Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun.
February 19, 2020 at 12:20 JST
Novelist Kyoka Izumi (1873-1939) was extremely fussy about food safety. He shunned anything raw, and just the sight of “sashimi” was enough to gross him out.
He drank his sake only after it had been boiled thoroughly. He loved bread, but he always threw away the parts he held with his fingers because he could not trust even the cleanliness of his own digits.
His squeamishness owed to his bout with dysentery earlier in his life, according to a book by Izumi Omoto about what some of Japan’s famous authors ate.
Ordinarily, I would have brushed aside those episodes as nothing more than Izumi’s quirks.
But not now, with a previously unknown infectious disease going around.
Riding a jam-packed train yesterday, I noticed that only a few people were holding on to “tsurikawa” safety straps. That was definitely unusual, as passengers on crowded trains would normally almost fight for those straps.
I reminded myself to wash my hands as soon as I got off the train. What I used to take for granted on my daily commute was no longer the norm.
Since the new coronavirus outbreak, I have repeatedly heard the warning, “Fear it rightly.” But the problem is that we just don’t know what’s right.
Organizers of the Tokyo Marathon have decided to ban the public from participating in the March 1 event. Did the organizers overreact, or did they act wisely?
As if influenced by this development, a trend is emerging toward suspending anything iffy.
A government-appointed panel of experts cited “New Year’s parties and farewell parties” among nonessential gatherings that people should avoid.
As for places where the risk of coronavirus contagion is considered higher, the health ministry singled out “theaters and crowded trains.”
If the public diligently heeds all these warnings, life in society will change considerably. And if the crisis is grave enough to warrant that change, do we not need specific action guidelines? Are government authorities making sufficient efforts to keep us safe?
Back when infectious diseases were far less understood than today, Izumi must have worried alone while trying to figure out what he should do.
I can sort of relate to how he must have felt.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 19
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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Novelist Kyoka Izumi in 1903 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
