So remember a little less than a year ago when Covid infections were just starting to threaten our daily lives and everyone went into panic mode? Here in Japan, we knew the possibility of having a state of national emergency declared was looming. We watched excerpts on the news of different areas experiencing shortages of different supplies. People were buying certain items and hoarding them until limit restrictions were set. Do you remember those items we searched high and low to find? Do you remember going to the stores and finding shelves empty? Do you remember having to line up before opening hours to hopefully get one packet of 7 masks or one tiny bottle of hand sanitizer?
Let's see...here in Japan, we went through a period during the Spring months searching for these hard-to-get items:
1. masks ~ oh gosh...remember when prices for masks went sky high? I ordered some masks from Amazon Japan but they were almost triple the price they normally sold for. But I had to get a supply to protect my Mom and myself.
2. alcohol anything- wipes, gel, sprays
3. Tylenol
4. thermometers
5. toilet paper ~ As you can see from the little video alone, I was lucky enough to get to Costco before the crowds and got enough toilet paper for my Mom and me.
6. pasta ~ no idea why this disappeared from the shelves, but they did!
7. tissues ~ I remember I had a box of tissues and a small packet of tissues in my shopping cart and I was told there was a one tissue limit so I had to choose between the box or the packet.
8. bottled water
Now, I was here in Japan during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. During that time, we experienced similar shortages. But the shortages for this pandemic were definitely felt by me more than when we had the earthquake. Thinking back to the early part of 2020, I felt like going shopping was like going on a scavenger hunt. I remember reading a tweet that said they had masks on sale at Don Quixote, a variety chain store. So of course, I rushed to that store to get a box of masks. It really was a strange period. Shopping became a search for buried treasure, but who would've thought that the treasure would be surgical masks and alcohol sprays?!
Anyways, we're in that same phase again as rumors of another national emergency declaration have been hinted at. It's strange though because we are in a worse situation than we were when the first emergency declaration was called and yet, the government is still hesitant to announce one. People seem concerned and worried, yet on the other hand, we don't have the hoarding, the panic-buying, or the anxiety that supplies might run out again. I guess that's a good thing. There is a sense of comfort knowing that supplies are currently available at their usual prices and that there isn't a limit (yet) on how much is bought. I admit that I am not as stressed out as I was during this time back in March and that's probably because I now have my own supply stock and I don't have any regrets about having a pretty big supply to keep my Mom and me safe.
So this next week should be interesting as we probably will see a big increase in case numbers. Will Japan undergo another national state of emergency? (I hope so.) Should Japan declare a state of emergency? (Definitely YES for Tokyo and Kanagawa.)
Stay safe and healthy, everyone. Please do your part in keeping yourself and others safe and healthy, too.
xox
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