Members of the international press who were assigned to cover the Tokyo Olympics prior to the pandemic were no doubt licking their lips at the prospect of nights on the town. With 212 Michelin-starred restaurants, Tokyo is one of the culinary capitals of the world.

Once they arrived, however, they found their movements severely restricted due to virus-prevention measures imposed by the government. Even if they had been free to move about, they would have found that food and beverage businesses were obliged to close by 8 p.m.

So while impatient editors back at the home office drummed their collective fingers in anticipation of the requisite number of column inches, the locked-down reporters were shut into their accommodations, and left to pour boiling water over plastic bowls of instant noodles.