Toward the end of March, as new cases of COVID-19 ticked upwards in Japan, Yuya Suzuki received notice that the cram school he was working at in the city of Kyoto was temporarily shutting down.
Not knowing when he would be able to go back to work, Suzuki, a third-year university student, took out his phone, logged into his Uber Eats app, sent off a selfie and promptly reactivated his courier account.
Shortly afterward, he strapped on his oversized Uber Eats bag, jumped on his scooter and began whizzing about the city, ferrying food orders between customers, who were increasingly staying at home, and restaurants looking to stay afloat.