On swine flu and discrimination…

Well, I’ve been in Tokyo for four days now and it is such an amazing place. Seeing so many new things and meeting such interesting people has been awesome, but still, there are some things I’m experiencing in Tokyo that I’d never want to endure again. Has you may or may not know swine flu is spreading rapidly in southern Japan and just yesterday the first case was reported in Tokyo. The Japanese are taking this spread very seriously and the news is spreading fears to the general population. What this means for Americans in Japan is that we are looked upon as plague bearers by a lot of people. As a Caucasian in the US, I’ve never really experienced discrimination. It is so strange when you are walking towards someone and they suddenly notice you and shield their mouth and nose until you pass. On the subway we have had people leave to other cars when we enter. A mother we sat near on the subway saw us and frantically rushed to tighten the face mask on her child. These are all just examples with random people; we are also being forced to limit our interaction with students on our university trips, and other restrictions on company visits.

Aside from this Influenza crap, Japan has given me memories that will last a lifetime. Here are some pictures I’ve taken so far. This is only scratching the surface of what I’ve seen.