When life serves you lemons, make lemonade. That’s exactly what we did with the shutdown of schools and many public areas and attractions here in Japan due to Corona virus. After the initial shutdown went into affect, the prices of hotels (especially in Kansai) dropped very low. While there was a lot of things understandably closed due to the virus, there were many things that were still open and safe under the proper precautions. So we ventured out on a surprise trip to Kansai to learn more about this beautiful country where we live.
Kansai is an area to the west south-west of Tokyo that is known for its bustling metropolis of Osaka, beautiful spaces of Nara where you can feed the deer, or the ancient city of Kyoto that’s full of history. Home to Nintendo, Universal Studios Japan and tons of historical Japanese historical buildings, Kansai is a must-visit place to visit in Japan if you want to learn all about this beautiful country. Although most spaces were closed, we were still able to see a lot in the few days we had. Enjoy the latest episode of Life in Japan.
Since our return from Kansai, America too has since clamped down hard to try to stop Corona in its tracks, taking further measures by closing restaurants and keeping people quarantined as much as possible. Meetings at larger than 10 people are highly discouraged. My father said he has never seen anything like it. Japan reacted a number of weeks earlier by cancelling schools and encouraging people to work from home as much as possible. In the case of Japan, we are still able to get together and travel, but everything is done with health in mind. Our meetings are being live-streamed and done online. Another advantage in Japan is that there is a minimal amount of physical contact (shaking hands, hugging and kissing are not social norms). Our prayers are with all of the people and countries fighting a common enemy so that life can move on.