Japan’s public health and culture, and the ongoing fight against COVID-19

The rising number of new cases or new waves of COVID-19 infections threaten to overwhelm or collapse the health care system in many countries. The pandemic is likely to make the human sufferings worse. However, unlike many other developed countries, the situation in Japan with respect to COVID-19 remains relatively very good, despite the existence of a number of unfavorable factors that could make the country more vulnerable to COVID-19. Therefore, it seems important to understand and clarify the factors that have helped hold down the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Japan. The purpose of this narrative review was to provide some insights into the public health system and cultural factors that might have significantly contributed to the success of Japan in the fight against COVID-19. In light of the findings and discussion of this review, we suggest that Japan has achieved a remarkable success against COVID-19, by virtue of its strong and effective public health system, and also high standards of ingrained hygiene practices that are deeply influenced by local culture.