No region of Japan has been hit harder by the outbreak of COVID-19 than Hokkaido. So far, the government has confirmed 98 cases on the northern island, while some experts speculate the actual number could be much higher. As of yet, it's the only part of the country to declare a state of emergency, with officials urging locals to stay at home if possible.
There are a lot of non-Japanese English teachers living in Hokkaido, whether they're assistant language teachers (ALTs) who are a part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, private dispatch companies or English-language conversation schools. I spoke with five ALTs across the prefecture about their lives in the time of coronavirus, both professionally and personally. Of the teachers I spoke to, four asked for anonymity as they weren't cleared by their supervisors to speak to the media. They will be referred to using first-name pseudonyms.
'I'd say the virus wasn't really a concern until late January and early February in the time leading up to the Sapporo Snow Festival," says "Alex." "There was some speculation between the low snowfall and the coronavirus that it'd be canceled."