Just as the Japanese government is about to declare a state of emergency and just as the number of cases in big cities increases, people lined up in front of Yodobashi Camera in Osaka’s Umeda for the Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch And Ring Fit Adventure.
Both have been selling out, and this Yodobashi Camera, one of the biggest electronics stores in Osaka, got in a new shipment on Saturday. The retailer is located in the Kita Ward, which, for the city, has a high number of novel coronavirus covid-19 cases.
The Mainichi reported last week that a cluster of 18 cases was discovered in the Kita Ward and Osaka Prefectural Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said that the virus was spreading through the district. He had asked people to refrain from going out at night. Apparently, the several hundred people who lined up for Nintendo Switch hardware in the area didn’t think the request applied to them.
ヨドバシカメラ梅田の大行列は、どうぶつの森のゲーム購入者が並んでるみたい。このコロナの感染予防言われてるのに、ギュウギュウで並ばせている、ヨドバシやばすぎる！並んでるやつも、外出自粛要請は知らんのか。クラスター感染でるねこれ。ネット販売でいいやろ。てか、店員もマスクしろよ pic.twitter.com/DDjfYzgrXC
— SANJI (@1rDriussff7WFWP) April 4, 2020
Inside, the line was long, too.
ヨドバシ梅田よ甘いのう pic.twitter.com/IRbbRXJU6c
— ユウメキオ (@tlKbxXszD2jYjZc) April 4, 2020
On 2ch, Japan’s largest bulletin board, people criticised the individuals who waiting for the Nintendo hardware, Yodobashi Camera for lining up all those shoppers, and even Nintendo itself for releasing the hardware. There are also theories that many of those waiting were buying the Animal Crossing Switch and Ring Fit Adventure to resell online.
The number of cases in Tokyo and Osaka have been increasing rapidly in the past few weeks. According to Nippon.com, Tokyo has 1,033 cases, which is the most in the country and followed by 408 cases in Osaka.
#Abe set to declare state of #emergency for #Tokyo, #Osaka : The Asahi Shimbun #coronavirus #pandemichttps://t.co/59BX9b68cG
— Asahi Shimbun AJW (@AJWasahi) April 6, 2020
Of course, trains are still crowded, parks are still filled with folks and people continue to line up at drugstores on a regular basis for mask shipments. There are concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus within the country.
Increasingly, there are photos like these images taken in Tokyo’s Akihabara over the weekend, showing that people are staying clear of urban centres.
午後3時の日曜日秋葉原#akiba pic.twitter.com/1w8XNuXLBR
— 幹事長代理 ⋈二日目O-20a (@dairi888) April 5, 2020
悪天候以外でこんな日曜朝の秋葉原見たこと無いで、、、 pic.twitter.com/jJ1jTOswAQ
— けい(K) (@k_avatar_k) April 5, 2020
日曜昼の秋葉原でこんなに人がいないの見たことない pic.twitter.com/MNcaNtQmBS
— なるがみ (@nalgami) April 5, 2020
全然人が居ない日曜の秋葉原初めて見た pic.twitter.com/lUMr7NyXeW
— モスモス❄️ (@butasanmosu) April 5, 2020
休日13時の電気街 pic.twitter.com/iXh22ymZbA
— なるがみ (@nalgami) April 5, 2020
日曜昼の秋葉原とは思えない状況。アキバに来るような人たちは皆自粛しているというのがよく分かる。ちなみに俺は会社に用があってきたのであって、すぐに帰る予定。 pic.twitter.com/V0eWEcyTFm
— 四式戦闘機 (@ki84type4) April 5, 2020
But…
Japan is on the verge of declaring a state of emergency due to #COVID19, but in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood the maids are still out in the streets this evening, approaching potential customers for their cafes. Most were not wearing masks. pic.twitter.com/MPnrTY7gX5
— Jeffrey J. Hall ???????????????? (@mrjeffu) April 6, 2020
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