i'm yanaka marie. the coronavirus pandemic is radically changing how we work. are digitizing operations, promoting remote labor, basically adopting flexible approaches. i've been writing my scripts from home too. in our ever-changing world, we look at how people in japan are implementing innovative strategies that increase safety as well as productivity. preventing infection among employees is key for companies. be it by making workplaces safer or telecommuting more efficient. our first report looks at firms navigating all the changes. >> this is an office furniture manufacturer. customers are asking for help. >> translator: e everyone asks about droplet infection. >> reporter: ensuring worker safety has become a top priority during the pandemic. the furniture supplier is responding with panels to stop droplets. and automatic doors so no one has to touch doorknobs. smart cards also. they track walker movements in case an infection occurs. telecommuting is another way to keep workers safe. but how to maintain productivity? this woman works at a major food maker.

i'm yanaka marie. the shadow cast by the virus is long.fficials say there were no new tourists from overseas between april and august. travel within the country has slumped too. when the government launched a subsidy campaign for domestic tourism, it even had to exclude tokyo as an infection hot spot. so, how can the industry get back on its feet? today we see how people at some top destinations are fighting to save their businesses. we start with chinatown in yokohama. the gourmet destination is about an hour from central tokyo and a big attraction domestically. out of 20 million annual visitors, most are from japan. however, after the first case of the coronavirus in japan was reported in january, visitors to chinatown plunged ahead of other tourist destinations. many people mistakenly associated the district with the outbreak in china. we went behind the scenes to see how the people of the neighborhood are responding. >> the heart of downtown yokohama, japan's second most populous city, lies the country's biggest chinatown. it this is o

i'm yanaka marie.ok at a question that's asked by many but for which there's no definite answer. that is, what should the end of a person's life be like? the decisions we face at this time are some of our most challenging, and under the cloud of the covid-19 pandemic, many of the ways we say good-bye have now changed. in our two stories, we look at the impact of the coronavirus on end-of-life care and afterward. >>> our first report is about hospices where terminally ill patients might normally find peace and a chance to say a proper farewell. however, the coronavirus is restricting in-person contact and separating people from their loved ones. we take an in depth look at how one facility is doing all it can to enable patients and their families to share time while keeping the virus out. >> reporter: this man is celebrating his mother's birthday through a glass door at the entrance of a hospice. the mother is a terminally ill cancer patient. her son can't enter the facility. >> reporter: they've been c

i'm yanaka marie.-19 has been forcing changes on the world and the industry of agriculture is no exception. farmers are now facing problems ranging from severed supply chains to lack of labor. today we look at how agricultural businesses are responding with innovative ideas. the coronavirus pandemic continues, but hopefully these seeds of inspiration will help the industry blossom. first we go to south korea where work opportunities have taken a hit from covid-19, especially for young people. a recent monthly survey found unemployment among 15 to 29-year-olds is the worst in over two decades, but a new trend is seeing city dwellers heading out of town for a life on the arm. >> south korea's sweet pepper farmgs are in the midst of the busy season, but this worker is new to the job. she turned down a position as a pastry chef in seoul as she wouldn't have made enough money following the pandemic. she looked to the countryside instead. >> translator: i kneww farming was tough, but when i actually tried it