Photo/Illutration A man wearing a mask walks in the Montmartre district of Paris on Oct. 25. (AP Photo)

Blame it on my lack of imagination, but when I think of German cuisine, about all that comes to mind is sausage and potatoes.

Be that as it may, sausage abounds in German idiomatic expressions, according to the official website of the German Embassy in Japan.

"Das ist mir Wurst” (It's sausage to me) means, "That matters diddly-squat to me." Utterly commonplace as it is, the humble sausage is also indispensable to the German diet. Hence the idiom "Es geht um die Wurst” (It’s about the sausage),” which is another way of saying that a situation has reached a critical juncture.

And that's exactly how critical things are for Germans, now that they won't be able to enjoy sausage for the coming month when dining out.

In a bid to prevent a further spread of COVID-19, the German government is closing down all restaurants for one month and only allowing takeouts.

Not only Germany, but Europe as a whole is engulfed by a second wave of the pandemic, probably a result of eased restrictions during the summer holiday season.

France has enforced a nationwide curfew for one month, and Italy is restricting food service operations. The purpose is to curb infections of the novel coronavirus before the arrival of the Christmas season, but whether this will work is anyone's guess.

Which leads me to wonder what to make of Japan's starkly different handling of the pandemic.

Our government is aggressively promoting its "Go To Travel," "Go To Eat" and other programs to encourage people to get out and enjoy themselves.

The relatively "successful" battle against the pandemic in Japan and other East Asian countries is being attributed to various factors, ranging from lifestyle to genetics. But nothing has been proven scientifically, and optimism is definitely not warranted.

Many restaurants in Europe have outdoor seating that enables pleasant dining in the fresh air. But perhaps the weather has become too chilly now for comfort.

Or, it could be only that the pandemic is unfolding a bit faster in Europe than here in Japan.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 31

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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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