A History of COVID-19 through Irasuto-ya
Irasuto-ya is a Japanese clipart website used frequently in Japan. It is updated and used so frequently that trends in history can be seen in its flow of recently added graphics.
Access Irasuto-ya
Timeline
https://www.irasutoya.com/
COVID-19 became urgent in Japan around late February of 2020, when the nation closed schools. This change can be seen in the first instance of a COVID-related graphic.
February
2020
March
April
May
June
July
August
October
November
December
January
March
June
May
2021
2022
All graphics on this page are from Irasuto-ya!
Lucy Hart 2026
It's been 6 years since COVID took over the world. These graphics were made based on info people needed to display: vaccine availability, mask requirements, and guides to preventing contagion. There is no longer strong demand for these graphics, but there is a remaining standard for masking when sick. Irasuto-ya demonstrated the social shift that COVID caused.
Stores run out of stock for masks, thermometers, and sanitizer after COVID lasts a couple of months.
Researchers and doctors become exhausted with work in the month before COVID's peak.
Phones adjust to the day-long masking and implement facial recognition specifically for masks.
Normal activities continue to be conducted online.
(Man doing online shopping)
The air cools as fall comes in, and glasses fog up with breath from underneath masks.
The first COVID-19 vaccines are engineered.
Most graphics for the remaining major year of COVID-19 are already drawn, and the last thing illustrators at Irasuto-ya have to draw is taking off masks and preparing to return to normal life.
People target toilet paper as stock for a full apocalyptic scenario while COVID rises for the first time.