Photo/Illutration Face masks sent by the central government arrive at a post office in Kitami, Hokkaido, on March 5. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A Buddhist precept tells monks to stay away from alcohol, but it appears not all abstained in olden times.

A secret name for sake was “hannya-to,” where “hannya” means “the wisdom to see the truth.” I think it is fairly stylish for monks to refer to sake as hannya-to, or the hot water of wisdom.

In the same vein, a hot pot with wild boar meat (“shishi-nabe”) and one with horse meat are commonly called “botan-nabe” (peony hot pot) and “sakura-nabe” (cherry blossom hot pot), respectively.

The names are probably a legacy from the time when eating animal meat was considered taboo.

I was recently surprised to learn that the word “staple” has become code for a face mask for people buying and selling them on the internet.

One seller offered a small number of “staples for staplers” for about 12,000 yen ($112.15), describing them as “leftovers due to the effects of the coronavirus,” according to a TV news program.

The person apparently was illegally reselling face masks. A potential buyer asked if they were available in smaller “female sizes.”

I can hardly see any link between the two products, but that’s exactly the point of this sort of secret language.

As the government moves to outlaw resale of face masks, some try to circumvent regulations in cunning ways. The “black market economy,” in which products in short supply are traded, dies hard.

The situation borders on “the economy of distribution” in Hokkaido, where the government has begun handing out masks to households.

The only way to meet increased demand is to ramp up supply, but that is easier said than done.

It is by no means easy to restore a stable supply of products that are mostly imported once the flow of goods is severed.

The virus has spread globally, and I am concerned that some products may unexpectedly run short.

An old haiku composed by poet Fusei Tomiyasu strikes a chord with me today.

“A beaming smile is revealed/ as the mask is removed/ while we are at a distance”

I hope the day will soon come when we can remove our masks and exchange smiles, whether we are far from or close to each other.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 15

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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.