May 24 2009
Tokyo owatta
This past week, news of the swine flu making its way into Tokyo flooded all the news channels. It’s been like this for a while now…at least ever since the existence of the swine flu was discovered in good ole Mexico.
Japan really is a paranoid country. We’ve been here for so long but the mass hysteria never ceases to amaze me. Sure, I worry about catching the swine flu too and even more so now since I have Ellie’s health to worry about but I still feel that the reaction that people have here have gone beyond just worrying.
For a while now, they have been checking everyone on all inbound flights from the US and Mexico for people with flu-like symptoms and the flu strain on them. For some reason, that didn’t stop the flu virus from getting into the country.
Kansai was the first to go, with a report of some 170 cases of the swine flu causing schools to be closed and people not having to go to work.
Then last week, the first case of the swine flu popped up in the Tokyo region. I think the minute that the news hit, everyone and their mothers went out and bought surgical masks to keep the germs away. I still remember going out the day before the news broke and people were going about like usual but the day after, you see people wearing surgical masks everywhere. Not only that but if someone without a mask on was to cough, all eyes would turn at that person.
To top that off, surgical masks are sold out everywhere and people are resorting to Yahoo! Japan auctions to buy these masks. Masks that use to go for about 2,500yen a box is now going for something like 26,000yen a box. Talk about insanity!
I’m a paranoid person and seeing so many people with masks on makes me nervous about going out with Ellie. In fact, I can feel people questioning me with their eyes when we’re on the subway. I’m sure people are wondering why I’m not keeping her inside and away from the possibility of the flu.
As much as it might feel safe to keep her indoors all the time, I know it’s not possible because we will both go crazy from being kept indoors all the time. These days, when I take her out, I take extra precautions but we still go out and try to enjoy being outside.
Oddly enough, when we were at Roppongi Hills the day after news broke, we saw so many mothers and babies there without face masks. It was just another day for them I guess….
don’t worry, the swine flu paranoia pretty much died down in the US even though there are new cases everyday. the news no longer reports on it every minute of the day and people stopped talking about it. if you really want, i can send you some surgical mask because they are back in stock….but I wasn’t really worried about it and we are closer to mexico than you are.