Imagine looking out to the coast and seeing nothing in front of you except destroyed buildings and a lone pine tree… After the 2011 tsunami disaster, this was the landscape of reality for residents of Rikuzentakata City.

Rikuzentakata City in Iwate Prefecture was one of the hardest hit places after the 2011 tsunami disaster. All Singaporeans have a special connection to this small city in Iwate as Singapore supported the majority of the city’s rebuilding!

Last year, I visited Rikuzentakata City with the Embassy of Singapore in Tokyo. It felt appropriate to write about it now in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, to give hope about how people can be resilient and rebuild even through the worst of disasters.

Read on to find out my first-hand experience of how Singapore and Rikuzentakata are tied together, and how the city has recovered since March 11, 2011.

海岸を眺めて、
破壊された建物と一本だけの松の木以外は何も見えない景色を想像できますか？
2011年の津波災害後、
これは陸前高田市の住民にとって現実の風景でした。
岩手県陸前高田市は、2011年の津波災害後、
最も被害が大きかった場所の1つでした。

シンガポール人はすべて、
シンガポールの再建の大部分を支援していた岩手県のこの小さな都市と
特別なつながりを持っています！

私は去年、東京のシンガポール大使館と陸前高田市を訪れました。

新型コロナウイルスの大流行の最中に今それについて書くことは、人々がどのように回復し、最悪の災害の中で再建できるかについての希望を与えるために適切であると感じました。

続きを読んで、シンガポールと陸前高田市がどのように結びついているのか、
そして2011年3月11日以降に街がどのように回復したかを直接体験してください。

Quick Facts About Rikuzentakata Area of only 231.94 km2 (about 1/3 the size of Singapore!) Population: 18,959 Highest Tsunami Height in 2011: 18.3m Amount of Singapore Donations: Over 800 million yen

*~*~*~*

RIKUZENTAKATA COMMUNITY HALL:
The Singapore-Rikuzentakata Relationship

陸前高田コミュニティホール:
シンガポールと陸前高田の関係

High ceilings supported by tasteful timber pillars and majestic floor-to-ceiling windows fanned out in front of me as I stepped into the Singapore Hall of the Rikuzentaka Community Hall.

「シンガポールホール」という陸前高田コミュニティホールに足を踏み入れると、
上品な木柱と床から天井までのとても大きな窓に支えられた高い天井が目の前に広がりました。

陸前高田コミュニティホールは、シンガポール赤十字とシンガポール駐日大使がリード開始した
シンガポールからの寄付金約7億円で建設されました。
陸前高田の住民が津波の後に最も必要としていたことの1つは、人々が集まる場所でした。
彼らは一時的な宿泊施設を建設しましたが、
コミュニティとして永続的に続く場所はまだありませんでした。

You may notice a replica of a pine tree behind me (left of photo), which represents the Miracle Pine Rescue Project of Rikuzentakata. This lone Pine Tree that survived the devastation of the tsunami has been elevated to hero status, symbolizing the strength of the Rikuzentakata community and perhaps of humanity at large to withstand nature’s unpredictable wrath and destruction.

私の後ろにある松の木のレプリカに気づくかもしれません。
これは陸前高田の奇跡の一本松保存プロジェクトを表しています。
津波の被害生き延びたこの一本の松の木は、陸前高田コミュニティの力、
そしておそらく自然の予測不可能な怒りと破壊に耐える人類全体の力を象徴する英雄になりました。

The day of our visit, we were welcomed personally by the Rikuzentakata City Mayor Mr. Futoshi Toba, and Mr Kiyoshi Murakami, Senior Executive Advisor of Rikuzentakata City.

当日は、陸前高田市の戸羽太市長、参与の村上清氏に歓迎していただきました。

With Mr Kiyoshi Murakami, Senior Executive Advisor of Rikuzentakata City, and the entrance sign for the “Singapore Fair.”
陸前高田市 参与 村上清氏

Shy away in a corner, local painter Asuka Tazaki and his guardian stood apart from the crowds. Mayor Toba introduced me to them, and I was grateful to have the opportunity to speak to Asuka-san about his work.

会場の隅に恥ずかしそうな雰囲気で、
地元の画家田崎飛鳥氏と彼の保護者が皆から離れたところにいました。
戸羽市長が紹介してく下さったで、
彼の作品について話をする機会をいただいたことに感謝しました。

With the artist and his manager (left) and the Rikuzentakata City Mayor Mr Futoshi Toba (陸前高田市長　戸羽太氏) (right)

Asuka Tazaki spent months to specially create paintings and sculptures based on his ideas of Singapore. Despite having a development disability, Asuka-san (born in Saitama and raised in Rikuzentakata since middle school) has been passionate about drawing since he was a child, and has won many awards during his career so far.

田崎氏は、シンガポールについて、
彼の独自のアイデアに基づいて絵画や彫刻を特別に制作するのに数ヶ月をかかりました。
発達障害があるにもかかわらず、
田崎さん（埼玉県生まれ、中学以来陸前高田市で育つ）は子供の頃から絵を描くことに情熱を傾けており、
これまでに多くの賞を受賞しています。

Together with Latvian painter Aigars BIKŠE, Asuka-san created a replica of the Merlion statue using Styrofoam, steel, and acrylic painting. While neither artist has ever visited Singapore, their vibrant interpretation and reproduction of the Merlion statue was so familiar, and yet so excitingly innovative in all its peacock-like colors. In Singapore, we rarely see a multi-colored Merlion (it is almost always a solid color, usually white). This Merlion in Rikuzentakata, on the other hand, looks like it is ready to be part of a Latin American Carnival! How wonderful cross-cultural perspectives are in shining new lights on things other people take for granted.

ラトビアの画家Aigars BIKŠEと一緒に、田崎さんは発泡スチロール、
スチール、アクリル絵の具を使用してマーライオン像のレプリカを作成しました。
どちらのアーティストもシンガポールを訪れたことはありませんが、
マーライオン像についての彼のイメージは、鮮やかで、
そして　とても親しみを感じるように再現してくれました。
それは、孔雀のような色で非常に革新的でした。 シンガポールでは、
多色のマーライオンはほとんど見られません（ほとんどの場合、単色で、通常は白です）。
一方、陸前高田のこのマーライオンは、ラテンアメリカのカーニバルに参加する準備ができているようです！
他の人が当たり前のことと思っているものに新しい光を当てるのに、異文化間での違う考え方がいかに大きく素晴らしいことでしょう。

According to Asuka-san, he draws his inspiration from the idea that both Rikuzentakata and Singapore are bound together with a shared history as “lands which have faced wilderness of the ocean since time immemorial.” He hopes to visit Singapore soon.

田崎さんによると、陸前高田とシンガポールはともに
「太古の昔から海の驚異に直面していた土地」としての歴史を共有しているという考えからインスピレーションを得ています。
彼はすぐにシンガポールを訪れることを望んでいます。

After enjoying the exhibit, we were presented with a thoughtful spread of locally made Singaporean cuisine!
展示を楽しんだ後、地元でとれた食材で造ったシンガポール料理で歓待していただきました！

Rikuzentakata’s residents’ warmth and kindness really shone through with their efforts to create Singaporean favorites such as chicken rice and laksa using locally sourced products to welcome us! I was very impressed by how much consideration they had put into these dishes – and they were delicious! 

陸前高田の皆様の温かさと優しさは、
地元産の製品を使ってチキンライスやラクサなどのシンガポールの
私のお気に入り料理を作ろうとして下さる努力の気持が本当に溢れていました！
私は彼らがこれらの料理にどれだけ配慮してくださったかに非常に感銘を受けました。
そしてそれらは美味しかったです！

*~*~*~*

TSUNAMI MEMORIAL HALL

津波記念館

The Great East Japan Earthquake and 2011 tsunami left Rikuzentaka with over 4000 buildings destroyed, >1600 dead and >200 missing. As someone who has been fortunate enough not to have lived in any disaster zones, every time I learn about how Japanese people have recovered from earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and the like, I never cease to be amazed by their strength and resiliency.

東日本大震災と2011年の津波は陸前高田を襲い、4000以上の建物が破壊され、
1600人以上が死亡、200人以上が行方不明になりました。
私は幸いにも災害地帯に住んだことがないので、日本人が地震、洪水、
津波などからどのように復興したかを知るたびに、彼らの強さと回復力に驚かされます。

Walking out to Memorial Park, the natural scenery is beautiful, but still on the road to recovery after the impact of the tsunami clearing the land.

記念公園を歩いていると、自然の景色は美しく感じられますが、
津波で土地が崩壊後、まだ少し回復の途中です。

Staring out at the coast and the calm waters now, it is hard to imagine how scary it must have been to have an almost 15.1m high wave approaching the land with the speed of a jet plane!

今、海岸と穏やかな海を見つめていると、
ジェット機の速度でほぼ15.1mの高波が陸に近づいていることがどれほど恐ろしかったか想像するのは難しいです！

At the Tsunami Memorial Museum next to the Park, we witnessed the damage of the tsunami through displays of damaged equipment, photos of destroyed buildings, and stories of survivors.

公園の隣にある津波記念館では、破損した機器の展示、破壊された建物の写真、
生存者の話を通して津波の被害を目撃しました。

A fire truck was completely crushed under the impact of the tsunami.
消防車は津波の影響で完全に押しつぶされました。

One of the exhibits focused on the teachings of a local Iwate Prefecture idiom, “tendenko,” meaning “each person” or “on your own.” In a place often struck by tsunamis, this idiom has saved many lives and reflects the strong determination pulsating through the people of Rikuzentakata people to survive no matter the tragedies they face.

展示の1つは、地元の岩手県の方言、
「一人一人」または「自分で」を意味する「テンデンコ」の教えに焦点を当てたものです。
津波にしばしば襲われる場所で、この方言は多くの命を救い、強い決意を反映しています。
陸前高田の人々は、彼らが直面する悲劇に関係なく生き、躍動しています。

I left the memorial hall with a heavy heart grieving for those who lost loved ones and their homes. At the same time, I also discovered a profound respect for the unwavering resiliency, courage, and optimism of the Japanese people to uphold “tendenko” yet stand together in difficult times.

記念館を離れて、愛する人とその家を失った人々を思って悲しみに暮れました。
同時に、私はまた、「テンデンコ」を守りながら困難な時代に立ち向かう日本人の揺るぎない復興力、
勇気、明るく生きようとする意志に表しました。

*~*~*~*

Go Deeper: Meaningful kindle book based on real stories of Rikuzentakata residents who survived the March 11, 2011 Disaster.

*~*~*~*

Final Thoughts

最後に・・・

With the Tokyo Olympics coming up, many host cities around Japan are preparing to receive athletes from over 200 countries and regions. Rikuzentakata City in Iwate prefecture has been picked as the “host town” for Singapore athletes! I look forward to seeing the relationship between Rikuzentakata and Singapore develop further and hope to do my part to support the city’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

東京オリンピックが開催されるため、
日本中の多くの開催都市は200を超える国と地域からの選手を受け入れる準備をしています。
岩手県陸前高田市がシンガポールのアスリートの「ホストタウン」に選ばれました！
陸前高田市とシンガポールの関係がさらに発展するのを楽しみにしており、
市の復興と再建の取り組みを支援するために自分の役割を果たしたいと考えています。

By the way, Iwate Prefecture and Rikuzentakata are famous for oysters in Japan! 😉 If you love oysters as much as I do, be sure to check out my blog post on Rikuzentakata Oysters to join me on a visit to a local oyster farm~

ちなみに、岩手県と陸前高田市は日本のカキで有名です！ ;）
私と同じようにカキが好きなら、
陸前高田市のカキ養殖場の体験については、次のブログを楽しみにしてくださいね～

Visiting an oyster farm in Rikuzentaka!

Cheers to some delicious oysters! 😉 

Thank you for reading. I would love to hear from you.
Please do send me an email or subscribe for emails from me right to your inbox!

本日も読んでいただきありがとうございます。

私からのメールを是非購読してくださいね～　
皆さんの声を聞かせてください！

This trip to Rikuzentakata City in Iwate Prefecture was made possible with the generous support of the Embassy of Singapore in Tokyo. 

Related Article:

The post Singapore’s Relationship with Rikuzentaka City <br> シンガポールと陸前高田市との関係 appeared first on Rachel Leng.

These truly are strange and unprecedented times. Borders have perhaps never been so closed since the advent of globalization, aviation, and international travel. It is hard to believe that this situation is unfolding in an era where increasing numbers of the world’s population is fluid and international flights are taken as much for granted as the convenience of buying groceries in most cities. It now feels surreal that is has been less than a month since my last flight, just before travel bans and restrictions were implemented, lockdowns enforced, and borders shut down globally.

Amid all the confusion in Japan (and globally) with regulatory changes in response to the coronavirus outbreak as infections increase, there is limited updated information in English on how foreign residents and tourists in Tokyo can get tested and treated for the COVID-19 virus. Moreover, much of the information is conflicting or ambiguous.

To clarify important details, I called myLocal Ward Health Center (保健所), the Tokyo Covid-19 Call Center (新型コロナ受診相談窓口), and “Himawari,” (ひまわり) the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Medical Advisory Service (東京都 医療機関 薬局案内サービス) providing a help desk for foreigners and non-Japanese speakers numerous times for more information.

In this article, I wanted to share what I learned concerning:

WHERE to call,

the OVERALL PROCESS from making a call to getting test results,

test ELIGIBILITY requirements
(including possible priority situations!),

what happens when you get HOSPITAL TESTING, &

how much it COSTS to get tested.

For those in Tokyo, I hope that my experience figuring out who to call and what to expect can save others critical time as well as reduce some stress and anxiety, especially for foreign residents and non-Japanese speakers.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on my own personal experience speaking to representatives and staff at the various call centers and services as of April 4, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. As the situation changes day by day, the content I am sharing in this article is intended to be used and must be used for reference and informational purposes only. I cannot make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this article. Any action taken upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, and I cannot be held liable for any losses or damages in connection with the use of this article. All views expressed are my own and from my own experience, and do not represent the entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated. I will not be responsible for any material that is found at the end of links that may be posted on this website. The information presented here should not be used without first assessing your own personal situation, or without consulting with a healthcare professional.

Check Out My List of
Best FREE Courses on COVID-19!

Where to Call?

Note: If you have mild symptoms, or symptoms lasting less than 2 days, you will likely be asked to contact your personal physician. If you do not have a personal physician, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Himawari service can introduce hospitals and clinics for foreigners in Japan (see below).

IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS:
Your Local Ward Health Center or Tokyo Himawari

If You DO Speak Japanese:
Your Local Ward Health Center

The best option is to call the health center located in the ward that you are physically located in at the time
(not necessarily the one you live or are registered in, if you are a resident)

PRO:

• Direct: Probably the most direct way to get a fast response with access to a hospital and testing under government medical coverage.
• Updated Information: Health Centers have the most updated information and are able to provide the best consultation on coronavirus issues. 

CON:

• Only Japanese: Most local ward health centers only provide service in Japanese (see “Himawari” for non-Japanese speakers)
• Limited Hours: Ward health centers generally only open 9am-5pm on weekdays.
• Sometimes Inconsistent:Consultation and advice may vary depending on the local ward you are in and the representative you are speaking to. 
• DIfficult to connect: Lines are often engaged, but may depend on which ward’s health center you are trying to call. 

List of Selected Health Centers with higher numbers of foreign residents: Minato Ward:03-3455-4461 Chiyoda Ward: 03-5211-8175 Setagaya Ward: 03-5432-2910 Shinagawa Ward: 03-5742-9105 Meguro Ward: 03-5722-9089 Shibuya Ward: 03-3463-3650

If you DO NOT speak Japanese:
Himawari

Non-Japanese speakers should call Himawari, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Health Advisory Service that has a foreign help desk with assistance in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Thai.

If you have MILD symptoms, Himawari service will be able to inform you of hospitals that can treat international patients or have foreign language speaking doctors.

If you have more SEVERE symptoms that make you eligible to test for coronavirus, Himawari will contact the nearest ward health center on behalf of non-Japanese speakers to make arrangements for an outpatient examination. If the person needs to be tested following the medical assessment, Himawari officials can also later assist in making arrangements for coronavirus testing.

*This service is only provided for coronavirus cases.

PRO:

• Multiple Foreign Languages: Multilingual staff provide service in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Thai. 
• Easiest to Connect: Of all the relevant numbers you can call, Himawari is the most easily accessible to actually place a call and speak to a representative.
• Recommendations: Can make helpful recommendations for what to do in an emergency, or introduce hospitals and clinics for foreigners in Japan.
• Communications Assistance: Helpful assistance for non-Japanese speakers to contact their local Health Centers and arrange consultations.

CON:

• Lack of Updated Information: Himawari staff are not as informed as those at local ward health centers on protocols concerning coronavirus testing. They have to contact local health centers to relay information back to you.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Foreigner Desk Himawari Phone: 03 5285 8181 Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Thai. Opening times: 9:00am to 8:00pm (including weekends and holidays) Help Provided: Support in foreign languages for consultations, to contact local ward health centers and make arrangements for outpatient examinations, and arrangements for coronavirus testing.

AFTER 5PM OR ON WEEKENDS:

Evening and Weekend Coronavirus Helpline (Japanese only)

Officially the “Tokyo Joint Telephone Consultation Center” (東京都合同電話相談センター) as part of the “Returnee/Recent Contact Phone Consultation Center” (帰国者・接触者電話相談センター) 

Phone: 03-5320-4592

Help Provided: This hotline is supposed to provide the same service as ward health centers after hours, facilitating hospital tests for people with coronavirus symptoms.

*TIP: If you DO NOT speak Japanese, you can contact Himawari first and they will contact the evening & weekend helpline on your behalf (only during Himawari opening hours – 9am to 8pm everyday).

*VERY DIFFICULT TO CONNECT: I did not manage to get through to this line, despite attempting to call more than 40 times over the past couple of days, so cannot comment with further information on what services this hotline provides aside from what was informed by my local Health Center and Himawari. 

FOR GENERAL ADVICE:
The COVID-19 Call Center

Since end of February, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government established the Tokyo Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters, which includes a call center for general advice concerning the coronavirus.

• Phone: 0570-550-571
• Languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean
• Opening times: 9:00am to 9:00pm (including weekends and holidays)
• Information provided: Measures to prevent infection, what to do if you develop concerning symptoms, advice regarding the novel coronavirus

*Note that this call center via NaviDial will cost 10 yen for every 20 seconds on the line.

PRO:

• Centralized Service: The call center has more information than the “Himawari” foreigner help desk for coronavirus cases (but often not able to provide as much specific information as the local health centers). 
• Multilingual Support: Information for general inquiries about coronavirus provided via a translation service in multiple languages.

CON:

• Expensive!!: the NaviDial at the call center charges at 30 yen per minute!!
• Difficult to Connect: The call center is often engaged and you will get hung up on immediately. Even if you manage to connect, you should expect to be put on hold with a recorded message for a least some time (in my experience, the wait time varied from 30 seconds to 5 minutes before I got redirected to a representative).
• Limited Direct Help: At the time of writing, this call center will not directly provide hospital introductions for you. For any more specific inquiries or if you need to report symptoms and request a hospital visit, you will most likely just be told to call your local ward health office or the Tokyo Government Himawari (see above). 

OVERALL

My Experience:

1. There is quite a lot of discrepancy between information on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government website and across the various health centers and service hotlines due to the ever-evolving nature of the outbreak.

2. It is very difficult to call most of the hotlines specific to coronavirus inquiries and testing. Expect to be put on hold or get the engaged dial tone on most calls.

3. When I tried calling most of the provided phone numbers, lines were often engaged, and I was hung up on many times.
Personally, I had better success connecting in the afternoons.
Calling the local ward Health Center directly was the most helpful in providing specific advice and consultations!

TIP: It is highly recommended to arrange a hospital visit via your health center where possible, rather than contacting the hospital directly as you may not be eligible for government medical coverage if you do not go through the local ward health centers (See “COST” section below).

Who Is Eligible for Hospital Testing?

For almost everybody, the bottom line is that you will need to show that you have had a fever of 37.5C or higher for 4 (four) consecutive days before you can request to visit a hospital for testing.

TIP: Symptoms are all SELF-REPORTED, so it is important to keep track of your temperature for all days you are having a fever.

General Population:

If you have symptoms of a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5 degrees Fahrenheit), fatigue and trouble breathing for FOUR DAYS OR MORE.

Source: TMG’s “Tokyo COVID Information”

POSSIBLE EXCEPTION #1:

Elderly Population*, Pregnant Women, or People with Underlying Health Conditions

Elderly people or those who are immunosuppressed should contact a public health center or the hotline AFTER TWO DAYS of having relevant symptoms (>37.5 degrees Celsius fever, fatigue, or trouble breathing) for a case-by-case consultation.

*Elderly Population refers to individuals over the age of 70!

POSSIBLE EXCEPTION #2:

If you have travelled internationally from a “high risk” country or
been in close contact with a COVID-19 infected person
within the last 14 days of having symptoms

You can call your local ward health center for a case-by-case consultation after 2 days of having symptoms (>37.5 degrees Celsius fever with or without respiratory symptoms).

Note: You may need to verify that you were issued a quarantine notice at the airport when entering the country or that you were in contact with a COVID-19 infected person to qualify for priority testing.

International Travel –

For details of countries deemed “high risk for COVID-19”, please go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.Close Contact –

Under national reporting standards, the following are considered cases of having been in close contact:

• Having spent long periods of contact (including in a vehicle or airplane) or lived together with someone suspected of being infected with COVID-19
• Having examined, given care to, or nursed a person suspected of being infected with COVID-19, without taking adequate disease prevention measures
• Are likely to have touched something that has been contaminated by viral particles present in the coughs, sneezes or bodily fluids of someone suspected of being infected with COVID-19

Source: TMG FAQ webpage

*Although your case may be accepted by the health center, you may still be put on a waitlist at the hospital for testing unless you have severe symptoms.

*If you are having severe symptoms, your case may be prioritized for faster testing, expediated depending on your travel or close contact history.

Source: TMG’s “Tokyo COVID Information”

Hospital Testing Process

If you qualify for the above eligibility criteria with relevant symptoms to get a test:

1. Consult your Local Ward Health Center (For non-Japanese speakers, contact Himawari to help you arrange consultation if necessary)
    
2. The Ward Health Center will introduce you to a designated hospital where you may conduct a test
   (Usually this is supposed to be immediate or within a few hours once you manage to contact the Health Center, and they will introduce a hospital in or near your local ward. You may experience longer delays over the weekends or in the evenings when local Health Centers are closed.)
    
3. Contact the introduced hospital, citing your referral from the Health Center to arrange an examination
   NOTE: some health centers may assist you in contacting the hospital  
    
4. Go to the hospital for the outpatient examination
   NOTE: you will likely be requested to wear a mask and not take public transport or taxis.
   Health Centers may arrange free transportation for you (by car) if available and necessary. 
    
5. Take the initial outpatient examination 
   NOTE: this will NOT be the PCR test for coronavirus
   (the health examination at this stage usually includes a CT Scan and Blood Test, but doctors may assign more tests on a case-by-case basis)
    
6. Experts or a panel of doctors (variable depending on the hospital) will review your examination results for any abnormalities
    
7. Most test results for the initial examination will take 1-2 days.
   You will be asked to return home to wait, and your local health center will contact you regarding your results.
   NOTE: If your case is prioritized for same-day results, you may be asked to wait at the hospital.
    Previous news reports indicate that the current law in Japan would require everyone who tested positive for COVID-19 be routinely hospitalized, but the following information is what Health Center staff advised me at the time of writing: 
8. FOR SEVERE CASES WITH ABNORMAL RESULTS: If your test shows abnormalities and you have severe symptoms, it will be MANDATORY for you to be hospitalized immediately. Upon hospitalization, experts and doctors will decide whether you will need to take the PCR test for coronavirus.
   (You will not be able to go home from the hospital, so it is advised to bring your belongings with you.) 
    
9. FOR ALL OTHER CASES WITH ABNORMAL RESULTS: If your test results are abnormal, but you have mild to moderate symptoms, you may or may not be subject to routine hospitalization, depending on the doctor’s examination. If it is deemed your case is not severe enough for hospitalization, you will most likely not be asked to take the PCR test. Instead, you will be notified to monitor your health and self-quarantine at home for 14 days. If symptoms worsen, contact your local Health Center.
    
10. FOR CASES WITHOUT ANY ABNORMALITIES DETECTED: Your Health Center will contact you and inform you that your tests came back normal and you are not subjected to any quarantine or hospitalization at this time. 

Source: TMG’s “Tokyo COVID Information”

How Much Does It Cost?

TESTING

The Good News:

The actual coronavirus test (a Polymerase Chain Reaction [PCR] test) itself will be FREE regardless of your nationality or insurance plan.

NOTE: If you end up taking the PCR test after your local Health Center arranged your hospital visit for coronavirus, the test will be FREE regardless of your result. If you are positive, you may be subject to immediate hospitalization.
However, if you go to the hospital directly (NOT through a referral from your local health center for coronavirus), you may incur medical fees for the PCR test if you test negative. 

THE CATCH:

HOWEVER, according to the Minato Ward Health Center when I spoke with them, the number of actual PCR tests conducted are extremely low and hospitals are already very crowded. (>.<;)

Patients who opt to go to the hospital for testing will first have to do a CT scan and blood test (and maybe other tests as well on a case-by-case basis), which will have to PAID FOR BY THEMSELVES.This examination is estimated to cost a minimum of around 30,000~50,000 yen (USD$300-500) without insurance.
(Japanese National Insurance will cover up to 3割 or about 70%.)

HOSPITALIZATION

If you are hospitalized after abnormal outpatient examination results, the Health Center indicates that most of your hospitalization bills related to coronavirus treatment will be covered by the government, but the exact amount of coverage will depend on your specific case as well as individual insurance plan. They will not cover for any other tests, treatments, or medications etc. that you may require during the time you are hospitalized that are not directly related to coronavirus infection.

TIP: It is highly recommended to arrange for a test through your local health center!

If you go to a hospital directly instead of your local ward health center, you may not be eligible for government coverage. Moreover, many hospitals in Japan charge much higher rates (sometimes around ~300% or more of the usual fees) for those who request treatment without a referral or national insurance.

Hope this has been helpful in clarifying some confusion and conflicting information on how you may be eligible for testing for coronavirus, and what to expect from the process of contacting your health center, going to the hospital, and getting your test results in Tokyo.

Note: The above information is only applicable to getting tested for COVID-19 in Tokyo at the time of writing, and the situation may differ in other cities and prefectures in Japan.

STAY SAFE AND STAY HEALTHY EVERYONE!! <3

Related Article:

The post How to Get Tested for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Tokyo appeared first on Rachel Leng.

「マンガ」といえば、日本で制作されたコミックがすぐに思い浮かぶかもしれません。しかし、高品質な漫画が世界中で作成されていることをご存知ですか？

Last month, I attended the 13^th Japan International Manga Awards, where 4 winners were selected from hundreds of submissions from around the world. At first, I expected that many of the submissions would be from China and South Korea (both are countries with popular localized versions of manga, called Manhua 漫画 or Manhwa 만화 respectively), or other East Asian countries. I was surprised to learn that many of the winning works and runner-up nominations came from artists in countries such as Israel, Brazil, Spain, and even far flung countries in Africa and the Middle East such as Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Egypt!

先月、私は第13回日本国際漫画賞の授賞式に参加し、そこで世界中から寄せられた何百もの応募の中から4人の受賞者に会いました。 最初は、応募作品の多くが中国か韓国（漫画のローカルバージョンが人気のある国であり、それぞれ、「マンフア」と「マンワ」と呼ばれています）からのものであると予想していましたが、他の東アジアの国々からの応募もありました。受賞作品や準優勝ノミネート作品の多くがイスラエル、ブラジル、スペインなどの国のアーティストからであり、そしてさらにはナイジェリアやアフガニスタンやエジプトなどのアフリカや中東の遠い国々からの応募作品もあることを知って驚きました！

In this blog article, I will share about my experience attending the awards ceremony and also what I have learned about the significance of manga internationally.

今回のブログ記事では、表彰式に参加した私の経験と、国際的にマンガの重要性について学んだことを紹介したいと思います。

Artists came from Thailand, Israel, Spain, Brazil, and their works are available in multiple languages including Hebrew, Thai, Spanish, and Portuguese.

漫画アーティスト達はタイ、イスラエル、スペイン、ブラジルから来場しており、彼らの作品はヘブライ語、タイ語、スペイン語、ポルトガル語を含む複数の言語で書かれています。

The Influence of Manga

漫画の影響

Manga makes up over 40% of all published magazines and books in Japan, and 40% of the movies produced in Japan are anime. The content genre of manga and anime is a huge revenue generator – in 2018, the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association stated the Manga market was worth 441.4 billion yen (about US$3.96 billion), with the digital Manga market accounting for 44.9% of this (US$1.77 billion). These figures make the manga industry larger than the comics market in America!

日本で出版されたすべての雑誌や本の40％以上を漫画が占め、そして日本で制作された映画の40％はアニメです。 マンガとアニメは日本市場の巨大な収入源です　－　2018年、日本新聞協会の話では、マンガ市場は4,414億円の売上価値があり、デジタル漫画市場はその44.9％を占めているとのことです。これらの数字は、アメリカのコミックマーケットよりも大きくなります！

The recent digitization and internationalization of manga and anime content have resulted in a large global audience. Where Western comics and cartoon animations are typically targeted at children and teenagers, manga and anime have a much wider audience from children and teenagers to adults.

マンガとアニメのコンテンツの最近のデジタル化と国際化により、世界中の多くの視聴者ができました。 欧米のコミックやカートゥーンは、通常、子供や10代の若者を対象としていますが、日本の漫画やアニメは、子供や若者から大人まで、はるかに多くの人に愛読されています。

In this way, manga provides an influential platform for the development of global cultures and for Japan’s “soft power” sharing Japanese pop culture and influencing avid fans of Japan. By reading and understanding manga from around the world, it is fascinating to explore how different social and cultural norms can still be expressed through manga storytelling.

このように、マンガは、グローバル文化の発展と、日本のポップカルチャーになって、熱心なファンを生み出す日本の「ソフトパワー」に影響を与えるプラットフォームを提供します。世界中のマンガを読んで、様々な国の社会的及び文化的ルールがいかにマンガを通じて表現できるかを理解することはとても面白いと思います。

Reading one of the winning international manga works on display at the awards ceremony.
受賞セレモニーでは、受賞した国際マンガ作品の1つを読んで展示します。

About the International Manga Awards

日本国際漫画賞について

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs founded the International MANGA Award in 2007 for the purpose of expanding international exchange and mutual understanding through the MANGA culture which is widely accepted around the world.
This award honors the MANGA artists who are contributing to the development of MANGA culture in the world.

Source: https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/index_e.html

日本から世界に広がるマンガ文化を通じて国際交流と相互理解の輪を広げることを目的として、外務省は、平成19年に国際漫画賞を創設しました。この賞は、海外でマンガ文化の普及に貢献する漫画作家を顕彰するものです。

参考：https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/index.html　

The Gold Award winning work was from Israel.

最優秀賞

Piece of Mind
【ココロノカケラ】

©Guy Lenman
　Nimrod Frydman

Korokke and The Girl Who Said No
【コロッケ　そして「嫌だ」と言った少女】

©2019 Spaceman Project
　/Josep Busquet
　/Jonatan Cantero

I was most captivated by the Silver Award winning manga, “Korokke and the girl who said no” from Spain.

The journey of Korokke, a skilled Oni (devil) fighter who supports humans with good deeds, and Anzu, a girl who refused to accept the restrictive role that society tried to enforce upon her. I thought that the important message of this manga was very heartwarming and believe that it will inspire more people (especially girls!) to have the confidence to take charge of their own life and future. This manga is available in Spanish, English, French and Italian.

私はスペインのシルバー賞を受賞した漫画【コロッケ　そして「嫌だ」と言った少女】に最も魅了されました。

善良で人間をサポートする熟練した鬼の「コロッケ」と、社会が彼女に無理強いしようとした強制的な生活を受け入れることを拒否した少女「アンズ」の旅についての話です。この漫画の大切なメッセージはとても心温まるものだと思い、自分の人生や未来に責任を持つ人が増えると思います。 この漫画は、スペイン語、英語、フランス語、イタリア語で翻訳されています。

Click HERE for the list of other winning works.

My Thoughts

最後に…

It was wonderful to see so many talented young manga artists from all over the world recognized for their creative work. Meeting the young artists brimming with passion for their work was a refreshing experience. I never knew that so many countries had their own versiosn of manga! It was truly fascinating to see how artists from different countries and cultures used various innovative approaches to the genre. What this tells us is that no matter where you are in the world, creating and telling manga stories can transcend both national and cultural borders to bring people together. Once we think about all the ways people bond over and through visual manga storytelling (e.g.: fan clubs, manga conventions, and even just casual conversations), it is easy to understand how the manga world is a connected and shared space for people of all ages and backgrounds.

世界中から集まった才能あふれる若い漫画家たちがクリエイティブな作品を認められたのは嬉しいことでした。作品への情熱にあふれた若いアーティスト達との出会いは、素晴らしい経験でした。 こんなに多くの国が独自のマンガを持っているとは知りませんでした！ 様々な国や文化のアーティスト達がマンガに対して革新的にアプローチをしたことを見るのは本当に素晴らしかったです。これらが私たちに伝えていることは、世界のどこにいても、マンガストーリーを作成して伝えることは、国と文化の境界を越えて人々を繋げることができるということだと思います。 マンガの物語を介して人々が結び付いていること（例えば、ファンクラブ、マンガコンベンション、そして単なるカジュアルな会話など）について考えると、マンガ世界が世代と環境にかかわらずすべての人々と繋がっていることが理解できます。

Related Article:

The post The 13th Japan International Manga Awards <br> 第13回日本国際漫画賞 appeared first on Rachel Leng.