Calls for solidarity have been commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in January, when the second state of emergency was first declared, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga expressed this sentiment: “感染防止のため政府と国民が一丸となっての対応” (Kansen bōshi no tame seifu to kokumin ga ichigan to natte no taiō, The government and the people [must work together] as a whole to curb infections).

The term 一丸となる (ichigan to naru, to become one) represents the idea of 心を一つにしたひとかたまり (kokoro o hitotsu ni shita hito katamari, one whole united in heart) and 一つにまとまること (hitotsu ni matomaru koto, collected as one), but it's not interchangeable with the similar 一体となる (ittai to naru, to become a whole). The difference? 一丸 (ichigan) is composed of several individual parts that can be separated, while 一体 (ittai) implies oneness via fusion; the parts become inseparable. So when calling for solidarity or cooperation, 一丸となって is a particularly useful phrase to mean "unite."

But phrases like this can also be viewed with skepticism. While the 二度目の緊急事態宣言 (nidome no kinkyū jitai sengen, second state of emergency declaration) has proven to have some positive effects as daily case numbers continue to decrease, I couldn’t help but ponder Suga’s statement: 私たちは今どれくらい一丸となっているのだろうか (watashi-tachi wa ima dorekurai ichigan to natte-iru no darō ka, how united are we right now)?