Japan has officially entered a nationwide influenza epidemic, with this year's outbreak beginning the second earliest on record, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) announced on yesterday (Aug 28). Under Japan's national influenza surveillance system, which has been in place since 1999, only the 2009 novel influenza pandemic saw an earlier start to the flu season.
According to the MHLW's weekly figures, 4,094 confirmed flu cases were reported nationwide this week through about 3,000 sentinel medical facilities. The average number of cases per monitoring site rose to 1.11, exceeding the government's official epidemic threshold of 1.0.
Regionally, Okinawa Prefecture is hardest hit, recording 4.43 cases per sentinel site, the highest rate in the country. Iwate Prefecture ranks second with 2.10 cases per facility, followed closely by Aomori Prefecture at 2.08.
Elsewhere, cases are also climbing across the greater Tokyo area. Kanagawa Prefecture reported 1.99 cases per site, while Tokyo Metropolis logged 1.49. The pattern indicates the outbreak is spreading from remote island and northeastern regions toward major urban centers.
The MHLW urged the public to remain vigilant and continue basic infection-control practices, including frequent handwashing and mask-wearing. It also recommended that high-risk groups receive vaccinations early to reduce the risk of infection and severe illness. Authorities said they will continue monitoring the epidemic's trajectory and will release updated guidance as needed.
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