When Tom Hanks announced in early March that he had the new coronavirus, his message encouraging the public to embrace social distancing suddenly made the situation more tangible and reverberated throughout Japan.
The spike in infections in Japan is prompting celebrities and social media influencers to use the internet to convince followers and fans, as well as the government, to take decisive action to minimize social contact.
Despite Japan's march toward lockdown, the government has yet to impose one or introduce rigorous control measures with tough penalties for violators as seen in other countries attempting to slow the pandemic.