When Japan’s central government placed Tokyo under a fresh (fourth) state of emergency on July 12, the city responded with a collective groan. After merely two weeks of loosened restrictions in late June, the ban on alcohol service at bars and restaurants in the capital locked back into place.
Tuesday brought more glum news. Originally scheduled to expire on Aug. 22, the state of emergency was extended and expanded once again, prolonging restrictions until mid-September.
Despite the current administration’s best efforts to turn me into a teetotaler, I haven’t given up drinking. Instead of imbibing at bars and restaurants, though, I’ve been ordering booze online and trying to support Japanese producers from home.