In December, I traveled to the United States for a family gathering. While there, オミクロンに感染しました (omikuron ni kansen shimashita, I caught the omicron variant).

Once I learned about my situation, I immediately got in touch with any 濃厚接触者 (nōkōsesshokusha, close contacts) to apologize for 迷惑をかける (meiwaku o kakeru, causing an inconvenience) to them.

In Japan, if you catch the 新型コロナウイルス (shingata koronauirusu, novel coronavirus) and think you may have been in close contact with someone, then you need to let them know and offer some kind of apology for causing 迷惑 (meiwaku, trouble/inconvenience). If the person is a family member or friend, then a quick text or phone call should do: コロナになってしまいました。もしかして感染させてしまったかもしれません。すみません (Korona ni natte-shimaimashita. Moshikashite kansen sasete-shimatta kamoshiremasen. Sumimasen, I’ve got COVID-19. You may have been infected. I’m sorry).

Or, you could go with a slightly less formal 検査で陽性が出ちゃった。コロナをうつしてしまったかもしれない。ごめんね (Kensa de yōsei ga dechatta. Korona o utsushite-shimatta kamoshirenai. Gomen ne, My test came back positive. I might have passed COVID to you. I’m sorry).

Since you’re telling people, you’ll need to inform your work as well. For this, a politely worded email with an apology for any inconvenience in the form of 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen, literally: there’s no excuse) will suffice.

検査の結果、コロナに感染していることがわかりました。申し訳ありませんが、保健所の指導でしばらく自宅待機をさせていただきます (Kensa no kekka, korona ni kansen shite-iru koto ga wakarimashita. Mōshiwake arimasen ga, hokenjo no shido de shibaraku jitakutaiki o sasete-itadakimasu, The test result showed that I have been infected with corona. I am very sorry, but under the guidance of the public health center, I will isolate at home for a while).

You could also go with: 家族がコロナを発症したため、濃厚接触者となりました。ご迷惑をおかけいたしますが、しばらくはテレワークをさせていただきます (Kazoku ga korona o hasshō shita tame, nōkōsesshokusha to narimashita. Go-meiwaku o o-kake-itashimasu ga, shibaraku wa terewāku o sasete-itadakimasu, A family member has contracted COVID-19 and I have become a close contact. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I will be teleworking for a while).

The apology is important. When the person who passed オミクロン (omikuron, omicron) to me let me know, they didn’t include any kind of apology. This could be a personal thing, it could be a cultural thing — all I know is that, in Japan, a simple update doesn’t cut it.

Anyway, フライト前のPCR検査で陽性になりました。念のために家族も検査を受けたところ、家族全員が陽性でした ([Furaito mae no] PCR kensa de yōsei ni narimashita. Nen no tame ni kazoku mo kensa o uketa tokoro, kazoku zenin ga yōsei deshita, Before my flight the PCR test came back positive. Just in case, my family also took the test, and my entire family tested positive).

Our 症状 (shōjō, symptoms) included 喉の痛み (nodo no itami, sore throat), 咳 (seki, cough), 鼻水 (hanamizu, runny nose) and 倦怠感 (kentaikan, malaise) — but, no 発熱 (hatsunetsu, fever). So, if I were going to relay these 症状 to a doctor in Japan I might say: 喉が痛くて、咳と鼻水が止まらないんです。それから体がだるいです。でも熱はないです (Nodo ga itakute, seki to hanamizu ga tomaranai-n desu. Sorekara karada ga darui desu. Demo netsu wa nai desu, My throat hurts, I can’t stop coughing and my nose won’t stop running, and also I’m exhausted. But there is no fever). Take note that not all the symptoms listed (倦怠感, 発熱) are used word-for-word when speaking. Kind of like you wouldn't say to a doctor in English, "I have malaise." You'd probably say, "I'm really exhausted."

We chose to 自己隔離 (jiko kakuri, self-isolate) until our COVID-19 tests came back negative. Two weeks later, 再度PCR検査を受けたが、結果は陰性でした (saido PCR kensa o uketa ga, kekka wa insei deshita, Again, I took the test, but [now] the results were negative). After that, I was able to get on a plane and fly back to Tokyo.

Upon arrival at Narita Airport, there are a lot of steps and procedures to follow as part of Japan’s efforts to keep new cases of 新型コロナウイルス from entering the country. The government has implemented strict 水際対策 (mizugiwa taisaku, border measures), which has meant that non-Japanese tourists, prospective students and workers haven’t been allowed to enter. If you are a citizen or have residence in Japan, however, you will be able to enter, and once clearing initial screenings you are taken to a 待機施設 (taiki shisetsu, quarantine facility). These locations are usually nearby hotels or, sometimes, government facilities such as a police academy dormitory. 隔離期間は滞在していた国や地域によって、三日間・六日間・十日間と異なる (Kakuri kikan wa taizai shite-ita kuni ya chiiki ni yotte, mikka-kan, muika-kan, tōka-kan to kotonaru, The quarantine period you spend differs from three days to six days to 10 days depending on the country or region [you are traveling from]).

After you’re let out of 待機施設, you will be asked to abide by several rules. Two that I remember are: 他者との接触は行わないでください (Tasha to no sesshoku wa okonawanaide kudasai, Please do not make contact with others) and, for after you leave the facility, 公共交通機関を使用しないでください (Kōkyō kōtsū kikan o tsukawanaide kudasai, Please do not use public transportation).

I found it interesting that the authorities chose to use the 〜ないでください (~naide kudasai, please do not) structure, since rules are often phrased with the stricter sounding 〜てはいけません (~te wa ikemasen) or 〜てはなりません (~te wa narimasen) structures used to express the idea that you “must not” do something. For example, 公共交通機関を使ってはいけません (kōkyō kōtsū kikan o tsukatte wa ikemasen, you must not use public transportation) tells me the speaker means business.

Along with the prohibitions, there are some requests. The first was about the アプリ (apuri, phone app) the government uses to monitor your health: 入国者健康居所確認アプリ「MySOS」をインストールし、健康状態の報告をし、アプリから通知が届いたら位置情報の確認を行なってください (Nyūkokusha kenkō idokoro kakunin apuri “MySOS” o insutōru shi, kenkō jōtai no hōkoku o shi, apuri kara tsūchi ga todoitara ichijōhō no kakunin o okonatte kudasai, Please install the immigration health confirmation app “MySOS,” report your health condition and, when you receive a notification from the app, confirm your location).

The second request involves how to interact with the アプリ: 位置情報を保管してください (ichijōhō o hokan shite kudasai, please save your location information) and ビデオコールがあったときはスマートフォンのカメラをオンにして応答してください (bideo kōru ga atta toki wa sumātofon no kamera o on ni shite ōtō shite kudasai, turn on the camera on your smartphone when you respond to a video call).

I’ve said these are requests, but you must sign a pledge to comply with them and, if you don’t, you might be subject to consequences. Still, to stop a greater lockdown from happening, 今は我慢の時です (ima wa gaman no toki desu, now is the time to have patience).