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Japanese Granny shows how to elegantly get a little extra personal space for social distancing

Katy Kelly Apr 11, 2020
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Every little counter-measure can help…right? This one makes it natural and easy to keep a little extra distance.

When the sun climbs high in the sky and the temperatures begin to rise, so do the temptations to open our doors, step out into the heat and bask — ideally with company. Sadly, many of us still need to forego long trips outside. The COVID-19 global pandemic is still rampant, and Japan is still working out what measures to take in light of the recent spike in cases.

One way to limit the spread of the virus is through social distancing, a buzzword that’s growing progressively common as the pandemic develops. By keeping indoors and only leaving for essentials, and even then minimizing contact as much as possible, the spread of the virus should slow and allow more feasible pacing for the hardworking healthcare staff tasked with addressing infected patients. What if other people in your vicinity aren’t as serious about social distancing, though? Well, Twitter user @KanameShiga found a great solution while taking out the trash.

そう言えば、一昨日ゴミ捨てに行ったら
近所のお婆さんが日傘をもって歩いていて
日傘をさしていると人と自然と一定の距離感が出来るから安心と言っていて
目からウロコが落ちた
コレがお婆ちゃんの知恵袋か！！#ソーシャルディスタンス #日傘

— かなめ (@KanameShiga) April 5, 2020

“Oh, by the way, when I was taking out the trash the other day, one of the older ladies from the neighborhood was walking with her parasol open. ‘With a parasol open, you can naturally and automatically maintain a fixed distance, so it helps me feel safe,’ she said.
It was as though the scales had fallen from my eyes!
Grannies sure are wise! #SocialDistancing #Parasol”

In a follow-up tweet @KanameShiga added:

“[In Japan] There’s that saying ‘You happen across people for a reason,’ but in these times, we have to take extra care about how much distance we keep from one another, so I could feel that lady’s charm and class just from how she kept her distance without saying a single harsh word just by opening her parasol.”

When we checked some old staff photographs this trick seemed to hold water. Take these stylish snaps of SoraNews24 reporter Ahiru Neko parading around with a UV parasol that we took in 2018…

▼ Ahiru Neko demonstrates some charm and class of his own.

▼ You can look chic and stylish with a parasol, whatever your gender.

Though to be fair, it’s still best to couple a parasol with extreme caution, a mask, ample hand washing and limited time outside. Once too many people start using parasols in a confined space it can turn ugly fast, even without a pandemic around.

▼ Nowadays this innocuous photograph from 2017 seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

Some commenters seemed to doubt the effectiveness of this parasol precaution, too. “Doesn’t a parasol roughly cover your shoulders and that’s it?” asked one. “Better use a beach parasol,” added another, “since you’d both need a parasol about one meter (39.3 inches) in radius to be at an appropriate distance.”

Still, just as people are more likely to keep away from a stranger wearing a mask, an open parasol could give that extra motivation to people around you to maintain their distance, and if you do have to venture out, you might as well do it while sporting a parasol with an adorable design or cute pattern.

Photos © SoraNews24
Source: Twitter/@KanameShiga via Hachima Kikou
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