The 47thSet a thief to catch a thief
I would like to write about the coronavirus, but I don't feel it is so much so as to use the cliche that it is raging. As of today (March 6), when I am writing this manuscript, the number of infected people is 345. The number of deaths is 6. If this is really the number, it is nothing to be afraid of.
But if this is the tip of the iceberg, it is a different story. As everyone is aware, if someone is arbitrarily manipulating the number of infected people to make it look low, or rather, if someone is interfering with medical checkups, the potential number of infected people is truly overwhelming. Compared to the number of people infected in Hokkaido, this number in Tokyo, with its large population, is frankly unbelievable.
It is also troubling because even after testing, it is possible to make a mistake in determining whether the patient is infected or not.
There are people who are already infected but do not develop the disease because of their high immunity and are living their daily lives without knowing it. If such people develop the disease one after another, we are at our wit's end. It would be a pandemic. The government has announced that the two weeks between now and the end of March is the deadline for the outbreak. Thanks to these two weeks, elementary and junior high schools have been closed, and many events have been scaled back or canceled. Baseball games were cancelled, soccer games postponed, and the Tokyo Marathon was cancelled.
If the infection spreads here, the Tokyo Olympics, which Japan considers the most important event of the year, will be far away. It is clear that the Japanese government wants to avoid this at all costs. If this is not done, the Japanese economy will surely be shattered.
Will the Olympics really be held?
Companies that are heavily involved in the Games are probably particularly concerned. Small and medium-sized companies making souvenirs for the Olympics are already in a life-and-death situation. They will have no choice but to stock up on Olympic buns and be at their wits' end.
It's not easy for sports manufacturers. The Olympics is also a big trade show.
The earlier Tokyo Marathon was also a disaster: more than 30,000 ordinary runners were unable to participate. Promotion of new products was also in limbo.
Nike's thick-soled shoes were the center of attention at the Tokyo Marathon. Most of the top finishers in this event, not to mention the Hakone Ekiden at New Year's, were wearing these shoes. The World Association of Athletics Federations (WAF) put a halt to this, and the topic of whether or not to ban the use of these shoes became a hot topic, but they ruled that they were acceptable as long as they had been on the market for four months prior to the event and had a 4cm upper limit. Then came the Air Zoom Alpha Fly Next % from Nike. It was as if the regulations had been arranged in advance.
Some people, who are not so eager to talk, suspect that there may have been lobbying activities, but it is needless to say that the path of the snake is the snake's path, not to mention the aforementioned Corona issue. This is just another kind of rumor.
Anyway, this is not good news for domestic manufacturers. They wanted to launch a sensational new product just in time for the Olympics, but the four-month rule forced them to change their plans.
What model will really be released and at what timing?
In the case of Nike, I am not a customer because the company says that only those who have run a full marathon in less than 2 hours and 50 minutes for men and 3 hours and 40 minutes for women are allowed to buy a Nike marathon.
So, as a citizen runner myself, I am eagerly awaiting new products from domestic manufacturers.
However, as of this writing, they have not yet been announced. Even if they are released, there is a possibility that they will be for elite runners.
It's almost the start of a new year, and I want to get rid of the old model I've been wearing and run in a new pair of shoes. So, as a member of the ASICS party, I decided to go with the Olympic model, which was inspired by Tokyo in 1964.
¥16,000+TAX
The 26th model of the "GEL-KAYANO" series, the flagship running shoes from "ASICS", has a retro design inspired by Tokyo in 1964. By incorporating GEL in the forefoot and heel to increase shock absorption, and adopting lightweight FLYTEFOAM midsole and FLYTEFOAM PROPEL with excellent resilience, a smooth ride was achieved.
PROFILE
After working as a freelance editor for Magazine House and Popeye, he managed stylists and started his own editing/production company, which was renamed Rhino Inc. in 2006.
ASICS Japan K.K. Customer Service Center
Phone: 0120-068-806
