Vacation trip takes on mission

Editor's note: In this new series, we'd like to share stories and experiences of expats on how they are dealing with the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.

Zhang Yajun, a Beijing resident in her 40s, didn't expect her husband would change their holiday plan of traveling in Japan into a face-mask-buying trip during the recent Lunar New Year holiday.

Zhang and Kazuyuki Tanioka, who married 20 years ago, bought 45,000 masks from Jan 28 to Feb 9 and brought them back to Beijing.

They plan to donate them to medical institutions, children and the elderly people in Beijing, where the couple have lived for about 10 years.

Tanioka, 46, was born in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan and owns two Japanese restaurants in Beijing.

"My businesses have been supported by Chinese. When Chinese meet difficulties, I want to lend a hand," he said. "I hope that my action will show Japanese people's friendliness to Chinese."

"Most important, the disease has no boundaries. Helping China is helping everyone in the whole world," he added.

This couple and their 15-year-old son Masaki Tanioka, a high school freshman in Beijing, had already been planning their trip to Japan for six months.

The family booked hotels and rented a car for the trip in North Japan, planning to enjoy the hot springs and natural views during the Lunar New Year holiday.

As their trip approached, many of their friends asked them to bring back some masks from Japan because stores in Beijing had been running out due to the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.

Tanioka did some research and before boarding their flight on Jan 28, posted on his social networking account "China is facing a challenge, and masks are now urgently needed because of the new virus spreading".

When the three-hour flight landed in Tokyo, he turned on his cellphone and was surprised to find hundreds of replies to his post. Many of his friends, Chinese and Japanese, wanted to help.

They offered him money to buy masks with, and some Japanese friends said they would buy masks themselves and deliver them to him in Japan.

Tanioka immediately made up his mind to change their Japan travel plans from entertainment in the north to buy masks in the south.

In the following days, the family drove to many cities including Kumamoto, Yamaguchi and Fukuoka. They went from store to store buying masks.

"We could usually buy several hundred masks in one store," Zhang said. "My husband also ordered some online at the same time."

The couple has been importing sake from Japan to China, and many of their sake suppliers offered to donate money and masks to them.

Eventually, they bought 45,000 masks and brought them all back to Beijing on Feb 9.

In addition to the masks, Tanioka said he wanted to continue his charity in other ways.

Due to the virus outbreak, his two restaurants in Beijing are currently closed, but he decided to offer takeaway meal boxes and spend 10 percent of the revenue to buy masks and disinfectant for future need.

"The Chinese government reacted very quickly to the disease. It's now the most difficult time, but I believe it will pass soon," he said. "We need to stay calm."

The couple's son said he was touched by the warmth and goodwill of the Japanese people during the whole trip.

"I know I am different because I have a Chinese mom and a Japanese dad, but this time, I feel so proud of them," Masaki Tanioka said. "I hope more people will feel the kindness from Japan through our work."