Here we are. Another glorious cherry blossom season in Japan.

And no Okaasan to enjoy us it with us.

Bugger Covid.

She is still locked away in a care home/hospital. Basically in a bed, with tubes going in and out. Kind nursing staff coming and talking to her in loud, happy voices.

We discovered this week that even an online meeting is out of the question at the moment. The staff said they aren't doing it at the moment because it takes up staff time, and they are trying to limit staff movement around the hospital.

So. We can't even see her on a computer screen and wave.

Covid new infections have remained pretty constant this spring in Japan, high but not health service and life threatening. The Golden Week holiday came and went, with the expected rise in new case numbers after it. But life plods on.

In fact the Prime Minister started talking about opening Japan to foreign tourists sometime. At first highly controlled tour groups, with approved agencies - and only from countries where the Japanese government thinks test results are valid...such as Singapore, Australia and America. And the numbers of new entries per day will increase to 20,000. Still FAR short of the average 70,000 a day in normal times.

But. All of that aside.

We still can't visit Okaasan and take her out to see cherry blossoms.