I was informed that a way to get the COVID vaccination voucher earlier was to register through a SDF (Japan Self-Defense Forces or #自衛隊 or #Jieitai) mass vaccination website. So, armed with my trusty Google Translate, I tried to navigate the Japanese-only website.
The registration was pretty much straightforward. The usual information was needed and all I had to do was input them accurately. The only signal that I was able to successfully register was an email after a few seconds saying:
【自衛隊・大規模接種センター等】新型コロナウイルスワクチン接種券（クーポン券）の優先発送申請の受付完了いたしました。
郵送にて接種券を送付いたしますので、今しばらくお待ちくださいますようお願い申し上げます。
Translation: [Self-Defense Forces, Large-scale Inoculation Center, etc.] We have completed accepting applications for priority shipping of new coronavirus vaccination tickets (coupons).
We will send you the inoculation ticket by mail, so please wait for a while.
I was relieved. From then on, I would check the mailbox twice or even thrice a day. On the second day of waiting, I got the much-prized envelope bearing my voucher.
Now the next hurdle began. Good thing, my city has a list of medical facilities where one can get vaccinated. The list has the name, address, telephone number and what kind of reservations they accept; some only accept current patients while others accept reservations done through the city hall.
How did I choose?
First, I narrowed down my choices to the areas which were accessible to my place. I am located near the city-center so I had a lot of choices.
Next, I only crossed out the ones which only accepted current patients and the ones I needed to go through the city hall. The reason why I didn't want to go through the city hall was because they would ask me to wait for my age group to start making reservations (they only started to do 50-59 years old at this time -- sucks to be young! Ha!). The good thing about the list of facilities was there were clinics which accepted reservations without considering the age. So, my mission was to find those clinics and get the earliest possible schedule. And this is when the fun started...
The Call
It was my 5th call to a clinic when they gave me the earliest schedule. This is how it went...
Me: Koronawakuchin sesshu bauchā o motte imasu. Yoyaku wa dekimasu ka ( I have #COVID vaccination voucher. Can I make an appointment?)
Staff: Yes.
Me: Ichiban hayai no wa itsudesu ka ( When is the earliest time?)
Staff: Ikai July 7. Nikai July 28.
Until this point, I was so proud of myself. Then the staff started to ask about my personal information. Easy! I even gave my voucher number in Nihongo. Ahem! As I was about to pat my own back...
Staff: blah blah blah blah blah wa arimasu ka
Me: (cricket sounds from my side)
Staff: moshi moshi!
Me: Ahh...ehhh... Mōichido onegaishimasu. (One more time please.)
Staff: blah blah blah blah blah wa arimasu ka
Me: (getting frustrated) Sumimasen. Wakarimasen.
This continued for almost 2 minutes and I prayed she wouldn't give up on me. Then, she got the idea of translating it and playing the voice for me.
Staff: (playing pronunciation from her phone) blah blah blah
Me: (more cricket sounds)
Staff: (playing pronunciation again from her phone) blah blah blah
Me: (hoping she wouldn't think I'm such a pain) Spell onegaishimasu.
Staff: Ah, ok. A-S-T-H...
Me: ASTHMA!
Staff: (hearing a smile from the other line) So so so!
We both laughed and felt so relieved. For the rest of the illnesses she asked, she spelled everything.
#Omotenashi (#Japanesehospitality) is alive in my city and it is usually taken to a higher level by those staff members who take pride in what they do. I hope that staff member who assisted me and I hope her encounter with me made her day. Because she made mine.
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