00:00:00 John Daub: Tokyo, it's the middle of December 2020. In the distance is the beautiful Tokyo Skytree with Eitai Bridge, newly redone for the 2020-2021 Olympics. How you doing everybody? We're in a neutral area here on the bridge, and I wanted to go over some travel updates, give you a feeling of what domestic travel is like right now in Japan. Over the last couple months I've traveled more than the entire year and thought I'd give feedback, share my opinions and feelings about traveling here at this time. Many of you had to cancel trips from the beginning of the year through probably mid-2021, and we're not sure even now. This is a great time to talk about traveling in Japan—so many things have happened.

00:01:01 John Daub: I wanted to share, give you a chance to ask questions you might have on your mind so we can pass the ball forward a little bit. In 2021 when it hits, we'll be ready with travel. Looking at the live chat, one question from Tony on Patreon: "John, do you feel comfortable traveling right now in Japan?" The answer is not 100%, no, not really. But with a lot of people, especially in the United States, there's fear because numbers are so high. Here in Japan we just passed—yesterday or two days ago—over 3,000 infected in one day, the highest since the pandemic started. That's a psychological impact on people; they got worried, more staying home.

00:02:02 John Daub: Yesterday I came back on the Shinkansen from Kesennuma, from Ichinoseki back to Tokyo through Sendai. After Sendai there were maybe three people on the train—nobody traveling to Tokyo from Tohoku. Everybody traveling was going from Tokyo maybe to Tohoku, but very few coming back. It's part of the pandemic. For the second or third time this year I had a face shield; I'm the only one I saw using one a couple days ago. Almost no normal people—meaning not dealing with customers—are using face shields. You can see here on the riverbank one reason I came: a slice of everyday life in Tokyo. Not a lot wearing face shields, but everybody seems to be wearing a mask, social distancing as much as they can.

00:03:09 John Daub: Train travel hasn't stopped much. In April Japan was doing temperature checks, making sure everybody had a mask on or encouraging it. No penalties if you don't wear one, but as a society Japanese tend to conform to rules. Maybe that's why it's not as bad here. The other might be fewer tests than in the West—I don't know. Not a lot of people I know have come down with COVID here, not yet, not until recently. About a month ago numbers started changing, after the last travel update. Tokyo was receiving over 500 a day—not too bad for a major metro area. Even one is too much. Spaceboat going by. I feel safe? Not really, but I gotta do it for work.

00:04:36 John Daub: I'm gonna be flying to Kochi Prefecture, taking a plane from Haneda to Kochi—I'm a little worried. But I've flown maybe four times; domestic flights haven't changed much. Everybody's wearing masks, people stop talking, following pilot and staff instructions down to a T. People get up when rows are called, stay seated on arrival—pretty amazing. I feel pretty safe on a flight, but not like before.

00:05:30 John Daub: Looking at chat—I'm not seeing it. Let me restart. Okay, restarted chat, hopefully that does something. This is supposed to be a Q&A and there's nobody asking questions. Chat stopped at 2:36, about three minutes ago. We activated Nightbot and it turned everybody off—I think the robots have taken over. Anyway, gonna give experiences for next 10 minutes; this'll be useful as a place in history.

00:07:04 John Daub: Disabled Nightbot. Still not seeing chat—it's weird. Restarted app, shut it off and on, but doesn't look like it worked. Air to the Run from Patreon: "Are those domestic travel deals packages including rail and air with a certain company? Any differences in COVID protocols?" Go To Travel campaign was canceled in a couple cities. Osaka and Sapporo ended it, discouraging people to come. Sapporo ended Go To Travel; situation in Hokkaido is really bad. Asahikawa hospitals full, had a cluster that spread quickly. So cold there. Flying to Hokkaido probably not for a while—shame, had winter episode ideas.

00:08:48 John Daub: Japan numbers not going down, impacting travel deals—not as many, businesses hurting. Restaurants, hotels, family ryokans connected to travel can't continue; government feeling pressure from both sides. Trying to kick domestic travel into gear, throw a lifeline since no more money to hand out. Trying to help by going to places like Kesennuma with Japan Rail project, encouraging travel outside Tokyo to Tohoku—good and bad, don't know. My heart is to help people. Really hard in a pandemic—you can't stop everything; businesses need to go on. Was in Kesennuma yesterday scouting; going back to film. Have friends there from volunteering 10 years ago running food with foreign volunteers and food banks.

00:10:51 John Daub: Encouraging travel there now is hard—they need it but don't want to encourage it. Rock and hard place. Going to Kochi tomorrow—job scheduled long ago, time-sensitive, no choice. Two nights, three days filming, back right away. Not traveling rest of year outside Tokyo, nothing planned especially air travel. Have to film now or wait till next year—flights, hotel booked, don't want to cancel. Gonna wear face shield, two masks. Japanese masks too big for my small face, so two plus shield feels snug, breathing through filter. On arrival change clothes, bag them for wash, gargle alcohol, change mask, stay protected. Take temperature daily for Japan Rail project over two months—no fever, couple spikes from cold but not COVID. Check and trace contacts—don't want to be a super spreader.

00:13:03 John Daub: Raymond Centeno: "More comfortable by plane or Shinkansen?" Hard. Plane air cycles every three minutes—might be safer than Shinkansen's eight. But close to people on plane, can't escape. Shinkansen you can walk—double-edged, but not overly crowded despite Go To Travel. Staff spaces reservations; JR lost 70-80% ridership. Prompted JR East Welcome Rail Pass—12,000 yen for three days unlimited Shinkansen to Tohoku for foreigners living in Japan. Opened because ridership down, new markets—travelers promote on social media.

00:15:18 John Daub: Avoid peak hours on subways/trains; for meetings ride bicycle—35-40 minutes to Shibuya, almost hour to Shinjuku. Keeps me in shape since no gym. Subways, city trains, buses worry me. People not talking in crowded areas—maybe why less spread. Don't talk in taxis, public transport, Shinkansen. When eating ekiben, masks off—chance to spread. They discourage talking while eating. Two old ladies at Omiya chatted with masks on, ate bento silently, slept—well-mannered, keeping risk down.

00:17:25 John Daub: Upcoming episode on how they clean Shinkansen—since working with JR, gonna show sanitizing public transport in Tokyo. Scouted Ueno Station last week. What questions for Tokyo/JR to feel safer riding? As train otaku, don't want to lose trains. Fascinating—filming early January, studying chemicals.

00:18:25 John Daub: Peak hours not as bad—more working from home—but still crowded, no talking, masks on, little distancing. Rode once, scared, never again—off-peak, early morning, bike, taxi. Taxis okay in central Tokyo, not expensive, just not often. Chat issues persist—old questions: Shane "keep safe," Brenda "aloha." Jimmy Pressler super chat: "COVID vaccines required for foreigners entering Japan?" Researched—Japan Times yesterday: UK experts say Japan last big economy for vaccine. Probably need it to travel anywhere; Australia PM said critical. Proof of vaccination eases entry, but fakes/biometrics/privacy issues. Japanese not till March; bought 60 million Pfizer doses, hopes in domestic but history (1990s MMR lawsuit) slowed them. Hard working with big corps—slow process, but safer maybe.

00:22:36 John Daub: Kanae and I won't get till summer maybe. Buckle down with shields/masks. Protect even post-vaccine. Flying Haneda to Kochi tomorrow morning livestream. Renting car to countryside Yokoan (guesthouse)—they do temp checks. Hotels: good ones have alcohol wipes; trust housekeeping sanitizing. Stayed in many recently—different cleanliness levels; bring own wipes. Buses not traveled much—mostly bikes. Spaceboat mostly empty even Sunday; tours not discounted much, but Go To Travel rebates/coupons. Not all hotels accept; various levels.

00:26:02 John Daub: Tinkering chat—jet skiers on Sumida River in December. Chat working now. How's day? Busy editing fireworks, sushi, Mt. Fuji videos—quiet day, thought livestream. Tomorrow taxi to Haneda (~$35-40), early flight low traffic/people. Live from inside Haneda, ANA to Kochi—temp checks, screening. Checking luggage.

00:29:03 John Daub: Separated from people on bridge for safety. Lots joining memberships but chat funky. Restarted—nothing. Leave comments, I'll check. Stream weird, feel alone without chat. Back tomorrow Haneda. Doing more Twitch from hiatus, building studio. Not leaving Tokyo rest of year—editing, Twitch setup. Strengthening Only in Japan brand 2021. Postcards out to Patreon: Sean (Australia), Clarissa (Shelby USA), Tomi (Finland), Harry (Glendora USA), David (Hungary), Ammar (NY), Gunther (Germany)—Reiwa 3 stamps, Kanae and me.

00:32:13 John Daub: New channel for smaller stories, bite-size Only in Japan. Chat fixed—Nosh! Woot woot? T not silent. Hotels: no capsules long-term; APA ~5,000 yen ok. Gate Tower Inn (Ginza etc.) reasonable. Intercontinental bayside nice, Yamanote access, Rainbow Bridge view ~15-18k yen. Peninsula pricier. JR sanitizes Shinkansen at terminals (7 min Tokyo), efficient stronger chemicals—scouting story.

00:36:17 John Daub: Business hotels tolerable but watch smoking rooms/floors—had to switch in Kesennuma (kin'en, non-smoking). Smoke leaks if heavy smoker below. APA used for COVID quarantine (no tourists then). Small Japanese homes hard to contain spread—shared toilet/shower. Chat great now.

00:38:32 John Daub: No local tourists/COVID patients mixed—quarantine hotels separate. State of emergency: even car drive Mt. Fuji got anger. Kids on trains/flights? Few—business travelers mostly, mouths shut. Highways crowded (Peter 100km jam); service areas ok if quick/precautions. Vaccine March—Japan Times link.

00:42:00 John Daub: Numbers rising; US testing more but huge difference. Fireworks update tonight. Lisa O: Travel hard for older/restricted mobility? More contact/help needed, but Japan improving (Olympics elevators). Robotics forefront—legs help walk again; focus 2021 accessibility episodes.

00:45:19 John Daub: New channel youtube.com/slash John Daub—subscribe, near 100k. Hotels recs repeated. Masks: cloth + paper; N95 public transport. Protect others—interviews 2m distance, mask on. Goal 2021: weekly episodes, team, studio, Twitch, Discord calls, merch, brand growth. Collaborations only experts/friends.

00:55:34 John Daub: Travel return longer—vaccine delay. Snow: Tokyo rare/melts; Hokkaido now, Fuji recent. Kochi flight right side maybe Fuji. Christmas not family (expats tough); Shogatsu big—JR 75% down New Year's. Game centers dying (PS5/Switch). Vaccine March reservation scary.

01:04:21 John Daub: Hatsumode maybe Fast Pass reservations. Tokyo Eye 50th tomorrow Zoom. Hana back Macedonia quarantine. Tomorrow Haneda livestream, Kochi till Wed, then Tokyo streams. Have good day—see you tomorrow morning.