“My gears are particularly grinded right now,” says Michiko in a text after I ask her how she’s feeling amid the flurry of pandemic news related to COVID-19. It’s one of many texts, emails and messages I’ve sent to family and friends lately.
“I just don’t know,” she continues. “I am genuinely more worried about people back home in Europe than I am about myself in Japan. I get frustrated with so many updates and all the conflicting information.”
The new coronavirus has definitely made itself known physically, but it’s starting to be felt psychologically, too. While Japan has been grappling with measures meant to quell its spread — temporary school closures, teleworking and the cancellation of major events — instilling the habit of social distancing has proven trickier, which has left many onlookers in a state of disbelief.