Zushi and Hayama

Sunset along the beach in Hayama

On February 1st, a man from Hong Kong who had been on the Diamond Princess cruise ship was diagnosed with coronavirus. Three days later, the ship docked at the port of Yokohama, just south of Tokyo. The following morning, over 10 people on board tested positive. The Japanese government decided they would keep all 3,711 passengers and crew on the ship and try to implement a quarantine. For two weeks no one was allowed off the ship (unless they tested positive--then they were transferred to a medical facility), passengers were largely confined to their cabins and medical staff conducted periodic tests for the virus.

Medical staff conducted daily tests on passengers and crew

The story was huge new in Japan, with media reporting from the docks 24/7

Problem is, the ship acted more as an incubator than a quarantine. Doctors also reported of disorganization on board, with no demarcation between infection free areas and those potentially exposed to the virus. Infected crew members even ate in the cafeteria alongside their coworkers. By the time the two week quarantine had finished, nearly 700 people had tested positive.

The passengers who were still negative after two weeks were allowed to disembark and return to their respective home countries, but many of their governments required them to undergo another two week quarantine upon arrival. The last of the crew members were released before the end of February. For a time in mid-February, the Diamond Princess had more confirmed cases of the virus than any country after China and South Korea.

A bus transferring passengers from the Diamond Princess

I included this story because I find it interesting, but also because it was huge news here in Japan, with the media updating the new number of cases daily. The incident, although handled poorly, raised awareness of the seriousness of the virus in Japan and prompted preventative measures among the general population, such as wearing masks and extra attention to hand washing (masks were already common here before the pandemic, often for sick people to lessen the chance of infecting others in crowded public spaces).

It was already common to see people wearing masks in Japan before
Covid-19; now, almost everyone wears them in public, both in and outdoors

By mid-February my company was advising us not to go out to bars and crowded places, and it wasn't long before businesses reduced operating hours. There hasn't been a lockdown here--trains still run regularly, and some restaurants have dine-in seating available. Since I haven't been going out with friends in the evenings, I've had have more time on my hands to explore the city. I try to get out at least once each weekend to see a new spot.

I often explore solo, but occasionally have gone with a classmate of mine from grad school who is working here on a one year contract as well. Back in February we went to Zushi and Hayama, along the west coast of the Miura Peninsula. They're not far from Enoshima (my last post), and they also have a laid back vibe compared to Tokyo. Below are a few pictures from our day trip there:

I only found a map highlighting Shonan Village;
we went to Zushi and the town of Hayama, just
to the south, along the Miura peninsula

Main beach in Zushi

View along the coast in between Zushi and Hayama

Looking south toward Hayama

One the rare pictures I have with me included. This was back in February,
so the weather was still chilly (around 50 / 10 Celsius)

As I mentioned before, I'll be post a series of updates about the areas I've explored over the last three months during covid-19. They will be in chronological order from February through May, or maybe June too if I go on any more day trips. So check back in a week or so for more.