Yano Koji shoots a drama Photo: Courtesy of Yano Koji

Yano Koji, one of the most popular Japanese actors in China warmed Chinese netizens' hearts by donating 130,000 protective masks to Wuhan after the COVID-19 outbreak. As the virus continues to spread in Japan, he called for the Japanese public to take the matter more seriously and fight the virus alongside other global citizens.

The 46-year-old actor has appeared in many Chinese TV dramas and is best known for co-hosting Chinese talk show Day Day Up, which is especially popular among young viewers for its humorous yet informative nature.

Having close contact with his friends in China, Yano said that as soon as he learned about the situation in Wuhan, he decided to help by donating protective masks. 

"Just some small contribution. I hope the medics who are fighting on the frontline can protect themselves well so that they can help more patients," Yano posted on January 31 on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. The post soon gained more than 1.2 million likes and was flooded with grateful comments from Chinese netizens.

Wanting in public awareness

With the spread of the virus, the number of confirmed cases has been rising in Japan as well. According to reports, as of Sunday morning, there have been 1,159 confirmed cases of the virus in Japan and 14 deaths. 

The actor has voiced his concerns. 

"Japan isn't doing enough to fight the virus… We should learn from the measures taken by China. Try to stay in and raise public awareness."

"The government has advised the public to try to stay at home and avoid going to crowded places. Yet some families in Japan still are not paying attention. They don't think the situation is that severe," Yano told the Global Times.

Yano noted that it will require joint efforts from everyone in the country to fight the virus.

 "We used to say 'add oil Wuhan,' and 'add oil China.' Looking at the situation now, Japan also needs to add oil," said Yano, mentioning the common Chinese phrase for cheering people on. 

"I hope things can get better soon for people across the world," he added.

Yano Koji Photo: Courtesy of Yano Koji

Bonding through hardship

Due to the limited quantity of items that individuals can send abroad each time, the 130,000 masks donated by Yano had to be mailed in about 500 boxes, a task which took 10 people nearly 20 days to finish. Yano helped with the packing and shipping whenever he could, which he considered as "quite a normal thing to do," because in his mind people are all global citizens.

"Japan is faced with a shortage of masks currently. [Chinese] Jack Ma also donated 1 million masks to Japan as well. I also heard that some Chinese friends are giving out masks for free to passers-by on the street. In the face of this crisis, everyone is a global citizen," said Yano.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, China and Japan have shown solidarity toward each other. Kind gestures from individuals or groups have further promoted understanding between the people of the two countries.

"Many young Japanese actors are interested in Chinese culture. The film and TV market is huge in China, and there are more and more Japanese actors showing interest in the Chinese language. I know many actors who are studying Chinese," said Yano.

He said he'd be more than happy to help with exchanges and cooperation in the film and TV industries of China and Japan. 

"It'd be very rewarding. I hope we can make more efforts in this aspect."

"China and Japan are closely connected. There are a lot of people like me traveling between the two countries. Every individual can be a small, narrow tube. The more tubes like this, the better. The increased quantity of small, narrow tubes will make a wider, more solid channel," wrote Yano in a letter published on Thursday in the Chinese magazine Southern People Weekly.