A little BOOST goes a long way - Wellness, Health & Cleanliness (Series 3)

OPINION PIECE BY MIKI TAKASHIMA (Osaka, JAPAN)

June 28th, 2020

Compared to last year, tourism in Japan has been suffering due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Summer is when the general population can take time off from their full-time work commitments to hang out with friends, catch up with family, and get some relaxation in. Especially for my European colleagues, it is imperative to take a vacation - the typical length of a vacation is up to one month! This is actually unimaginable in Asia, in most cases.

So what kind of situation are we seeing in Japan at this point?

Summer is approaching, but it seems as though not many are very active in terms of travel.

However, it's inspiring to see that local businesses are taking charge now that Japan seems to be overcoming the situation.

For example, Osaka castle and the surrounding tourism attractions can be a good example in this sense.

The Osaka Castle, including its 8 floors of deck viewing to the historical exhibition, is open to the public.

Limited promotions for the month of June were put in motion to entice those who were visiting before the summer vacation starts in July. The boat ride around Osaka castle was priced at 1000 yen per ride, compared to 1500 yen per ride! :)

However, there are obvious cancellations, like the Lumina night walk around the castle. These large gatherings and outdoor events most likely will not be opened for the foreseeable future, especially under the Japanese government's tight watch.

Cleanliness can be seen as a given in Japan as always. Temperature checks are almost always in place when entering smaller spaces with strangers.

I am optimistic that many of the hospitality services will be back to normal fairly soon.

The only thing now that rainy season is approaching is the fact that we need to keep a healthy diet, a good workout routine and keep up with the cleanliness!

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