午夜剧场

It has already been a year since the new coronavirus began raging across the globe. Looking back, I was in Indonesia around this time last year. At that time, no infections had been confirmed locally yet, and I remember feeling bewildered by having to wear an unfamiliar mask in the midsummer heat. Since returning to Japan in mid-February, I have spent nearly a year unable to travel abroad. For someone who regularly conducts field research, this is the first time since my master's studies—excluding the year I gave birth—that I have not gone into the field for an entire year. On the other hand, communication with people on the ground has been surprisingly active. With both sides having stable internet environments and spending more time at home, I have become completely accustomed to exchanging information and holding discussions online over the past year.

Among many new discoveries, I have been struck once again by the practice of mutual aid among the Indonesian people. In Indonesia, almsgiving based on Islamic teachings—practiced by nearly 90% of the population—and systems of mutual aid within local communities still function to a certain extent today. During the COVID-19 pandemic, donations have been collected through various channels such as religious and social organizations, workplaces, schools, and local communities, with various goods and funds being sent to those in need. Even at the mosque of a famous national university, which is one of my own research sites, donations are collected from faculty, students, and nearby residents. They have been seamlessly providing food distribution to the poor, support for smartphones and internet costs for needy students taking online classes, and medical supplies to hospitals and healthcare workers. They say that setting up a system where people can easily donate with simple smartphone operations has also been successful.

When I expressed my admiration for the people's agility in helping one another, a mosque administrator I know told me, "That's the difference between us and the Japanese, who place their expectations on public support. Since we can't expect anything from the government from the start, we support each other ourselves." In Indonesia, one can witness safety nets functioning at the resident level without relying on administrative services.

Incidentally, Indonesia continues to fail in containing the virus. Cumulative infections have reached 1.15 million, with new daily cases exceeding 10,000. While hoping that the power of social mutual aid can somehow compensate for a government unable to demonstrate effectiveness in infection control, I spend my days eagerly awaiting the day I can travel there again.