- 26 Sep 2015
- 1,959
- 2,048
- 279
Anecdotally, it seems to be quite difficult to get tests, but I can't be more specific than that. As far as I understand, private tests (which are widely available) do not get counted in the original statistics. I also imagine that with the stigma attached to sickness and death in Japan (read the stories of how people from Fukushima got treated after 2011) that many people who suspect they have Covid but are not seriously ill keep quiet about it and perhaps don't even have a test because of the fear of being found out.
So far, so anecdotal. It would be worth getting a subscription to Japan Times if you want to search their archives for articles on Covid - occasionally they write quite in-depth articles on how things work in Japan. For more stories on the difficulties sick foreigners have had in getting tests, the Tokyo Expatriate Network page on Facebook has scores of them in posts from last year.
Good luck with your search for information.
So far, so anecdotal. It would be worth getting a subscription to Japan Times if you want to search their archives for articles on Covid - occasionally they write quite in-depth articles on how things work in Japan. For more stories on the difficulties sick foreigners have had in getting tests, the Tokyo Expatriate Network page on Facebook has scores of them in posts from last year.
Good luck with your search for information.