2021 Rewind: 10 witty initiatives in Japan to beat pandemic blues

Happy New Year! As we ring in 2022, The Mainichi editing team reflects on some of the finest initiatives that made headlines in Japan in 2021.

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<< High-class Tokyo hotel launches ‘futuristic’ lantern dining to beat coronavirus >>

TOKYO — A high-end resort hotel in Tokyo has come up with a unique way to enable diners to enjoy meals while offering protection against the coronavirus — by covering them with transparent lanterns. Full story and photo special.

<< New Japanese business cards beat pandemic masking with beaming smiles >>

NAGOYA — “Nice to meet you, this is what I look like!” That’s the idea behind a line of business cards printed with the lower half of the bearer’s face, the half often covered by a mask in these COVID-19 times. Full story.

<< As pandemic limits travel, Japanese airlines’ sale of in-flight meals takes off >>

NARITA, Chiba — Japanese airlines have found success in the sale of in-flight meals for those who cannot fly abroad but want to savor them amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Full story.

<< Tokyo’s high-end hotels offering luxurious residential services for long-term stays >>

TOKYO — Luxurious hotels in Japan’s capital are offering a range of residential services for extended stays in a bid to survive amid the coronavirus pandemic and their efforts are proving popular with many rooms quickly snapped up. Full story.

<< Japanese conversation practice app ‘Sail’ popular with elderly amid pandemic limits >>

TOKYO — The online communication service “Sail” that allows Japanese people and foreigners to converse in Japanese is becoming popular as a tool to practice speaking the language, but it’s also attracting attention from local governments as a means to provide older people with opportunities for interaction that had been reduced by the coronavirus pandemic. Full story.

<< Japan’s countryside lures remote workers amid pandemic with old residences, fast internet >>

MIMA, Tokushima — Satellite offices, which previously attracted attention thanks to the Japanese government’s regional revitalization measures, are now gaining new traction among workers and businesses wanting to move their bases to remote regions as teleworker numbers rapidly increase and workstyles diversify amid the pandemic. Full story.

<< Children’s cafeteria in Japan becomes melting pot as int’l students cook up tastes of home >>

MATSUYAMA — An “international children’s cafeteria,” where foreign students cook their favorite foods from their home countries and serve up meals, opened in this west Japan city in March. Full story.

<< Socially distanced dance show viewed from peepholes to tour Japan >>

AKITA — A dance show inspired by coronavirus distancing measures and taking place on a circular stage which audience members watch by peeping through doors is set to tour Japan. Full story and photo special.

<< Next-gen Tokyo conference room explores new workstyles to foster creativity >>

TOKYO — Bright colors are projected onto a vast, white space enveloped in light and sound, creating an experience exciting all five senses. Full story.

And this is the 10th piece that illustrates how an established Japanese maker is helping combat the pandemic with its decades-long research.

<< Japanese soy sauce maker Yamasa helping to create mRNA vaccines to combat COVID >>

CHIBA — Major soy sauce maker Yamasa Corp. is helping global pharmaceutical giants create COVID-19 vaccines by providing them with pseudouridine, a nucleoside variant necessary for the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Full story.