are not there to better the lives of people here. - True.

It's just gambling right? Pachinko is gambling.

I wish people could refrain from that in the current face of events.

I was shocked HOW MANY people were in the parlor here.

They announced the names of the uncooperative parlors but... it feels like... that didn't make a change.

They can't do more than announce their names. - Isn't that almost free advertisement??

I thought so too!!! - "Oh they are still open! Whee"

I am sure some people will be "Oh they are open, now I can go!"

The country doesn't seem to have the power to force uncooperative businesses

to abide to the State of Emergency. That's a shock.

Generally I think having that freedom of movement in Japan is great...

but in this case.......

In other countries there are quarantine passes. Each family has one quarantine pass.

We don't have a system like that in Japan.

There are even people who go out without masks.

There are people without masks and people who hang out with friends like nothing happened.

That's scary!

When I went to the supermarket there was a big family who brought all the kids...

The kids were coughing, yet touching many products in the store and put them back... I saw that.

I was really shocked to see that.

If we all endure this time now... and compared to other countries I thought Japan is good at enduring

yet I am confused why things are coming to this. Why is that so?

Maybe it's because BEFORE the Olympics people weren't so strict about it.

It seemed like we are going to be ok.

But then suddenly things got serious. Yet many still seem to think "we are going to be ok".

I think the general consciousness of the situation is changing now.

More people take it seriously.

But no matter where you life there will always be people who say "I don't give a ****"

True true.

I saw families talking out kids in groups or large teenager hangouts...

Big busy places like Shibuya and Harajuku or Tokyo station are empty now right?

You think that's great. The news are saying that's big too "Nobody is here!!"

However... in the residential areas in Tokyo, so many people are mingling outside.

Same here. People can't go to Tokyo's hotspots... so they all meet up in the nearest park.

Oh yeah I was so shocked!!!

I had to go to the office, so we came without riding the train by car...

The director was driving we were SO careful when we went to the company.

What absolutely shocked me then....

The moment we entered that Tokyo Suginami ward, SO MANY PEOPLE were out!

The mall was packed with people shopping, there were older men strolling around without masks,

3 friends having fun shopping for shoes and such...

The mall was so full with people, I couldn't see to the other side. - Scary!!!

I thought that's dangerous. We have a chance to learn from the mistakes other countries have done

This is our chance to not make the same mistakes, from which other countries are suffering now...

I think we have the time and power to protect more people right now... - Yeah!

So I was like "WHY are there SO MANY people out!" I was so shocked.

That's pretty bad. I didn't know because I didn't leave the house.

But yeah generally people don't go to hang out in parks THAT much.

People go to malls or amusement parks that are more fun.

Or go to bars or karaoke.

We can't do this, so many go to parks...

At parks where there are usually only 2 people, there are now dozens of people.

Yeah I've seen that.

I think that can't be helped. Some families have small kids...

and it's stressy with a child in the house.

So I understand why families want to take their kids out to the park as family.

Well... I guess....

We others should exercise at home though.

My mum made some cloth masks when the virus situation started.

That's good to know.

If I should get the government masks, I will give them away to my friends who work in hospitals.

That's kind of you. - I am not leaving the house see

I just wash and re-use the cloth masks I have.

There is always someone who needs it more than me.

I have a friend who is a nurse.

I want to give her my masks.

True. I heard that hospitals are running out of masks now... that's worrying.

Yes. I am so grateful for the people that are still working at the hospitals!

You stay healthy Hiroko! Stay healthy!!! - Thank you!!! You too!!!!!

Thank's for sharing your insight and I catch you soon. Stay healthy, stay

safe and good luck with your challenge. Oh yes, she's doing a challenge on her channel

right now as well. She is putting up videos every day. So you wanna go hop over to your channel. It's in English right?

Yes mainly in English.

It's in English so Catch you soon bye!