Japan reports 216,209 new coronavirus cases; record high 415 deaths

Cases are rising in many parts of the world. The fact that Japan has this many cases only now may actually be due to the fact that many people in Japan still do mask up and the anti-vaxx movement (over-represented in this comment section) isn't as strong as elsewhere.

Cumulatively, Japan has had much fewer deaths than most western countries, so things not being great now doesn't give the full picture of the pandemic.

Also, if you think the pandemic is over and everybody should just "move on", maybe you can lead by example by not reading and commenting on these articles. Others wearing masks, getting vaccinated, caring about infection numbers and, consequently, being less likely to develop severe symptoms doesn't affect you.

People are probably going to start going crazy. Persistent masking, triple vaxxing and yet cases climbing.

Also, if you think the pandemic is over and everybody should just "move on", maybe you can lead by example by not reading and commenting on these articles. Others wearing masks, getting vaccinated, caring about infection numbers and, consequently, being less likely to develop severe symptoms doesn't affect you

Well put.

Why do many of the people who told us Covid was over keep commenting on these articles?

I suspect they’d be lost without it.

New Year’s resolutions could include getting hobbies.

Why bother reporting this anymore

It keeps the ‘everyone knows/nobody cares/anti-vaccination/hysterics over masks’ crowd happy.

They don’t have much of a life.

Let them enjoy themselves a little. It’s the Christmas period. No bah humbug here.

It’s not as if they have anything useful or constructive to do.

Overtime, coupled with a cup ramen diet, and nomikai (but mask in the office) have to be the main reasons.

What else could it be?

415 deaths. When all the stats are collected for this week, Japan will be no. 1 worldwide in weekly deaths, topping US for the first time!

So, concluding this year:

World no. 1 in weekly infections: Japan

World no. 1 in weekly deaths: Japan

Isn’t Japan vaxxed and masked at almost 100%? Try exercise, diet, and enjoying life. Constant fear is bad for your health.

"Others wearing masks, getting vaccinated, caring about infection numbers and, consequently, being less likely to develop severe symptoms doesn't affect you."

We've got a True Believer.

Covid is here to stay . And how it seems there is not much humanity can do to properly solve the problem.

Japan will post more 2023 Covid-19 deaths than the US.

Masking and boosters have been a failure. There are less cases than in the summer, but more fatalities. This kind blows a giant hole in the "more cases, but less deaths!!" narrative I've seen on here so often. And yet, people have been boosted more times than the beginning of 2022, there is now an Omicron specific booster, there are more treatments available, and it's essentially been the same variant all year long. But the problem continues to get worse for Japan's elderly and immunocompromised - seriously, they have no protection at all. If you exercise regularly, as always, none of this matters and you can go on living your life without any concern at all. I'm in the US with what I presume is Covid and this time it passed in like a day. Hardly some huge risk to my mind or body.

Time to stop spending taxpayer money on new boosters, stop unfairly treating Chinese people at the border, and stop giving the 3x vaccinated people an advantage in the form of skipping the negative PCR test result for entry - either we all should have to take it or none of us should.

Why bother reporting this anymore, no one cares, which is why the case numbers are going up. We all be good Japanese peoples and wear mask to work on train but still catch covid because we do nomikai and take mask off.

Cumulatively, Japan has had much fewer deaths than most western countries, so things not being great now doesn't give the full picture of the pandemic.

I have to firmly speak to some tourists again today. I suspect we can see the full and true reason for increase.

Dear God, when will the xenophobia and general Japanese self importance end?

You've had a terrible time during this pandemic,as have most countries. The difference is that life has moved on almost elsewhere regarding mask use and freedom. The Japanese will always live inside masks, will always frown upon/put pressure on others who don't.

Sadly, the Land of the Rising Sun has become the Land of the Rising Covid. I guess "misery loves company ", otherwise, how else to explain why highly infected Japan and China desperately want cross country tourism to resume. Live and let die...

Nobody cares.