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As of March 16, 2022, there was a total of approximately 5.9 million confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Japan, with around 529 thousand people needing inpatient treatment.

Development of cases in Japan

Generally, the increase of new COVID-19 cases recorded from January to March 2020 in Japan followed a slower trajectory as compared to, for example, China, Europe, or the United States of America. The first reported case of COVID-19 in Japan was confirmed on January 16, 2020, when a man that had returned from Wuhan city, China, was tested positive. The first transmission within Japan was recorded on January 28. The number of new cases then increased tenfold in February. April saw a further acceleration of the infection rate. Consequently, the Japanese government declared a nationwide state of emergency that month. The government announced a state of emergency for the second time in January 2021, the third time in April 2021, and the forth time in the July 2021.

Vaccine rollout

The Japanese government started the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination in February 2021, mainly for medical professionals. The administration of vaccination for general citizens commenced in April for senior citizens. The vaccine rate of the population was just over 74.7 percent for second doses as of March 2022.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated facts and figure page.