Not all funny (ha ha), many funny (peculiar) goings on.
I'm now beyond my sell-by date (UK based, not Japan based!), but hoped to squeeze in another last long haul holiday in Japan before it becomes impractical.
Although I am 'exempt' from UK masks (chronic respiratory condition) and although many Japanese restrictions are 'only advisory', it won't be much fun if I am looked on as a potential leper.
It will be interesting to see how things work out. Whilst never forgetting the (possibly arocryphal) Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times..."
Thanks. Yes, Japan’s a peculiar place. If you’re a tourist in the cities, you’re unlikely to be bothered by anyone for not masking. But the atmosphere of a faceless society isn’t great.
Beyond be bothered, so much is still not allowed or scaled back to just a mere shadow of its former self that it is not worth it. After 3 years, our city was allowed its matsuri. The local shrines in the same city, however were not. The city matsuri was changed so much due to the covid restrictions that is bore little resemblance to what it was just 4 years ago. Why spend the money and time to come to a country that has done its best to kill all that makes it unique in a good way for tourists?
Yes. They deserve it. They deserve it. They deserve the natural immunity after suffering from cold-like symptoms. They are now less likely to get infected again.
Thank you for the updates. I will continue to read the Guy Gin articles for their entertainment value but I no longer associate with Covidians, also known as Morons. This is one way to stay healthy. The final straw for me was listening to a mask-wearing Moron (redundant?) talking about slavery in the United States. The irony was so thick, even the 1 micron coof particles could not pass.
I think it's time for Guy Gin to put these goofballs behind and move on to greener, coofless, maskless pastures. How about giving us some delicious recipes instead? My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The Culinary Delights of Guy Gin. That's a YouTube channel I would subscribe to.
I’m a crap cook, so don’t expect any recipes from me. I’ll keep writing about Covid craziness in Japan as long as the Japanese are crazy about Covid. Someone’s gotta do it, and it’s good for me to get it off my chest.
Therapeutic, is it not, being able to let others know of the madness we have to live with? Especially when so much of the world has sung the praises Of Japan’s covid responses.
Whatever pays the bills. I have been thinking about filming myself walking around town making fun of mask-wearing weirdos and uploading it for all to see. I have been doing it without the camera and I haven't gotten beaten up yet. Perhaps I will. Hopefully on camera because that would increase my views. Perhaps while getting beat up, I could blurt out a few recipes.
We're in the countryside, but even in the small city nearby we got away for over 6 months without comments on our maskless faces. For the first time I was confronted yesterday by a mask zombie telling me and my kids to put it on or get out of the supposedly public market. I gave her a big, happy, toothy smile and declined her demands and put her gift of masks on the table and politely said we don't use these things. She clearly wasn't happy with us. My wife went and gave her a mouthful and zombie lady had nothing to say except "these are the rules" repeatedly. There is no such thing as reason with these zombies. It is a cult, absolutely.
This said, the vast majority have no problems with us at all. We've always received very pleasant service and have great conversations with people. I've noticed I've even inspired others around me to quietly slip off their mask when they see me walking around confidently without one. Nasty looks have been very few. In the rare occasion like yesterday's, I just take it as an opportunity to reassure our children that we'll always protect and love them in the face of discrimination and oppression.
Second day in Tokyo, have not gotten any nasty looks for our unmasked faces yet (even when going through immigration at Haneda!) Quite encouraging. Our taxi driver yesterday also went off on a rant about the idiocy of the Biden administration wrt energy, the lapdog behavior of Jiminto, etc. That was good to hear! At the same time, armies of masked zombies on the street are depressing to see. Will update later on whether I was able to get away with staying unmasked at corporate headquarters.
Zero problems at corporate headquarters. Everyone masked except for me, but I did not get a single comment or strange look and everyone was as friendly as ever. This could be because I'm a foreigner though. Everyone knows gaijins are gonna gaijin.
I did get asked point blank if I was vaccinated. I told them no because I had Covid early on and consider that to have been a "natural vaccine." Got the expected laughs, did not mention my views on the BS gene therapy, and the subject was dropped. Had this been the US, someone would have got weird on me about being unvaxxed.
Conclusion: it's actually easy to be a non-masking, non-vaxxing person here--as long as you're a foreigner, anyway ...
It’s certainly easier if you’re foreign, since the Japanese don’t expect you to fit in anyway. Before the borders finally opened up, there were lots of media segments involving worried looking people voicing their concerns about how to make foreigners wear masks when Japanese peer-pressure doesn’t work on them 😂.
Good man! Yea I think that the vast majority want to tear them off their faces, but the stigma issue is that strong. Seeing you without a mask is fine for them, and they want to emulate it. The True Believer however is the one wagging their finger and curtain twitching the rest of the population unfortunately.
It is really hit and miss. I can go days without any trouble but then get denied entry or service until I mask up. If on my own, I just leave. Unfortunately, it is usually when I am with my family and it is as often as not my own wife and kids who call me out loud so that all can hear, “Masku, Masku! Daddy, Masku!”.
“You’ll notice that even people several degrees of separation from the positive case were discriminated against. Now that’s what I call stigma!” Now that’s what I call Japan. This is another. “Welcome to Japan-Japan yokoso moment.
Masks are visible, vaccine status is not. Thus, Japanese wear masks regardless of their belief in them and may not get boosted. My son wears his masks because, in his words translated to English, “I can not stand the stares.” One of my students professes to hate masks but wears one. He once asked me how I could bear the stares. I answered, “I am gaijin. I have been stared at for the entire 20 plus years I have lived here before covid.” He responded with a bow and, “Gomenasai”. What I did not say is that I am also a 6 year veteran as a pit snipe of the US navy and do not give a flying fauci what anyone thinks about me, especially mask wearing fools. Why would anyone care a wit what such people thought of anything?
I'm not sure about copying Japan in fish consumption.
I don't think fatty fish consumption in itself has been shown to improve heart health, I think it's the substitution of it for junk food and other meat and as an indicator of a healthier life style and subsequent slimmer waist. Supplementation with omega 3's has only been shown to improve health in those already having had a heart attack and not to prevent them.
Plenty of omega are made by the body from eating nuts and seeds.
Fish from all oceans are full of mercury, micro plastics and other contaminants, oceans are over fished or exhausted and trawler fishing kills millions of sharks and marine mammals and is a major human rights and people trafficking issue. Fish farming is an ecological, and animal and human health disaster.
Excellent, interesting and funny piece.
Not all funny (ha ha), many funny (peculiar) goings on.
I'm now beyond my sell-by date (UK based, not Japan based!), but hoped to squeeze in another last long haul holiday in Japan before it becomes impractical.
Although I am 'exempt' from UK masks (chronic respiratory condition) and although many Japanese restrictions are 'only advisory', it won't be much fun if I am looked on as a potential leper.
It will be interesting to see how things work out. Whilst never forgetting the (possibly arocryphal) Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times..."
Thanks. Yes, Japan’s a peculiar place. If you’re a tourist in the cities, you’re unlikely to be bothered by anyone for not masking. But the atmosphere of a faceless society isn’t great.
Beyond be bothered, so much is still not allowed or scaled back to just a mere shadow of its former self that it is not worth it. After 3 years, our city was allowed its matsuri. The local shrines in the same city, however were not. The city matsuri was changed so much due to the covid restrictions that is bore little resemblance to what it was just 4 years ago. Why spend the money and time to come to a country that has done its best to kill all that makes it unique in a good way for tourists?
Yes. They deserve it. They deserve it. They deserve the natural immunity after suffering from cold-like symptoms. They are now less likely to get infected again.
Thank you for the updates. I will continue to read the Guy Gin articles for their entertainment value but I no longer associate with Covidians, also known as Morons. This is one way to stay healthy. The final straw for me was listening to a mask-wearing Moron (redundant?) talking about slavery in the United States. The irony was so thick, even the 1 micron coof particles could not pass.
I think it's time for Guy Gin to put these goofballs behind and move on to greener, coofless, maskless pastures. How about giving us some delicious recipes instead? My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The Culinary Delights of Guy Gin. That's a YouTube channel I would subscribe to.
I’m a crap cook, so don’t expect any recipes from me. I’ll keep writing about Covid craziness in Japan as long as the Japanese are crazy about Covid. Someone’s gotta do it, and it’s good for me to get it off my chest.
Therapeutic, is it not, being able to let others know of the madness we have to live with? Especially when so much of the world has sung the praises Of Japan’s covid responses.
Whatever pays the bills. I have been thinking about filming myself walking around town making fun of mask-wearing weirdos and uploading it for all to see. I have been doing it without the camera and I haven't gotten beaten up yet. Perhaps I will. Hopefully on camera because that would increase my views. Perhaps while getting beat up, I could blurt out a few recipes.
What's the actual masking situation in Japan right now? Can one get away without masking if prepared to withstand nasty looks?
On the streets and in the shops, yes. But it’s depressing looking at the faceless masses carrying on with this crap.
Good to know, thanks. Heading to Japan soon and I have no intention of masking myself or my children.
We're in the countryside, but even in the small city nearby we got away for over 6 months without comments on our maskless faces. For the first time I was confronted yesterday by a mask zombie telling me and my kids to put it on or get out of the supposedly public market. I gave her a big, happy, toothy smile and declined her demands and put her gift of masks on the table and politely said we don't use these things. She clearly wasn't happy with us. My wife went and gave her a mouthful and zombie lady had nothing to say except "these are the rules" repeatedly. There is no such thing as reason with these zombies. It is a cult, absolutely.
This said, the vast majority have no problems with us at all. We've always received very pleasant service and have great conversations with people. I've noticed I've even inspired others around me to quietly slip off their mask when they see me walking around confidently without one. Nasty looks have been very few. In the rare occasion like yesterday's, I just take it as an opportunity to reassure our children that we'll always protect and love them in the face of discrimination and oppression.
Second day in Tokyo, have not gotten any nasty looks for our unmasked faces yet (even when going through immigration at Haneda!) Quite encouraging. Our taxi driver yesterday also went off on a rant about the idiocy of the Biden administration wrt energy, the lapdog behavior of Jiminto, etc. That was good to hear! At the same time, armies of masked zombies on the street are depressing to see. Will update later on whether I was able to get away with staying unmasked at corporate headquarters.
Zero problems at corporate headquarters. Everyone masked except for me, but I did not get a single comment or strange look and everyone was as friendly as ever. This could be because I'm a foreigner though. Everyone knows gaijins are gonna gaijin.
I did get asked point blank if I was vaccinated. I told them no because I had Covid early on and consider that to have been a "natural vaccine." Got the expected laughs, did not mention my views on the BS gene therapy, and the subject was dropped. Had this been the US, someone would have got weird on me about being unvaxxed.
Conclusion: it's actually easy to be a non-masking, non-vaxxing person here--as long as you're a foreigner, anyway ...
It’s certainly easier if you’re foreign, since the Japanese don’t expect you to fit in anyway. Before the borders finally opened up, there were lots of media segments involving worried looking people voicing their concerns about how to make foreigners wear masks when Japanese peer-pressure doesn’t work on them 😂.
Until your employer or potential employer requires them.....for Zoom lessons.
Good man! Yea I think that the vast majority want to tear them off their faces, but the stigma issue is that strong. Seeing you without a mask is fine for them, and they want to emulate it. The True Believer however is the one wagging their finger and curtain twitching the rest of the population unfortunately.
It is really hit and miss. I can go days without any trouble but then get denied entry or service until I mask up. If on my own, I just leave. Unfortunately, it is usually when I am with my family and it is as often as not my own wife and kids who call me out loud so that all can hear, “Masku, Masku! Daddy, Masku!”.
“You’ll notice that even people several degrees of separation from the positive case were discriminated against. Now that’s what I call stigma!” Now that’s what I call Japan. This is another. “Welcome to Japan-Japan yokoso moment.
Masks are visible, vaccine status is not. Thus, Japanese wear masks regardless of their belief in them and may not get boosted. My son wears his masks because, in his words translated to English, “I can not stand the stares.” One of my students professes to hate masks but wears one. He once asked me how I could bear the stares. I answered, “I am gaijin. I have been stared at for the entire 20 plus years I have lived here before covid.” He responded with a bow and, “Gomenasai”. What I did not say is that I am also a 6 year veteran as a pit snipe of the US navy and do not give a flying fauci what anyone thinks about me, especially mask wearing fools. Why would anyone care a wit what such people thought of anything?
Hiya,
You've inspired a post on EPA/DHA, fish consumption and heart disease! https://georgiedonny.substack.com/p/fatty-fish-consumption-and-cvd
🐒
Jo
I'm not sure about copying Japan in fish consumption.
I don't think fatty fish consumption in itself has been shown to improve heart health, I think it's the substitution of it for junk food and other meat and as an indicator of a healthier life style and subsequent slimmer waist. Supplementation with omega 3's has only been shown to improve health in those already having had a heart attack and not to prevent them.
Plenty of omega are made by the body from eating nuts and seeds.
Fish from all oceans are full of mercury, micro plastics and other contaminants, oceans are over fished or exhausted and trawler fishing kills millions of sharks and marine mammals and is a major human rights and people trafficking issue. Fish farming is an ecological, and animal and human health disaster.
I think diets with more vegetables and tofu or beans in Asian or Meditarranean diets are healthy despite fish eating and not because of it. https://georgiedonny.substack.com/p/whats-the-best-diet
🐒
Yes eating healthily will always trump NPI because there simply is no virus https://georgiedonny.substack.com/p/there-is-no-covid
Covid is a pandemic of meaningless testing.
🐒