800,000 Tulips Were Cut Down In This Japanese City After Its Residents Failed To Follow Quarantine Rules
Many have already said that there are things they fear more than COVID-19, and that is people. Specifically, it is those who succumb to chaos and start hoarding, or those who think that the pandemic is a lie. These types of people subsequently add to the problem and make things worse while everyone else is trying to fix it. Alas, this is a story about why we can’t have nice things because of these people.
The Japanese city of Sakura hosts an annual festival called the Sakura Tulip Festa. It is a festival dedicated to the blooming of tulips. Every year, dozens upon dozens of people gather at the Sakura Furusato Square and feast their eyes on the marvelous, colorful sea of tulips surrounding an authentic Dutch windmill that was built to commemorate the 400-year-long friendship between Japan and the Netherlands.
People couldn’t stop gathering at the Sakura Furusato Square despite COVID-19 lockdown restrictions
Image credits: JW
The coronavirus hasn’t stopped the flowers from blooming—for them, the festival went on—but it did stop the city of Sakura from celebrating the festival.
However, despite the cancellation of the festival and the closing of the square, some decided that it was a good idea to still attend the blooming of the tulips and to make a festival for themselves.
According to Sakura city officials, roughly 400 people were seen in Furusato Square on April 11th admiring the blooming and risking getting infected and thus spreading the virus. This was the first weekend after PM Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in Chiba prefecture (where Sakura is located).
Despite the Sakura Tulip Festa being cancelled, people were still planning to come see the blooming of the tulips
Image credits: TripAdvisor
In response to this, the local authorities mowed down the main attraction to prevent people from gathering
Image credits: YokohamaNoHito
Unfortunately, it was not possible to physically close off the area and this way ward off any people who would try to take a close and personal sneak peek at the blooming tulips.
So, a few days later, the authorities decided it was time for plan B—to mow down the entire square before they bloomed. This meant that approximately 800,000 tulips of around 100 different varieties were destroyed.
Officials explained that it wasn’t an easy decision, but it was one that had to be made for the greater good. Keeping them there would have been dangerous as there would always be the risk of people gathering and thus perpetuating the coronavirus.
It was reported that around 800,000 tulips of 100 varieties were destroyed
Image credits: YokohamaNoHito
The difficult decision was made because there were no other practical ways to close off the square
Image credits: can2arakawa
A Facebook user shared this photo of what the square looks like at the moment, after the tulips were removed
Image credits: 篠原秋也
Some came to criticize this decision, saying that the government could have, at the very least, donated the flowers to people and institutions. However, most are of the opinion that it was the most effective thing to do as there was no other practical way to ensure the closure of the square.
Besides, people can always return once the lockdown is over and the flowers will certainly grow back. After all, this was done to save people’s lives, and it’s a cause worth the temporary sacrifice.
Watch a video of the cancelled Sakura Tulip Festival showing what these days it would have looked like if not for COVID-19
Image credits: さくら動画配信(佐倉市公式チャンネル)
What are your thoughts on this? Would you have done it differently? Let us know in the comments below.
Here’s what other people online had to say about it
It's saddens me that destruction was the means to keep stupid people out. Distance world. Distance.
correction - to keep the intelligent people out
Load More Replies...It's a sad view, but I hear the drastic measures are necessary for bulbs... I really hope we enjoy the beautiful square with full of tulips next year!
waku pu and do not be so very superficial - it is your mindset which is the problem
Load More Replies...What it takes is one police car with a megaphone telling them "Turn around and go home. You are in violation of the stay at home order. If you do not return home now, you will be arrested and heavily fined. Leave now." Most Covidiots like these will follow the rules if you loudly point out they're being selfish. Stores around here have put and X or an Arrow at the end of aisles to keep everything flowing in one direction to limit the chances of people violating the 6 foot rule. I caught a guy coming down the aisle at me the wrong way. I asked him to please follow the direction of the arrows. He said angrily "What..are you going to sit here an police everybody?" I said "I dunno..are you gonna continue to act like you're 5 years old?" Then a manager who was standing behind the guy cleared his throat. When the jerk turned around and saw him, the manager pointed to the next aisle over. "You can go down that one." The jerk complained all the way down the aisle....
In the Netherlands you are fined 390 Euros per person for breaking rules on social distancing. A lot of people still went to see the tulips during Easter days. They just didn't care. So the farmers had to cut the flowers to keep them from coming. I've learned form this intelligent lockdown the Netherlands has, that people are too stupid to make an appeal on their common sense.
Load More Replies...If there's one thing our species can be counted on for, it's destroying anything good and beautiful that nature has to offer. There is nothing people won't ruin and/or destroy. Japan is also slaughtering magnificent whales. Nothing is sacred except for their man-made gods.
Not even that, Id row, "people" are throwing out good, fully functioning man-made goods and dumping them in the land fields and oceans.
Load More Replies...Same thing happened in The Netherlands, people refusing to not come to the flower fields. So the flower farmer decided to cut them all down.
I'm very angry at the online comment (see above) by Mingjia Zhong who said, "...go when the Boomer remover is over." First, what a horrible, callous attitude! Second, it's not just Boomers that are getting infected and dying.
The truth is that in the "Boomer era" children were actually more polite and disciplined than now-a-days.
Load More Replies...This is fascism - how extremely stupid humanity is acting in terms of Covid-19.
What I think is that there are hardly any people living on this planet, only egocentric, selfish, ignorant, arrogant cruel, evil, sanguinary sub-human monsters. Yes, tulips will grow back next year, but hundreds of BILLIONS of sadistically, heinously tortured and murdered animals, wild and domesticated, will not come back......and don't you forget their genocide CAUSED emergence of all those deadly bacteria and viruses, and when everything goes back to "normal" evermore and much more potent viruses are coming!! Do you understand it???? Humanity, or should I say inhumanity, will meat itself out of existence. So please, do not whine that people are dying, it's the people's fault....and please, stop bitching about 15 year-old girl who wants to safe the planet, and vegans because they are compassionate to all living beings. Every single human on this planet can stop the next pandemic !!! Go ahead and down-vote this comment, it will not save anybody.
When you give groups the power to enforce rules because YOU KNOW a certain percentage of people will not comply. So when they tell you to NOT DO SOMETHING, DON'T DO IT. How many ordinary citizens get arrested and/or shot because a policeman tells them to stop and don't move and they decide to not comply. Its the same thing. Its harsh but people are STUPID. You tell them what you are going to do, they ignore you, you do it.
So to save stupid humans u destroy nature. Should have hitler styled excuted a few , that would still have been better.
Skagit Valley WA bulldozed theirs, they knew people would come anyhow. These guys should have done the same instead of making it all about the irresponsible people.
As much as I like nature, flowers die anyway and others can be grown. I think it was right to punish the people by taking everything they wanted to see away from them.
But it's cruel that nature is always paying the price.
Load More Replies...sigh.,.. they weren't destroyed... that is moronic to think that cutting the top off of a bulb plant destroys it... Don't be a moron.
sigh....that's not the point; don't be "smart" Aimee. How would you like if your life was cut off prematurely? Oh, I get it, (no I don't) they are just stupid flowers.
Load More Replies...The virus or any virus won’t be the destruction of humanity. Humans will do it to themselves. Humans were the worst thing to happen to planet earth.
Hey you "responsible", "wise" people, why did you down-voted CatWoman312's comment? She just stated obvious facts!!! Or you think (but I doubt you do think) that our planet is doing all that devastation by itself and to itself? Do you? Is that your rationale???
Load More Replies...Did the math for you. 2% of people will die according to you, that’s 153,200,000 deaths. So yes, we do want to prevent the spread of the virus.
Load More Replies...It's saddens me that destruction was the means to keep stupid people out. Distance world. Distance.
correction - to keep the intelligent people out
Load More Replies...It's a sad view, but I hear the drastic measures are necessary for bulbs... I really hope we enjoy the beautiful square with full of tulips next year!
waku pu and do not be so very superficial - it is your mindset which is the problem
Load More Replies...What it takes is one police car with a megaphone telling them "Turn around and go home. You are in violation of the stay at home order. If you do not return home now, you will be arrested and heavily fined. Leave now." Most Covidiots like these will follow the rules if you loudly point out they're being selfish. Stores around here have put and X or an Arrow at the end of aisles to keep everything flowing in one direction to limit the chances of people violating the 6 foot rule. I caught a guy coming down the aisle at me the wrong way. I asked him to please follow the direction of the arrows. He said angrily "What..are you going to sit here an police everybody?" I said "I dunno..are you gonna continue to act like you're 5 years old?" Then a manager who was standing behind the guy cleared his throat. When the jerk turned around and saw him, the manager pointed to the next aisle over. "You can go down that one." The jerk complained all the way down the aisle....
In the Netherlands you are fined 390 Euros per person for breaking rules on social distancing. A lot of people still went to see the tulips during Easter days. They just didn't care. So the farmers had to cut the flowers to keep them from coming. I've learned form this intelligent lockdown the Netherlands has, that people are too stupid to make an appeal on their common sense.
Load More Replies...If there's one thing our species can be counted on for, it's destroying anything good and beautiful that nature has to offer. There is nothing people won't ruin and/or destroy. Japan is also slaughtering magnificent whales. Nothing is sacred except for their man-made gods.
Not even that, Id row, "people" are throwing out good, fully functioning man-made goods and dumping them in the land fields and oceans.
Load More Replies...Same thing happened in The Netherlands, people refusing to not come to the flower fields. So the flower farmer decided to cut them all down.
I'm very angry at the online comment (see above) by Mingjia Zhong who said, "...go when the Boomer remover is over." First, what a horrible, callous attitude! Second, it's not just Boomers that are getting infected and dying.
The truth is that in the "Boomer era" children were actually more polite and disciplined than now-a-days.
Load More Replies...This is fascism - how extremely stupid humanity is acting in terms of Covid-19.
What I think is that there are hardly any people living on this planet, only egocentric, selfish, ignorant, arrogant cruel, evil, sanguinary sub-human monsters. Yes, tulips will grow back next year, but hundreds of BILLIONS of sadistically, heinously tortured and murdered animals, wild and domesticated, will not come back......and don't you forget their genocide CAUSED emergence of all those deadly bacteria and viruses, and when everything goes back to "normal" evermore and much more potent viruses are coming!! Do you understand it???? Humanity, or should I say inhumanity, will meat itself out of existence. So please, do not whine that people are dying, it's the people's fault....and please, stop bitching about 15 year-old girl who wants to safe the planet, and vegans because they are compassionate to all living beings. Every single human on this planet can stop the next pandemic !!! Go ahead and down-vote this comment, it will not save anybody.
When you give groups the power to enforce rules because YOU KNOW a certain percentage of people will not comply. So when they tell you to NOT DO SOMETHING, DON'T DO IT. How many ordinary citizens get arrested and/or shot because a policeman tells them to stop and don't move and they decide to not comply. Its the same thing. Its harsh but people are STUPID. You tell them what you are going to do, they ignore you, you do it.
So to save stupid humans u destroy nature. Should have hitler styled excuted a few , that would still have been better.
Skagit Valley WA bulldozed theirs, they knew people would come anyhow. These guys should have done the same instead of making it all about the irresponsible people.
As much as I like nature, flowers die anyway and others can be grown. I think it was right to punish the people by taking everything they wanted to see away from them.
But it's cruel that nature is always paying the price.
Load More Replies...sigh.,.. they weren't destroyed... that is moronic to think that cutting the top off of a bulb plant destroys it... Don't be a moron.
sigh....that's not the point; don't be "smart" Aimee. How would you like if your life was cut off prematurely? Oh, I get it, (no I don't) they are just stupid flowers.
Load More Replies...The virus or any virus won’t be the destruction of humanity. Humans will do it to themselves. Humans were the worst thing to happen to planet earth.
Hey you "responsible", "wise" people, why did you down-voted CatWoman312's comment? She just stated obvious facts!!! Or you think (but I doubt you do think) that our planet is doing all that devastation by itself and to itself? Do you? Is that your rationale???
Load More Replies...Did the math for you. 2% of people will die according to you, that’s 153,200,000 deaths. So yes, we do want to prevent the spread of the virus.
Load More Replies...
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