That
mokushoku
(translated from Japanese: eat in silence) is a
behaviour rules
the students had to comply with in schools to curb the spread of the infection. Except that I can’t
to chat
between them during the meal the students could not sit
turned to others
and they had to respect that
interpersonal distance
. The break had gone from an opportunity to debate with peers to a sad routine: the silence was only masked by the sound of cutlery on the plates, and because of this one headmaster had tried to make it more pleasant by broadcasting something
music
via the school sound system.
to Fukuoka
other prefectures
they followed the same example.
Miyazaki
south of Fukuoka, e.g
Chiba
, in the Tokyo metropolitan area, have begun to lift some of the restrictions and have found favor with teachers who have been waiting for signs of a return to normal for some time. But if teachers seem to agree on giving up mokushoku, the same cannot be said for parents, who fear a renewed surge in infections.