Jonelle Patrick's Blog, page 15

An All-New Yumi & Kenji Short!

You can’t buy this book…but you can get it for FREE!

This new novella features the characters from the Only In Tokyo mystery series, and since my next book—The Last Tea Bowl Thief—isn’t part of the series (although I hope you come to love the new characters as much as the old ones!), I thought I’d give this one away as a bonus for subscribing to my (free) monthly newsletter, Japanagram.

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IT WAS YOU (77 pgs) An Only In Tokyo Short

English translator Yumi Hata is less than thrilled to be roped into wasting her Saturday afternoon watching amateur headbangers compete at a local Tokyo club, but her best friend Coco lost a bet with someone at her “relationship coaching” business, so she reluctantly agrees.

But the band managed by Coco’s client is not what she expected, and when Coco begins to show signs of becoming dangerously involved with their success, Yumi suspects that painfully awkward salaryman Ren Noda is hiding something. She enlists Detective Kenji Nakamura to help her investigate, and the deeper they dig, the more she’s convinced that Coco is being targeted.

This isn’t the first time Coco has gotten involved with the wrong guy, but if Yumi doesn’t stop her from falling into a pit she may never climb out of, who will?

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This Only In Tokyo Short is not for sale anywhere, but you can get it FREE when you become a Japanagram subscriber! (Which is also, of course, free!)

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Click on the Get Japanagram button to get your first free issue, and on September 1, I’ll send you a link to download your It Was You ebook. Ten lucky subscribers will also get signed paperback copies, and the winners will be announced in the September Japanagram.

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Japanagram is my new monthly newsletter, and when you join, you’ll be automatically entered to win the monthly book giveaway, get directions to a fabulous Beyond Tokyo destination, learn to make a Japanese home cooking dish & more! If you’re still not sure, click here to browse the features that have been in past issues, then sign up to get yours!

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Summery miso grilling sauce, a garden grown from 3,000-year-old lotus seeds, and what souvenirs NOT to buy this month

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Hello, my friend. It’s me again, Jonelle.

I hope it’s cheerier where you are, but it seems like nearly all my favorite things to look forward to during the carefree days of summer aren’t really happening this year. So, this month, let’s enjoy a different kind of summer delight: stuff we’re NOT missing! From divine flowers that everyone thought were extinct, to seasonal souvenirs you can be happy you didn’t buy, here are the features from the July Japanagram…

Links to the JULY 2020 Japanagram features:

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SEASONAL SECRET

Souvenirs NOT to buy in July and August

The ultimate souvenir forever reminds you of the joys of being in Japan, in the season you were there to enjoy. Which is why you might be tempted to bring home one of these lovely handpainted flower lamps that are only sold during July and August…read more

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BEYOND TOKYO

We journey to a vast and serene lotus garden frown from 3,000-year-old seeds

Since time immemorial, these ancient symbols of “pure beauty that flowers from the muckiest mud” have uplifted the human spirit, and even in these grim times, isn’t it great that we can still wander beneath their green parasols and marvel as their pink perfection unfurls?…read more

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BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

Shinjū 

As the shōgun’s personal investigator, Sano Ichirō is assigned to look into crimes too delicate to entrust to the regular police. He not only has to use his wits to figure out whodunnit, he has to do it while navigating the devilishly tricky layers of privilege and obligation that exist to protect the powerful…read more

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JAPANESE HOME COOKING

Miso Grilling Sauce

Dengaku sauce is one of those tasty toppings that makes even people who “don’t like Japanese food” beg for seconds. Everything from eggplant to slices of pork tenderloin to skewers of grilled chicken will disappear in record time when topped with this addictive delight…read more

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WHY, JAPAN, WHY?

Why did NHK try to Japansplain the global anti-racism protests with this excruciatingly embarrassing video?

In a country with over 126 million people, You don’t have to understand Japanese to instantly grasp that this video produced and aired by NHK (the Japanese equivalent of the BBC) is exactly how NOT to explain why anti-racism protests have exploded across America and the world…read more

And in AUGUST…

Six Surprising Reasons Japanese People Wear Masks, Even When There’s No Pandemic

If you’ve been puzzling over why Japan is such a “mask-wearing society,” it’s not because they’re all super-OCD about germs. Here are six excellent Japanese reasons to wear a mask that have nothing to do with the dread COVID:

1 – You overslept

Because if this is your typical morning routine…

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…you can cut your makeup time in half

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2 – You woke up with the Godzilla of pimples

[image error]Let’s face it, some blemishes are even too gnarly for coverup

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3 – Introverts gotta introvert

[image error]Naturally, the country that invented otaku culture is gonna embrace hiding in plain sight

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4 – You have to commute in this every day

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In a country where commuters spend as much as an hour and a half, twice a day, smashed up against five strangers in a subway car, you need all the virtual privacy you can get. Whether you pretend to be asleep, buried in a book, or mesmerized by your phone, wearing a mask adds another layer of distance to the least private part of anyone’s day.

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5 – It’s allergy season

Hey, wait, why do you have wear a mask if you have allergies? Allergies aren’t contagious!

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But the people around you don’t know that. If you’re sneezing and sniffling, it’s considerate not to worry them. Even when there are no deadly pandemics around, Japanese people tend to consider other peoples’ comfort before their own.

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6 – It’s the best fashion accessory ever

[image error]Be honest—which looks more badass?

There’s definitely a mask for every outfit…

[image error]…be it ghosts, curry rice, woodblock prints, or summertime goldfish



[image error]And a look for every spirit animal, be it cat, cephalopod or salamander…



[image error]You can never have too many!

These last ones are all from @gofukuyasan and are only available in Japan, but there are super awesome ones on Milanoo (who sell the introvert mask) and Etsy too!

(A special tip o’ the pandemic mask to William Chandler, for reminding me of the otakus!)

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And by the way, don’t miss all the amusing stuff that you’ll only see in

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It’s my new monthly newsletter, and when you join, you’ll be automatically entered to win the monthly book giveaway, get directions to a fabulous Beyond Tokyo destination, learn to make a Japanese home cooking dish & more! And best of all, it’s free・° ♪・☆ 

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Live Your Best Miniature Life for a Year in Tokyo’s Small Worlds Theme Park

If you’ve ever wished you could shrink yourself and live in one of the amazing model worlds Japan is so famous for…now you can!

Small Worlds—a vast, animatronic, model-trains-on-steriods theme park that not only reimagines Tokyo, but the Sailor Moon and Evangelion versions of it—offers a one-year “residence permit” that allows a tiny 3D-scanned model of YOU (dressed and posed any way you like) to be placed in the world of your choosing!

[image error]The permit is good for a year, and it includes a one-day group pass so you and your friends can come see your figure and take photos (This photo thanks to Small Worlds Tokyo)

The park is all indoors, but it’s both huge and detailed, so you can spend many happy hours exploring all its nooks and easter eggs. It’s divided into three different themes: Global Village, Sailor Moon and Evangelion.

[image error]The Global Village is a city with neighborhoods from around the world…



[image error]where not only do the scale model trains chug tirelessly along their tracks, cars and trucks seem to roam the streets under their own power…



[image error]Lights flicker, and neon flashes as day cycles to night and back again…



[image error]People gather for a (socially distanced!) outdoor movie…



[image error]Planes actually take off and land at the model of Kansai International Airport…



[image error]And there are regular launches of smoke and flame-spurting rocket ships at the spaceport



[image error]You can see how insanely detailed the whole thing is, by eagle-eyeing this view of the airport terminal



[image error]If treasure hunts are your thing, there are Sailor Moon Guardians concealed all around town, in the model of 1970s Azabu Juban



[image error]And you can hunt for Tsukino Usagi’s house, with a roof that periodically lifts to show the rooms inside, arranged exactly as they are in the anime



[image error]Or if you prefer your fantasy worlds to be Evangelion-flavored, thrill to Megalopolis Tokyo-3 sinking into the earth under alien attack, and find all your favorite characters at perfect 1:80 scale

All photos but the first one were taken by my friend who runs the excellent Where In Tokyo website, and you can see lots more great snaps here!

Open: Every day

Hours: 9:30 – 20:00

Admission: ¥2700 per adult

If you want a tiny version of yourself to live in Small Worlds for a year, the “Residency Program” costs ¥19,800 per adult, and includes a personal 3D scanned model figure in the costume (BYO) and pose of your choice and a one-day group pass to return to view the figure placed in your chosen model

MAP

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And by the way, don’t miss all the amusing stuff that you’ll only see in

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It’s my new monthly newsletter, and when you join, you’ll be automatically entered to win the monthly book giveaway, get directions to a fabulous Beyond Tokyo destination, learn to make a Japanese home cooking dish & more! And best of all, it’s free・° ♪・☆ 

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Keeping cool in hilarious Japanese ways, a journey back to a simpler time, and the best soy-lemon salad dressing EVER

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Hello, friend. It’s me, Jonelle.

So, I’ve been wondering—are you experiencing micro-nostalgia too? At least once a day I find myself longing for the good old days…you know, like, four months ago. I don’t know about you, but the world has changed with such dizzying speed, some days I just want to walk away from it all. That’s why the June Japanagram brought some lovely Japanese things that haven’t changed, and never will.

Links to the JUNE 2020 Japanagram features:

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SEASONAL SECRET

Stay cool in the summer, the traditional Japanese way

Five ways that the Japanese have traditionally survived the miserably hot & humid summer months. Some actually work, and some rely on powers of imagination that this foreigner can only aspire to…read more

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BEYOND TOKYO

Let’s go Okunoshima, a trip back to a kinder, gentler time

Remember when you could go to the airport half an hour before your flight and just walk onto the plane, without going through security? Remember when children could play outside until dark, with no supervision? Remember when we could all go to restaurants and bars and shops without wearing masks? If you’re like me, you may be longing for….read more

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BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

The Essential Haiku

What I’ve always loved about haiku (besides the fact that they’re short) is their accessibility—pow, instant hit with the clue stick!—but they also quietly deliver deeper messages with a little more thought. And what makes this particular collection so wonderfully readable is that they weren’t tediously rendered word-for-word from the Japanese—they were translated by a poet…read more

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JAPANESE HOME COOKING

Japanese Chicken Salad with Tangy Soy-Lemon Dressing

Summer is heating up in Japan, and this salad is the perfect way to avoid slaving over a hot stove! It tastes fresh and summer-y, satisfying enough to be a light meal in itself, or as a side with rice and grilled meat…read more

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WHY, JAPAN, WHY?

How did Japan beat the virus without lockdowns or mass testing?

In a country with over 126 million people, there have been only 825 deaths from the virus, even though they had no “shelter in place” edicts and testing was laughably limited. But why?…read more

And in JULY…

An Only-In-Japan Problem If There Ever Was One

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We’re coming into high matsuri season, when the local Shinto gods are paraded through the neighborhood to remind them of all the people and businesses they’re supposed to be keeping a lucky eye on, but these sake-filled summertime festivals that feature scantily-clad men rocking that shrine through the streets…

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come with their own peculiar anxiety…

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What if you finally get the coveted invite to don a fanny-flashing fundoshi and help carry the neighborhood shrine, but, well…you have a really hairy butt?

Ta-daaaa! Don Kihote to the rescue:

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The Ketsuge (“Butt Fur”) Trimmer, for all your bum-baring needs.

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Are you as delighted by all things Japan as I am? For an extra hit of Japan goodness, don’t miss all the amusing stuff that you’ll only see in

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It’s my monthly newsletter, and when you join, you’ll be automatically entered to win the monthly book giveaway, get directions to a fabulous Beyond Tokyo destination, learn to make a Japanese home cooking dish & more! And best of all, it’s free・° ♪・☆ 

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Japanese Emoticons: So Many Feels Beyond Emoji

You know how they keep adding emoji, but there never seems to be one that matches exactly how you’re feeling? Do you ever find yourself wishing that, for example, there was one to represent the happy you feel when the shoes you ordered online turn out to be cute AND comfortable, and a different one for “Woo hoo, I don’t have it! My test came back negative!”

Well, guess what? Japan’s got a hack for that! You need…emoticons.

Emoticons are clever, pre-set combinations of keyboard characters that fill in the emoji gaps if you don’t have time to take photos of elaborate dioramas crafted from standing cat toys every time the standard symbols fail to meet your emotional communication needs.

Here are a few of my favorites, so you can see what I mean:

The many flavors of happiness

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( ˘ω˘ ) （＾ω＾）（╹◡╹） (*^ω^*) (*´꒳`*)

(๑>◡

٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ ヾ(๑╹◡╹)ﾉ” ＼(^ω^)／ *\(^o^)/* ヽ(*＾ω＾*)ﾉ

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So much sad

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(｡-_-｡) (-_-;) (¬_¬) (◞‸◟) （−＿−；） ( ; _ ; )

(´；ω；`) （ ｉ _ ｉ ） (T_T) (//∇//)

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Every degree of mad

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(>_

W(`0`)W ＼＼\٩(๑`^´๑)۶//／／

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The horror, the horror!

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(°_°) (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*) (　ﾟдﾟ) (O_O) (ﾟoﾟ;;

(´⊙ω⊙`) ((((；ﾟДﾟ)))))))

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An entire spectrum of embarrassment

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(o^^o) (#^.^#) (/ _ ; ) (ﾉД`) \(//∇//)\

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And even emotions that are way too complicated to categorize:

Please accept my sincere apologies: m(_ _)m

Hmm, not really sure about that: (｀_´)ゞ (´ｰ｀)

Are you OK?: (´・ω・｀) (´･_･`)

What the heckin’ heck did I just see?: (*_*)

That food porn looks delicious, WHERE’S MINE?: ψ(｀∇´)ψ

Of course, these are just a few. There are TONS more! And guess what? You can have these (and all the ones I couldn’t fit in this post) at your mobile* fingertips, if you install a Japanese keyboard on your device. Here’s how:

1: Google “add Japanese keyboard” and choose your device from the selections that pop up. Follow the directions.

2: Open the app of your choice and start typing. You’ll notice that a little globe icon has appeared below your keyboard:

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3: Click on the globe, and a Japanese keyboard will replace your regular ABC one. If you tap the little emoticon face button in the lower left corner…

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4: …you’ll see emoticons fill the bar above the keyboard. If you hit the “down arrow” to the right of them…

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5: …you’ll get a huge menu of emoticon selections. Scroll down to see them all and tap on the one you want to insert. After you click on the one you want, use the little arrow to go back to the Japanese keyboard. Click the globe icon again to return to the ABCs.

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*I haven’t figured out how to access these on a computer keyboard, so I just copy and paste them if I’m on my laptop.

Happy emoting!

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And if you’d like an extra helping of weird and wonderful Japan, don’t miss all the amusing stuff that you’ll only see in

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It’s my new monthly newsletter, and when you join, you’ll be automatically entered to win the monthly book giveaway, get directions to a fabulous Beyond Tokyo destination, learn to make a Japanese home cooking dish & more! And best of all, it’s free・° ♪・☆ 

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Modern Kimonos To Die For: These Designers Are Giving An Old Artform New Edge

Hello, fellow kimono lovers of all shapes, sizes, colors, & geographic persuasions!

[image error]If you’re like me, and love modern kimono dressing—especially my favorite kimono hime style—you’re in for a treat!

Kimono princessing is all about mixing East and West, colors and patterns, styles and eras, and it warmly embraces vintage, second-hand delights as well as new. But there are a growing number of talented designers who have boosted the ancient artform onto modern runways, and the results are utterly swoonworthy. If you haven’t been introduced to these fabulous brands yet, here’s a peek at my favorite modern kimono designers. (But don’t say I didn’t warn you: hide your credit card first, because it will definitely be trying to leap from your wallet!)

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TAMAO SHIGEMUNE

[image error]I love everything this designer has ever put together. She designs and illustrates her own fabrics in a painterly mixed-media style, and her choice of subject matter never fails to amuse and amaze



[image error]You can see her illustration style a little better here. Isn’t this a fabulous balance between modern and retro?



[image error]Here’s the designer herownself in one of her coordinations (at one of her trunk shows in Harajuku). I’d never have the nerve to put that kimono, obi and jacket together, which just shows what a novice I am, because it totally works



[image error]Even when she does elegant, it’s head-swiveling and eye-popping

You can romp through her current collection on the Tamao Shigemune website, but I also like her blog and @tamamshi Instagram, which are filled with more casual shots and great coordinations

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MAMECHIYO MODERN

[image error]Everything they make is sooooo stylish



[image error]Their obis are especially…hard…to…resist…aieeeee!



[image error]And look what I discovered on their Instagram! If you don’t have quite enough cash lying around to invest in their kimonos and obi, you can indulge your princess fantasies by renting one of their beyond-fabulous yukata coordinations for a day (more on rentals after I check it out myself!)

Here’s Mamechiyo Modern’s online store and you can see their coordinations and accessories on their @mamechiyomodern Instagram

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DOUBLE MAISON

[image error]If a Gothic Lolita grew up to become the coolest of kimono designers, this would be her collection



[image error]The black and white pieces are modern and retro, fashion cult and Japon-esque, all at the same time



[image error]The collection’s not all black and white, and even the more mainstream colors and patterns work in deliciously offbeat ways, like this kimono and obi fashioned of the same fabric and tied in a nouveau-Edo style

More kimono inspiration on the Double Maison website and their extra-fab Instagram @doublemaison

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KIIRO

[image error]This collection is an elegant and unexpected riff on kimono hime style (with just a hint of goth), made of unusual fabrics (lace and velvet!) and designs that incorporate inventive obi folding and details like edgy western corset lacing



[image error]Their traditional designs are also anything but, like this strikingly anti-seasonal, yet festive, furisode for Coming-of-age Day



[image error]They’re also pioneering easy-to-wear summer yukata, that are much faster to put on, because they dispense with obi-tying in favor of a wide, sleek belt that’s still in harmony with traditional yukata

Kiiro’s 2020 collection can be found on this page and their furisode can be ogled in the Mimatsu Group online store.

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MODERN ANTENNA

[image error]Nyan, nyan! This big girl is sporting a little-girl-style obi, and it makes this ensemble even more charmingly casual



[image error]Manga don’t care



[image error]Modern Antenna’s dramatic patterns leave no doubt that you’ve come out of your shell on Coming-of-age Day

Here’s the Modern Antenna website. These photos are from their Mod Series and Polka Dot Series. Their @modern_antenna Instagram is wonderful too.

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SAKUTEN (SAKU LABORATORY)

[image error]Sakuten (Saku Laboratory) became famous for their obi with a cat “sleeping” on the obijime



[image error]But their collection is filled with entertaining tongue-in-cheek themes, like this unwrapped chocolate bar that’s attracting some uninvited guests (HA, don’t you love the tinfoil obiage?)



[image error]Even their “traditional” coordinations (like these dancing ghosts and demons) are freed from the traditional seasons, and celebrate holidays that are definitely off the beaten calendar



[image error]They even have some excellent “manly” designs, for kimono princes

Tons more entertaining Sakuten designs can be found on their fabulous @gofukuyasan Instagram and the Gofukuyasan website

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HIGH CALORIE OTOME （ハイキャロリオトメ）

[image error]High Calorie Otome also has a famous cat obi, and their charming designs incorporate breezy patterns and creative musubi techniques

Here’s the High Calorie Otome website, where you can see their whole line

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RUMI ROCK

[image error]If it’s tradition-busting motifs you’re after, RumiRock features bad girl rocker designs like snakes and their skins…



[image error]…and leopard-rarr



[image error]Even their summer wear would look right at home on a live house stage

All the RumiRock offerings are un their online shop and you can check out their newest designs on their @rumirockstore Instagram

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YOSHIKIMONO

[image error]But if it’s kimonos fit for rock royalty you’re craving, you can’t get more legit than this line designed by Yoshiki, the legendary drummer/pianist of X Japan



[image error]This year, he’s got a superhero obsession



[image error]But his heros and villians are elevated to high art when writ large all over a kimono



[image error]Skull season has never been more stylish

More eye candy is on the Yoshikimono website and you can catch a glimpse of the master himself amid the kimonos on the @yoshikimono official Instagram

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SHITO HISAYO

[image error]Shito Hisayo is also doing swoonworthy work for the modern princess, like these lavish Coming-of-age Day furisodes that break all the rules in the best possible way

The entire collection can be seen on the Shito Hisayo website, but all the latest designs and coordinations can be glimpsed on the @shitohisayo_official Instagram

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JOTARO SAITO

[image error]Jotaro Saito may be the king of modern kimono designers, with his luxe runway shows in Tokyo and New York



[image error]His fabric designs and color combinations are untraditional—but timeless and not tied to any season—and they all do that classic kimono thing of looking fabulous on women of any age



[image error]He makes men of any age look dashing too

Photos of his runway show at Tokyo Fashion Week 2020 are on the Jotaro Saito web shop page and his Instagram @jotarosaito

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Do you have a favorite designer who I left out? Tell me in the comments, because I never get tired of discovering new looks and this won’t be the last time you’ll read about modern kimono here!

And now the only thing left to say is, TAKE MY MONEY!

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If you enjoyed this post, I hope you’ll scroll down and subscribe to Only in Japan, and if you’d like to get an extra special dose once a month, don’t miss all the amusing stuff that you’ll only see in

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It’s my new monthly newsletter, and when you join, you’ll be automatically entered to win the monthly book giveaway, get directions to a fabulous Beyond Tokyo destination, learn to make a Japanese home cooking dish & more! And best of all, it’s free・° ♪・☆ 

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Samurai graffiti, mountaintop enlightenment, & the famous Yakitori Chicken Mini-Burger recipe

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Hi, friend. It’s me, Jonelle.

If you need a little break to recharge your batteries before heading back out into the fray, here are links to the features Japanagram subscribers read about in May.

Instead of searching out killer Instagram shots or rare souvenirs, let’s stop, exhale, and be refreshed by a very different kind of travel: a pilgrimage.

Links to the MAY 2020 Japanagram features:

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BEYOND TOKYO

Let’s go to Koya-san, one of the most mystical pilgrimage sites in all of Japan

Whether you’re searching for enlightenment, want to test whether you’re pure of heart or not, or just want to see the tomb that’s carved in the shape of a giant coffee cup, Koya-san is well worth the trip…read more

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PILGRIMAGE SECRETS

Six things you didn’t expect to discover on a pilgrimage

Pilgrimages can deliver so much more than sore feet and eternal brownie points! We might find anything from samurai era graffiti to shortcuts to paradise on our journey to spiritual enlightenment…read more

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JAPANESE HOME COOKING

Yakitori Chicken Mini-Burgers

While these are cooking, I guarantee everyone you live with is going to appear in your kitchen at some point, asking, what smells so great? And when’s dinner? Then they’ll inhale these as though they hadn’t eaten for a week, never stopping to ask what’s in them or suspect how insanely healthy they actually are… read more




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BOOK REVIEW

Where the Dead Pause and the Japanese Say Goodbye

This is the book that made me want to see Koya-san for myself.The author leads us on a journey to legendary places––from meditating at an elite Zen monastery to standing in line at the haunted lake where you can consult a blind medium to speak with the dead––and asks all the right questions…read more

And in JUNE…

43 Reasons Japan Beat COVID-19 Without Lockdowns Or Mass Testing

Tokyo, the last prefecture of Japan to be living under restrictions for the COVID-19 pandemic, is lifting its state of emergency early, after new daily cases dropped into the low double digits for several days running. Despite the fact that there was no lockdown, and only 18% of people switched to working from home (so commuter trains were still packed), and testing was almost laughably rationed, in a country with over 126 million people, there have been only 825 deaths from the virus.

Why?

Yesterday Bloomberg published an article asking the question, “Did Japan just beat the virus without lockdowns or mass testing?” based on a piece circulating in the Japanese media (in Japanese) that listed 43 reasons the Japanese themselves believe they dodged the bullet.

I thought you might be interested in seeing the whole list in English, so here it is. (Keep in mind that these are the answers of typical citizens in response to the question, “Why do you think there are so few COVID deaths in Japan?”)

[image error](Photo thanks to Taiwan News)

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Summary of reasons there are so few COVID deaths in Japan

[Race]

1. Asians (especially East Asians) were originally resistant to coronaviruses

2. Asians have already been immunized by another coronavirus

[Customs]

3. We wear masks

4. Each household already had a mask stockpile, because hay fever season was starting

5. I use my hands to gargle (i.e. they are clean and my throat is regularly flushed)

6. There is plenty of clean water and soap in the city

7. We take off our shoes indoors

8. We take a bath every day

9. People of all ages don’t regularly gather for religious services in Japan

10. People of all ages don’t regularly gather for large-scale demonstrations in Japan

11. We don’t usually hug or kiss anyone

12. Japanese speakers are less likely to disperse droplets that could be the source of infection during conversation, compared to other languages

13. The BCG vaccine that was used as a group vaccination (i.e. routinely given to infants) has the effect of increasing immunity.

14. Many elderly people and young people do not live together

[Food]

15. We use chopsticks when eating with people outside our families, except for breakfast (i.e. don’t usually eat with the hands or share utensils)

16. Food is not served on a platter (and passed from person to person) but is divided up in advance and served in individual dishes (i.e. no “family style” serving of food to a group)

17. The hot pot season was already over (i.e. the one kind of Japanese food people traditionally eat from a shared dish is a winter food, and not popular in the spring)

[Politics]

18. Schools were closed relatively early

19. Large-scale event cancellation was requested relatively early

20. The heads of local governments issued warnings to citizens relatively early

21. Government policymakers consulted experts and did not do anything extra (i.e. they followed the experts’ advice, but didn’t impose unnecessary restrictions)

22. The heads of large local governments in Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi, etc. took appropriate pre- and post-measures.

23. The timing of self-restraint (i.e. requests that businesses voluntarily close, people work from home and avoid crowded places unless necessary) was appropriate

[Medical institutions and pandemic experts]

24. From the beginning, each medical institution had a high response capacity

25. We had a lot of contact tracing

26. The expert team [pandemic advisors] was excellent

27. The cluster [tracing] team was excellent

28. The experts called on citizens to thoroughly wash their hands and avoid the three Cs (Closed spaces, Crowded places, Close-contact settings)

29. The experts created guidelines for refraining from going out and requested citizens to comply

30. Hospitals were prevented from becoming a source of infection by limiting PCR tests (to those who were pre-screened and identified as contagious)

31. The health center’s ability to track patients was high, and “cluster crushing” was successful.

[Diamond Princess cruise ship outbreak]

32. Japan successfully survived the (early and unexpected) outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship

33. Thanks to the Diamond Princess cruise ship experience, knowledge on the new coronavirus deepened relatively early.

[Hokkaido outbreak]

34. Hokkaido successfully survived the first wave of infection

35. According to the knowledge obtained from the first wave in Hokkaido, it was widely known to the public that the cluster crushing and the request to refrain from going out were effective as countermeasures before the second wave (i.e. outbreaks in the rest of Japan) occurred.

[National character]

36. Citizens followed the advice of the experts

37. Citizens obeyed non-compulsory self-restraint requests from the government

38. Mutual monitoring among citizens transformed mere self-restraint requests into forceful ones

39. Everyone wore a mask

40. Everyone washed their hands

41. Everyone refrained from going out

[World news]

42. The world news fueled constant fear

[Celebrity death]

42. Ken Shimura died and everyone was scared

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So, which of these are most likely to be the REAL explanations?

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If we filter for what Japan did differently from parts of the world that experienced more catastrophic outbreaks (especially countries in other parts of Asia), and aspects of “being Japanese” they don’t share with other cultures:

#4: People had stockpiles of masks in anticipation of hay fever season, so when the shortages arrived, most still had masks they could wear until the supply chain caught up

#11: Japanese people greet each other by bowing (from several feet away), and seldom touch people outside their immediate family

#13: The BCG vaccine given to Japanese infants to prevent tuberculosis is a common link between the countries with the least catastrophic outbreaks.

#38, #39, #40, #41: EVERYONE wore masks, washed their hands, and refrained from going out when asked to do so, and scofflaws were shamed into compliance by their neighbors and co-workers.

And which things on this list are absolutely NOT reasons they escaped the worst of the pandemic?

The truth is, a few of these are total howlers, if you’ve been following Japanese news at all closely. If you’d like to hear the things they did uniquely wrong because they’re Japanese, scroll down and click on the Get Japanagram button to join me for the June issue.

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There’s still time to get the June

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It’s got the promised Japanese COVID blooper analysis, and also a delicious new Japanese Home Cooking recipe, a Beyond Tokyo destination, and a fantastic book review & giveaway

Click the button and sign up to get yours・° ♪・☆

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had