The 2020 “Mitsu Desu” Game and Social Distancing Policies: Design, Players’ Experience, and Media Dissemination

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January 26, 2026

The 2020 “Mitsu Desu” Game and Social Distancing Policies: Design, Players’ Experience, and Media Dissemination
The 2020 “Mitsu Desu” Game and Social Distancing Policies: Design, Players’ Experience, and Media Dissemination

Volume 24

Abstract: The article examines the boom of the “Mitsu Desu” game in 2020, which was created in the context of social distancing policies. In the game, players act as Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, dispersing crowds to earn points. This case underscores that entertainment can help people cope with crises and can serve as an informal tool for policy implementation. The article identifies what design elements attracted people and analyzes how players interpreted in-game actions in relation to real-world situations. It also addresses the question of how conventional and new media triggered the game’s boom.

Keywords: Video Game, COVID-19, Social Distancing Policy, Yuriko Koike, Japan

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Volume 24

About the author:

Ayaka Löschke is a junior professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. She earned her PhD in 2018 from the University of Zurich, with a dissertation on post-Fukushima activism aimed at protecting people from radiation. Her current research interests include the regulation of far-right demonstrations and both offline and online activism against far-right users. She can be reached via email at [email protected].

Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus is a peer-reviewed publication, providing critical analysis of the forces shaping the Asia-Pacific and the world.

    About the author:

    Ayaka Löschke is a junior professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. She earned her PhD in 2018 from the University of Zurich, with a dissertation on post-Fukushima activism aimed at protecting people from radiation. Her current research interests include the regulation of far-right demonstrations and both offline and online activism against far-right users. She can be reached via email at [email protected].