New Society and Lifestyles Suggested by COVID-19

― How to Escape from the Existing Framework ―

Abstract

The new-coronavirus raging around the world in 2020 has had a serious impact on the social and personal lives of all countries. Country-to-country relations have decreased, economies have shrunk, and people were trapped in their homes, lost their enjoyment of life, and could not even travel.

This forced us to reconsider many things that we had never had doubts about. Are our marital relationships and parent-child relationships all right as they are, and are the living environments in our neighborhoods fulfilling? Should school education be the same as it has been until now? How can we help those who have lost their jobs due to the corona-virus situation? What is needed to enrich welfare services for the elderly? Is it acceptable to fell forests, disperse exhaust fumes, and ignore the issue of global warming?

Many Japanese workers who were addicted to “overwork” have begun to seek a new lifestyle that balances work, home and leisure. They seek to enhance their home-based activities, showing greater interest in reading, art and music, enabling more enjoyment of their personal time, while cultivating new forms of communication utilizing online tools.

One cause of concern is that there is a worldwide movement to strengthen the power of central governments in response to COVID-19. Any necessary social control must be built on the basis of the voluntary cooperation of citizens. The goal of the post-corona world should not be to strengthen governments, but rather to strengthen the solidarity of citizens.