Japanese still travel despite Abe's stay home appeal

Many Japanese commuted as usual to work despite a government call for telework to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, with 186 new infections reported in the nation on Monday, taking the total to 7,438.

"I've learned about how serious the disease is and the government's call for a 70 percent reduction in commuting, but it's just impossible for me to work from home," a man who works in the sales industry said while heading out of a Tokyo station.

In order to stem a further surge in infections, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a month-long state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures last week, asking people to stay at home as much as possible.

Decline in weekend trips

After the declaration of the emergency, the number of people visiting commercial and entertainment districts in Japan fell sharply, with data from mobile phone carrier NTT Docomo showing that visitors in areas around Tokyo's Shibuya Station, a normally bustling place, declined by 73.7 percent from the average for weekends and holidays compared with last November.

Meanwhile, visitors to Yokohama Station fell by 76.5 percent and to Osaka Station in western Japan, by 82.9 percent, the company said.

However, a decline in weekend trips does not make teleworking easy for Japanese, as 2019 data from the nation's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed that 80 percent of companies in Japan do not have the ability to let their employees work remotely.

What makes the situation worse is a video on Twitter showing Abe relaxing at home and encouraging people to stay indoors. It drew fierce criticism from internet users, who accused him of ignoring the struggles of people to make a living amid the coronavirus spread.

In response, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga defended Abe's post during a news conference on Monday.

"The number of infections is rising among young people, especially those in their 20s. Using social networking services is extremely effective in getting the youth to refrain from going out," the government spokesman said.