With Japan shipping boxes of supplies bearing Chinese poems of harmony and collaboration to China, it is impossible to ignore the Japanese people’s efforts, turning the pandemic into an opportunity for the two countries to set aside their tensions since World War II and emerge with a better relationship. A retailer donated 1 million masks; the city of Oita donated 30,000 masks; the Tokyo Metropolitan Government donated 20,000 protective suits.

But, Japan now faces an outbreak of their own. As of April 10th, 2020, there have been 9795 confirmed cases within its borders, of which 154 people have died and 1012 people have healed. Although on the lower end of the scale compared to Western countries like Italy and America, these numbers are suspicious. Websites like CNN call the official reports a “tip of the iceberg” and others speculate that the government has been holding back data in hopes of continuing the Tokyo Olympics. Ever since the Olympic committee officially announced the delay of the 2020 summer Olympics, the numbers in Japan have surged.

From the nurse who spread her virus to 106 people in 4 clubs across Osaka to the Diamond Princess cruise docked at the shores of Yokohama, Japan has been forced to take a series of actions to contain the situation.

Japanese border security has tightened entry requirements, suspending previous visa exemption policies. Airlines have reduced international routes to encourage less travelling. Institutions and hospitals has offered free treatment, healthcare, and hospitality to all coronavirus patients, regardless of nationality. The government has joined the long list of countries to shut down schools.

Yet, despite these circumstances, Japan is still progressing in combating the virus with admirable developments like creating the flu drug favipiravir, also known as Avigan. Developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical and tested in Wuhan and Shenzhen, China, the drug was praised by Chinese authorities for significantly improving the conditions of afflicted patients.

Though the pandemic’s outlook is still dim, Japan’s declaration of a state of emergency contributes to a call of grave attention to using all efforts in enacting social distancing to flatten the coronavirus’s curve as soon as possible.

Citations:

Ripley, Will, et al. “Japan’s Coronavirus Infection Rate Could Be ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ as Experts Call for More Testing.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Mar. 2020, edition.cnn.com/2020/03/05/asia/japan-coronavirus-infection-levels-hnk-intl/index.html.

Trotter, Anthony, and Morgan Winsor. “Japan’s Sudden Spike in Coronavirus Cases after Tokyo Olympics Postponement Raises Eyebrows.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 10 Apr. 2020, 2:28AM, abcnews.go.com/International/japans-sudden-spike-coronavirus-cases-tokyo-olympics-postponement/story?id=70041840.