Hello from Tokyo, where the mood has changed, and things are looking up – and not just because the days are cooler. COVID – 19 cases are down (poor Melbourne’s daily totals are higher than Tokyo) and the number of double – vaccinated people has steadily increased to the point where Japan’s statistics are better than that of the US.

At the time of writing, 57 per cent of the overall population has had two shots, and a whopping 47 per cent of people in their 20s have done us proud by having their first vaccination.