Anna Matsushita

  31st March 2024 marks Easter, a celebration in Christianity commemorating the resurrection of Christ. This widely embraced Christian holiday, now quite prevalent in Japan, is a moveable feast, changing dates each year. Despite the uncertainties of the pandemic, places like Tokyo Disneyland used to host Easter events in pre-COVID times, featuring egg-shaped chocolates and festive treats. The Easter period spans about a month and a half. In Catholic tradition, it kicks off with Shrove Tuesday's Carnival, 41 days before Easter, followed by Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent – a period focusing on prayer, fasting, and charitable acts, sharing in the suffering of Christ. During Lent, individuals often undertake acts of kindness or give up indulgences such as sweets. On Shrove Tuesday, known in the UK as "Pancake Day," festivities involve making and flipping pancakes in a unique competition. Towns and villages host pancake-flipping challenges, and some even attempt the ...

  The second state of emergency was declared in Japan at the beginning of January 2021. The number of COVID-19 patient was increasing at alarmingly high pace. This time hospitals were all prepared, so there were at least some beds for new patients contracted to the virus. It was distressing to watch the evening TV news programme to see the number of patients rising day by day, but that was our reality. I think it was almost the same situation across the world. Many businesses, especially food industries such as bars and restaurants were badly hit, requested to close early. One of my old friend who runs Yakitori and wine restaurant was hit hard. His restaurant in Tokyo serves good wines made in many parts of Japan, and wonderful yakitori (skewered roasted chicken). I used to go there with my friends and colleagues, chatted over wonderful glasses of beer and wine with delicious yakitoris and other dishes. His restaurant normally close at around 24:00, but  he needed to close at ...