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As coronavirus infections mount, Japan at last expands testing

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By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Antoni Slodkowski

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Too little too late the virus is coursing through the public now.

19 ( +22 / -3 )

"Also, in order for PCR tests to be conducted more widely, we need to get used to the whole process and see what the coronavirus really does,"

Mr. Tamura, you don't have time to "get used" to anything. That and you can see what the virus is doing in gaikoku land. There's lots of research already. If you need a mentor to get testing going in Japan, then look at Korea.

24 ( +26 / -2 )

The Japanese media is also responsible for the delay, at least partially. Many Japanese were brainwashed, and some of them still are. For example: https://www.zakzak.co.jp/soc/amp/200312/for2003120006-a.html

18 ( +26 / -8 )

2% of the total tested cases dead so far on Japan. And we are only getting started.

And I see the WHO is trying to gain some credibility back by telling us that long-term immunity is unlikely and not to think that a vaccine will save us. Social distancing could become the new "norm".

Japan: prepare for an extension beyond the May 6.

Who still thinks the Olympics will be on next year? Told you before: try 2022, if we are extremely lucky.

22 ( +23 / -1 )

Playing catch up with this virus is a death knell. Experts from the beginning have said test, test, test and to go after this scourge hard, fast and with everything you've got but Abe tried to play rope a dope and now he's going to feel the full deadly force of this pandemic. On another note, CT scans of the lungs seem to be a good diagnostic tool since the doctors now know what to look for in the lungs. The equipment is also more prevalent and available in the hospitals than the ever elusive PCR tests. Avigan also seems be working in treating patients with mild cases, hopefully this will be used soon to keep the cases from escalating and flooding the ICUs. The frontline medical staff are doing the best they can despite what government support they're receiving. Shame to you and yours Abe. Reduce total monetary compensation for all members of the diet by half for six months!

17 ( +20 / -3 )

Japan conducted about 52,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in March, or just 16% of the number carried out in South Korea, according to data from Oxford University.

2.5 times the population, but only 16% of the number of tests when compared to South Korea.

Denials and cover-up the usual modus operandi in Japan.

This is on you Abe.

25 ( +31 / -6 )

I think Japan was not ready to conduct the test. Japan has a population of 120 million. It would have caused a lot of confusions.

-29 ( +5 / -34 )

.....two white tents were put up this week in anticipation of more virus-related visits.

Problem solved!

18 ( +21 / -3 )

A good first step on testing. Also need to get rid of the precursor on testing such as number of days of fever, and requiring symptoms.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

There has been widespread criticism that phone lines for public health centers, set up by local governments and tasked to conduct screening for PCR test candidates, are always busy as people become more worried about infection.

This hotline was one of the most useless things I've ever experienced. They directed me to hospitals that don't except patients. Then each hospital simply kept giving me a new number to another hospital just to be met with the same hesitation. People in the medical community in Japan are scared and they are choosing self preservation over actually helping people. I don't blame them. It's a scary time. But I have even more respect for those in the medical community abroad that are choosing to still do their job.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Japan contained deaths a little over 200 so far. The number of deaths proves Japan has successfully controlled the epidemic. Problem is from now. We cannot continue life of isolation and social distancing for ever. Testing is OK but we do not have medicine to cure the disease who proved positive.

-25 ( +2 / -27 )

Japan's strategy of keeping the number of PCR tests low

This is an official sand in sand strategy? Criminal! People are going to die that would not have otherwise.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

@vanityofvanities

Japan contained deaths a little over 200 so far. 

Most countries know and acknowledge that the death tolls are underreported.

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200403-00000008-nkgendai-life (Japanese)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2020/04/14/underreporting-of-covid-19-deaths-in-the-us-and-europe/#488f16a182d7

And in Corriere della Sera, one of Italy’s leading newspapers, the mayor of the northern Italian town of Nembro reported that even though 31 people are recorded as having died of covid-19 from January to March, 158 people are listed as dead in the town — 123 more than the average. “The difference is enormous and cannot be a simple statistical deviation,” wrote Claudio Cancelli, suggesting that the actual death toll was four times higher.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/27/those-covid-19-death-toll-figures-are-incomplete/

https://www.corriere.it/politica/20_marzo_26/the-real-death-toll-for-covid-19-is-at-least-4-times-the-official-numbers-b5af0edc-6eeb-11ea-925b-a0c3cdbe1130.shtml (Italian)

12 ( +16 / -4 )

number of deaths proves Japan has successfully controlled the epidemic

You are only at the start. Infections are increasing rapidly, hospitals will be maxed out and people that might have been saved by going to hospital will die.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I am so disappointed by how Japan is handling this virus pandemic. I’m shocked!!! Complete headless chickens. They had enough time to be proactive and didn’t. It’s almost as if they think they were excluded. I guess people are right to say they were putting in a facade to keep Olympic.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

There has been a lot of under reporting and this has caused mass brainwashing within the Japanese society that everything is under control.

Again,many Japanese people tend to religiously just follow what their media and gvt tells them without trying to find out by themselves.

The scenario that is always played is of how safe Japan is.As a foreigner in Japan,I have on various accassions seen Japanese people run away from me or change their path so as not to meet on a direct path with me because of their belief that foreigners are the primary carriers.

My sister is a specialist at a hospital that specifically deals with Covid-19 patients and I get first hand information from her on a daily basis.When I see the behavior of Japanese and how they think it's business as usual and that foreigners are clueless..I just look back at them wish them luck.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

More testing, especially in Tokyo, Osaka, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama is long overdue. What happens in these prefectures will decide what happens with coronavirus in Japan.

The rest of the country is pretty much okay. They are testing at a rate of ten negatives to one positive in keeping the WHO guidelines. This rate indicates that few cases are being missed, and by extension, many people cannot be dying due to a lack of testing. Low testing numbers in themselves sound worrying, especially compared to the efforts in other countries, but that rests on the assumption that there are many cases out there. In most of Japan, there is no evidence to support this.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Again, Governors seem unable or simply unwilling to take the lead, or any form of responsibility. Just play a political game of pass the buck.

Where is the leadership?

From top down the order of the day is thumbs up backsides and brains in neutral.

The very definition of “fiddle while Rome burns” ….

It is hands to the pumps time, use the SDF, employ selected volunteers within each community. Form a central control system to process the data. Test everything that has a pulse and moves, 30,000 Tokyo daily minimum!

Secure confortable isolation facilities.

Hell teeth, please, we all seemed to have voted for donkeys. Sorry but that appears to be the case.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Perfect is the enemy of good right now. And unfortunately Japan’s perfectionist tendencies to NOT move on anything that isn’t 100 percent guaranteed to go as plan has been a major factor in them being so slow to deal with the crisis. Darega sekinin torukaa? and the engrained cultural fear of making a mistakes is not helping them at all right now. And these career guardians of the norm the expedient ones (politicians and bureaucrats) are all in a bit of a meltdown.

Once again, down to the individual to protect themselves as best as they possibly can. Lot of people are going to be made redundant by this thing. Many already were...

8 ( +11 / -3 )

The old saying of 'Closing the gate after the horse has bolted' springs to mind.

Expect to see a further spike in confirmed cases now that they are doing this though.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

A little late should have been doing this four months ago.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Why are some ill-informed folks here behaving as though this is a 100m sprint dash.

As we laud this or that country for "exemplary" performance as if we're cheering at a track and field meet, be forewarned that this virulent pathogen SARS-CoV-2 is now making its way to the poor countries of Africa, South Asia, Latin America, etc. who knows when it'll make its way back to Korea, Europe, etc for yet another round a la Freddy Kruger.

Frankly, as a person who visits Japan at least once a year, I have the utmost confidence in Japan relative to the neighboring countries - across the Sea of Japan and East China Sea, for example.

But, yeah, Japan needs to pick up its pace of testing and tracing.

-18 ( +2 / -20 )

With a testing rate of 882 tests per million people, Japan currently ranks 68th out of 86 countries when it comes to testing for COVID-19. Albania (1,885 tests/million people), Nepal (978), Vietnam (2,089), Ecuador (1,810), and Ukraine (1,250) are reportedly all testing at higher rates than Japan. No other G7 countries tests at a lower rate than Japan. We are still ahead of Bangladesh, Nigeria, and North Korea though...

No testing, no problem

23 ( +24 / -1 )

Finally, Japan does testing on reasonable large population.

Japan did good job on controlling the pandemic, but testing is very different thing. In the time of pandemic, testing is the first line defender.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

The PCR test has a 95% accuracy rate. You think that impressive? No test is 100% accurate and hospitals would be overwhelmed by people tested positive even though they haven’t contracted the virus. There’s no point in expanding the PCR test. Only people showing symptoms should be tested.

-23 ( +2 / -25 )

I am concerned about the negativism of all this. The article itself starts with a negative feeling of "at last" and do not highlight the fact that large numbers of reliable tests were available to begin with and much of the initial effort centered around the cruise shipo where much resources were required and consumed that had to be replaced from sources in China that could not and did not.

While testing is important the prevention of immediate transmission was primary. That was handled in a reasonable manner from stopping inbound traffic and to start isolation methods deigned for both with and without the infection and to treat the ill. In that it required not just distancing but a partial restrictio n and not a lock down, although it ended up that way because very few went out onto the streets. And all that helped.

We should be feeling good that the testing can be expanded tohelp determine how to control further spread of the disease and to determine the demographic data of the virus from locations to the target ages of the virus. But all that will take time and requires much resources which distracts from the immediate need to prevent its spread and to treat those that need the treatment. Having the tests available doesnot mean that it will be immediately usable and can be administered either. It takes logistics and manpower both in administering the tests and in doing the actual tests to get the results.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

The no testing approach was implemented because of the Olympics. J Gov didn’t want to risk their image and possible loss of the Olympics. If they didn’t reveal actual numbers then they could possibly still host and if lucky the outbreak would die out. In the meantime discovering how inadequate the medical community would be able to deal with an outbreak . Well, bad decision and now the consequences. Everyone stay safe and prayers that the world can heal from this.

14 ( +16 / -2 )

TOO LATE!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

JP government is confident that death toll won't rise.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I still don't understand how the cases only begun to surge once the Olympics got postponed. Was the virus just patiently waiting for that postponement to attack people?

10 ( +12 / -2 )

109 days, 2616 hours, 156960 minutes... wasted.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

On the grounds of one of the four Suginami hospitals where general practitioners are taking turns to see suspected coronavirus patients, two white tents were put up this week in anticipation of more virus-related visits.

One vital info missing from the article is that the test will be carried Out for 2 hours each in the morning and afternoon 3 times a week. The total number of test per day is fifty.

what we don't know is whether the test is limited to residents of suginami ward.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Expect to see a further spike in confirmed cases now that they are doing this though.

For some god-awful reason that I do not know who started or why the term here in Japan, for a "spike" is "over-shoot". (オーバーシュート.) and everytime I hear it used, I feel like slapping the person who said it, upside their heads!

13 ( +14 / -1 )

"Over-shoot" = "not our fault" excuse

7 ( +8 / -1 )

As coronavirus infections mount, Japan at last expands testing

Misleading title, should read "Japan at last expanding" the test have still reached the potential of 8000 that Abe stated 2 months ago. The average test for the past week was 6032

6 ( +7 / -1 )

There’s no point in expanding the PCR test. Only people showing symptoms should be tested.

And only those with baby bumps and swollen bellies should have pregnancy tests.

Asymptomatic transmissions would be undetected.

Perfect is the enemy of good right now. And unfortunately Japan’s perfectionist tendencies to NOT move on anything that isn’t 100 percent guaranteed 

I had thought it was the Olympics mainly but the capacity overload of the medical infrastructure and doing it the right way is a big part of it as well. It’s time to face the music.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The US has done about 4 mil. tests.

Japan has done only about 100,000.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

All of that Olympic Games prep. and diet discussion of ruler parties vs. opposite parties so much of political blah, blah, blah to come to this. Soon or later, time will tell.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Opinions here are not very much worth reading. We want opinions of doctors and scientists.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

A great interactive site that gives data by prefecture, including testing and deaths. https://toyokeizai.net/sp/visual/tko/covid19/en.html

2 ( +3 / -1 )

At last.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Feb. 19 08:27 pm JST Posted in: Passengers begin leaving after ship's virus quarantine ends See in context

Letting people off this vessel seems to me to be extremely highly negligent, this could go very horribly wrong.

The virus roulette has just begun......pure insanity.

Unfortunately what I said back in Feb & what Japan HASNT done since the cruise vessel thing  has now happened abe & the LDP decided to play Russian Roulette & have lost BADLY!

For weeks Japan has limited its testing for the coronavirus, which emerged in neighboring China late last year, despite calls from many health experts who see testing as vital to detecting and isolating cases and slowing the spread.

Japan has NOT allowed enough testing now for 3 SOLID MONTHS, pure utter negligence!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Opinions here are not very much worth reading. We want opinions of doctors and scientists.

The same doctors and experts who a few weeks ago were telling us Japan is holding on well to the virus when we the opinion less minions knew wasn't true. The same doctors and experts are telling us reducing distancing by 70-80 percent will lead to narrowing of the curve and ending of the virus in 2 weeks, we the opinion less minions don't think it is possible because we know has already spread widely and it is just a matter of ramping up pcr testing to get the extend of the spread.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Don’t worry, those masks will be coming soon.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

So when does everyone go back to the office? The day after Golden Week "vacation" is over?

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Time to set up medical tents in Yoyogi Park or turn Athlete's Village into temp Covid-19 hospitals.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

There is something very strange here, Italy’s population is roughly half of Japan’s. Japan has 10,000 cases to Italy’s 175,000. Japan has taken 10 weeks to grow to 10,000 cases, with a reasonable chunk of time to prepare. Italy went from 500 to 10,000 cases in about 8 days, much sooner in the timeline with less preparation time. Just using the rough numbers, Italy’s situation is about 35 times as big per capita and about 9 times as intense (speed of growth) as Japan’s. If Japan’s health system is in danger of collapse now, with these relatively gentle numbers, God help us if we get into the same kind of situation as they have had in Italy ????

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Opinions here are not very much worth reading.

Project much?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Interestingly the article explains the instability of the health system on a shortage of ICU beds. Which begs the question as to why/how the Japanese sytem normally functions with such a low level of intensive care capability. I imagine that the low crime rate, low homicide and violent crime rates, no guns, safer traffic conditions, fewer drug and alcohol abuse related incidents may all play a part in reducing ICU needs. Sadly there are higher suicide rates which tragically seldom require the need for intensive care.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The person who is concerned about all the negativity, should in fact be worried that most actions, comments and responses have not been anything like alarmist enough !

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Rising what? The deaths have been in drib drabs.

According to Toyokeizai the total number of reported COVID-19 deaths in Japan on April 10 was 88. By April 17, the total number of reported COVID-19 deaths in Japan had increased to 148. That is just shy of a 70% increase in the space of a week. The total number of reported COVID-19 deaths in Japan at noon was 222. That's a 50% increase from 2 days ago.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@vanityofvanities

”opinions not worth reading”

of course you are entitled to your opinion.

iken ga arimasen

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Remember what Abe said last week?

”If the infection spreads at this rate, we will have over 100,000 infected in a week and 800,000 in a month.

Oh...

The oracle....

So the number will increase to 800,000 in early May.

Probably after GW holidays so they can blame the people who went out during the time.

I say the current number of infected is just bs and they are putting out the number as they fit...

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I think there three strains of the virus, A, B, and C. Italy/France/Spain/UK has the "C". Japan has the "B".

Nothing but speculation at this junction.

doesnt make sense cause in every country it started with one case and that grew

exponentially due to inaction on the part of most countries. By the time countries took action it was already too late and easy for the virus to over ride the medical system.

you declare war on an enemy yet leave your defenses unfortified.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The culture of reacting rather than acting; will it work onwards?

It made the country rich but to conquer is easier than to rule.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

These old politicians are useless, wish could have some young blood in Japan government.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Also the number of deaths not rising is just an illusion.

The death count is just number of deaths among patients confirmed infected.

So with less tests for corona, you get less number of deaths due to corona.

Convenient.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Pardon my ignorance, but in which way will massive testing help overcoming the Covid 19 crisis? Other than giving an accurate number of infected, testing will not curve down the rate of infections or deaths (especially if you consider that most Japanese and foreign residents keep their lives as usual). When having a disease with no proven treatment or cure, wouldn't it be better to spend the testing resources in vaccine development and treatment research?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

to me, testing would only help in showing that many more people than we think have it or have already had it.

Feel much better when knowing that 200 people died of 1 million than 200 of 1000, as an example. Plus people who have it now know they have it and can stay home and those who already had it can get back to business as usual.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@zichi and @drlucifer

Speculation but fwiw:

https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/10/coronavirus-mutated-three-distinct-strains-spread-across-world-12536852/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If they increase testing the risk of infection increases by putting people who just have colds or paranoia near people who are infected.

The only good that comes from mass testing is to show the mortality rate is much lower than 2%.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

@Bruce ChatwinToday  12:41 pm JST

Rising what? The deaths have been in drib drabs.

---

According to Toyokeizai the total number of reported COVID-19 deaths in Japan on April 10 was 88. By April 17, the total number of reported COVID-19 deaths in Japan had increased to 148. That is just shy of a 70% increase in the space of a week. The total number of reported COVID-19 deaths in Japan at noon was 222. That's a 50% increase from 2 days ago.

Also, as stated in so many articles, many covid-19 deaths are likely marked off as deaths due to heart issues, pneumonia or other pre-existing conditions. And statistics/reports on pneumonia related deaths are released only every 3 years.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Guys, you all seem to have missed this line:

If home doctors have decided testing is necessary

So, nothing has changed. It still up to the doctor to conduct a test. That means 4 days of 37.5 degree fever and shortness of breath.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Also, as stated in so many articles, many covid-19 deaths are likely marked off as deaths due to heart issues, pneumonia or other pre-existing conditions. And statistics/reports on pneumonia related deaths are released only every 3 years.

Exactly. The last stats published by MHLW were for the years 2016 through 2018. So that makes the next release due in 2022...

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/geppo/nengai18/dl/gaikyou30.pdf

And on top of that, in 2014, Professor Ikegaya of the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine wrote in the respected journal Nature: "Autopsies in Japan are performed on only 1.6% of all deaths, the lowest rate among developed countries. Cause of death is almost always determined by simple visual inspection, as it was 100 years ago."

https://www.nature.com/articles/507306e

Finally, I believe that MHLW considers "old age" to be a cause of death.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Also, as stated in so many articles, many covid-19 deaths are likely marked off as deaths due to heart issues, pneumonia or other pre-existing conditions. 

Sorry, to say doctors are deliberately hiding deaths caused by corona is a lie.

Almost all patients die due to an accumulation of issues. It is the doctors responsibility to list the primary as well as significant other factors. So yes, undoubtedly some people who had unconfirmed corona virus have died but not been listed but conversly some who had other serious causes of death are included in the total.

This isnt as simple as saying if the corona virus didnt exist x number of people would still be alive.

What is screwing the fatality rate higher is the number of people who had the virus but arent included in the total confirmed total.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Finally, I believe that MHLW considers "old age" to be a cause of death.

That would make sense or we would all live for ever otherwise.

Hate to break it to you but everyone dies eventually.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I just don't see what the hullabaloo is all about with regards to Japan. The numbers are low for obvious reasons: better hygiene relative to the neighboring countries. In my view, Taiwan is more like Japan - hence their low numbers too!

For those who contract this pathogen at the incipient stages there is Avigan.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Vanityofvanities, aren’t all opinions retrospect, when the recipient deems the content inconsistent, failing to correspond to their own opinion?

Missing, beyond a few short sentences, is your opinion. Clearly you have one.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

MkoreaMwafrika: "I just don't see what the hullabaloo is all about with regards to Japan. The numbers are low for obvious reasons: better hygiene relative to the neighboring countries. "

No, the numbers are low because they have not been testing, no matter how many times you tell yourself it's some other reason. As for better hygiene, better hygiene than whom? Most of the men's washrooms don't even have soap, the old fogies at my old sports gym got directly into the bath after taking off their clothes (no shower first, as I was told by the gym staff -- you know, since I might not know), people pick their nose like they're digging for gold, spit all over the place, etc. etc.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The response to Covid-19 follows the same pattern as previous crises here in Japan: Too little too late and half-measures.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

More tests can identify the patients with mild or no symptoms.

You can tell a person to quit cigarettes because it can cause cancer and can harm others around you as many times as you’d like and see the person still chain smoking at homes.

You can tell a person that the person or a family member has lung cancer and smoking will kill the person, you will see the person quit smoking or at least try.

That is how you stop the spread of epidemics.

That you have the disease and it might kill you or your loved ones or anybody you meet in person.

Not just telling people to stay home because you might or not have the disease and can spread to people you meet.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That would make sense or we would all live for ever otherwise.

Hate to break it to you but everyone dies eventually.

People die of:

organ failure, for example heart, kidney, liver etc

far too many kinds of cancers

pneumonia

tuberculosis

etc

People die of complications associated with old age, but it is not generally regarded as a cause of death by itself. Except in Japan.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sweden and Britain now also J P, the others are what they are but we are 2020

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Something says this virus attacks the weak and that means the elderly, overweight people, and other adults or kids who have underlying health issues like asthma, diabetes etc.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Finally. Myself and many others I know had all the symptoms but couldn’t access a test because we hadn’t (knowingly) been in contact with a patient, or didn’t have pneumonia. My city hasn’t even tested 100 people this year and they brag about how few cases we have. Ridiculous.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why hang up to test how many people have the virus, when it is already out in the community without control?

The important thing is that when testing for who has had the virus get started with mass testing, to get them out into the community and get important features started.

They probably has some immunity.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

@Bruce

People die of complications associated with old age, but it is not generally regarded as a cause of death by itself. Except in Japan.

True many countries don't list old age as a primary cause of death.

But that doesn't make the Japanese medical community backward as you are implying it means they have a more common sense approach to death.

Also I think you will find Japan is far more likely to offer patients life extending invasive proceedures than western countries.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Testing to identify clusters in Japan is too late. It is already everywhere with no chance to trace it.

But significant testing would be useful to model the potential serious cases coming in the following 2 weeks and get ready for handling them.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Two weeks tp show symptoms.

A week to get the tests.

A week to get the results.

The figures are already a month old.

And it’s based on tests done on a fraction of the patients.

Increased tests won’t be too different I guess.

How are the number of tests counted?

Number of test results that came out?

Or number of people tested?

That would make a difference when looking at the positive ratio.

And how the numbers should be calculated.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@SmithinJapan - My observation having visited China, South Korea and Japan is that the latter have better personal hygiene than the other two countries.

And Japan, in my view, as always been the leader in Asia - in science, in medicine, technology, etc- in so many realms in that part of the world. I think they'll come with some novel solutions to fight and defeat this pathogen!

Anyway, I don't buy into the doom and gloom about all this hullabaloo. I intend to visit Japan again ASAP! I have no reason to doubt that the indomitable and always resilient Japanese will get a way to contain this virulent SARS-CoV-2.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

MkoreaMwafrikaToday  06:44 am JST

@SmithinJapan - My observation having visited China, South Korea and Japan is that the latter have better personal hygiene than the other two countries.

And Japan, in my view, as always been the leader in Asia - in science, in medicine, technology, etc- in so many realms in that part of the world. I think they'll come with some novel solutions to fight and defeat this pathogen!

Anyway, I don't buy into the doom and gloom about all this hullabaloo. I intend to visit Japan again ASAP! I have no reason to doubt that the indomitable and always resilient Japanese will get a way to contain this virulent SARS-CoV-2.

Keep dreaming,because in the western and civilized world where there is true freedom of press Japan lost all it's credibility.

Very stubborn to try to defend something that is no more defensible.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@William77 -

Japan is the leading country in Asia in all realms of science, technology and medicine.

It is also the only Asian country that perennially wins Nobel Prizes in those fields. Hopefully, the rest of Asia and even us in Africa will start emulating the very advanced Japanese!

In Africa where I hail from, Japan is the most respected Asian country. Japan and her highly civilized ways too, are extremely highly regarded in Europe, India, and here in the US, my second home!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Testing and test results enable responsible decision making quicker and more accurate. Get the facilities operational.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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