More than three months after we learned of the outbreak of the new coronavirus in Wuhan, China, the Japanese government has finally declared a state of emergency over the domestic infections of COVID-19. While the government says the measure is not a lockdown as carried out in other countries to contain the virus, with punishments for people who don’t stay home (except for essential tasks), it is expected that a majority of people will follow the government’ request.
What kind of opportunities does this “semi-lockdown” situation provide us? The following is my take based on the observations on how individuals, rather than society in general, followed the requests to stay home over the two weekends prior to the declaration of a state of emergency.
We are given an unprecedented opportunity to be on our own, making choices/decisions and taking actions. It is rather ironic that we have this freedom under the very restrictive environment of the COVID-19 pandemic.