Photo/Illutration Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki calls on residents to use restaurants and bars that are certified by the prefectural government for their infection prevention measures at a news conference in December 2020. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

"Wearing a snow-white face mask as a shield/ I meet with someone," wrote haiku poet Hifumi Nomiyama before the novel coronavirus pandemic hit.

Back then, a mask may indeed have served as a shield in personal relations. But never has the power of that white shield felt more reassuring and welcome than now.

However, we can't remain masked when dining in a group. What alternatives are there if we want to keep ourselves safe?

I heard that the Yamanashi prefectural government introduced a system for endorsing the safety of restaurants and drinking establishments that have taken measures against infection risks.

Upon request, the prefecture sends personnel to such establishments to check the conditions, and I recently went to see how it's done.

There are more than 30 items on the government's checklist, all quite specific.

For instance: "A group of diners from different households must be seated diagonally across from one another at a table, sitting at least one meter apart," and, "If the diners face one another, there must be a transparent partition between them."

And the list goes on: "Sharing food from large serving plates is not allowed," and also forbidden is "pouring beer for one another."

If an establishment clears all these conditions, the government will issue a sticker of approval.

The particular restaurant I visited was Japanese-style with a karaoke setup, and the owner was asked to sign a pledge to not use it.

Wondering if I'd be able to keep all these promises if I were the owner, I couldn't be entirely sure.

And that, I was told, is why the government carries out "surprise" inspections from time to time. I groaned.

I then visited a number of establishments in the prefectural capital of Kofu, and noticed that many had vinyl curtains, taller than the heights of patrons, hanging between seats. There also were cards, bearing the X mark, placed on some tables to restrict the number of diners.

These measures seemed somewhat different from what I am used to seeing in Tokyo.

Yamanashi's undertaking must still be a work in progress, but I could certainly see that every effort was being made to ensure the effectiveness of the measures.

But with the appearance of new variants, the virus is expected to become even more contagious.

To deal with this "spear" while trying to maintain our day-to-day lifestyle, we need many shields.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 27

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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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