When I launched this blog to inform about the COVID-19 situation, I did not expect that something like this would happen at all. Not only did we receive how it looks like from a business perspective, but one friend of ours also sent us his personal perspective. It's fascinating to read and watch…
Let's start with our partner, Hobby Japan:
Firstly, we thank all the carers in the medical frontier and ones who are struggling to support our daily life in this difficult time all over the world.
The number of infected cases was fewer in Japan compared with other countries at first. But the schools were closed from the beginning of March. No logistics issues and hobby shops were still open without change, so we had no impact affected by the coronavirus epidemic. Instead, the sales of games were increased by over 50% in March compared with the month of the previous year.
The needs for family games were increased during the schools' temporary shutdown. The situation changed at the end of March. The number of infected cases is rising sharply in the big cities, and the government finally declared a State of Emergency on 7th April. Department stores, major retailers (GMS), and most of the game shops in the big cities will be closed for a month. Amazon and other major online shopping companies are also facing a difficulty to manage the high increase in delivery volume and might prioritize selling daily essentials for now.
Our company has also decided not to release any new titles for the next month. We hope things will improve soon and be able to bring a lot of new titles to people who are staying at home patiently now.
Lastly, stay healthy all!
And here is the promised personal view from a friend who wanted to remain anonymous:
This week, the PM Abe declared the “State of Emergency” effective as of yesterday until 6th May, and it can be extended with advance notice if necessary. It’s not strict compared with European countries or the US, and it applies only to the big cities such as Tokyo and its neighbor area, Osaka, Fukuoka.
We can come to the office as I am at the office right now. No permission is required to go outside, and no fine. But non-essential facilities like Karaoke and amusement center are strongly requested to shutdown. Shopping malls and department centers are listed in it. Some are already closed from today according to the declaration.
We are in short of masks and hand sanitizers the same as other countries and in danger of medical care overflow. We are getting realized that we have to take it seriously and do what we can do now, at least, “stay at home.”
Thanks to the declaration, the number of commuters are reduced this morning but still far from keeping “social distance” between people. When we shop for groceries, no social distancing is practiced yet in Japan. Time to change, we know.
Actually, I want to finish for the day right now. It’s already over 21:30 in Tokyo, and I skipped lunch. No time to break. I think the restaurants have already closed today. We are requested to go back home earlier, so do the shops and restaurants. Basically, I work from home but come to the office as necessary. I have to take care of so many paper works when I come to the office.
Okay, I am done. I will be taking off soon.
PS: The famous Japanese comedian delivers his message “Stay at home” on YouTube. He influences young people, and young people listen to him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJgmPwv5cjg
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