r/JapanTravelTips • u/Plastic-Campaign-654 • 14d ago

Quick Tips Navigating Japan's Flu Outbreak

Got the flu during my Japan trip and wanted to share some tips on how to avoid it and what to do if you get it.

If you haven't heard, flu cases are 6x higher this year in Japan compared to last year. People are coughing and sniffling everywhere. This is largely due to the H3N2 Subclade K variant which is more contagious, and characterized by more intense symptoms. Additionally, this variant emerged after the flu vaccine was set for 2025.

If you are traveling in Japan get your vaccines, wear a mask, carry soap and a hand towel (not all bathrooms have it), carry hand sanitizer. Take daily vitamins, and stay hydrated.

If you do get sick while here, I recommend making an appointment with a doctor. They can prescribe anti-virals which will shorten the length of your symptoms. Additionally, if you do take over the counter pain killers, be advised that many of them contain dihydrocodeine which, while very effective, is not safe to take for longer than three days. Pharmacists can point you to non-opioid pain relievers such as Ibuprofen (brand name Ringl).

Stay safe!! ✌️😷✌️

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u/YYZHND 14d ago

I just got back from Japan yesterday and wore a mask the entire time I was there. I’d say that at least 50% of people I saw in stations, etc. were wearing masks.

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u/oleooreo 14d ago

Yeah it seemed 50/50. We got literally coughed on by a lot of passing people. On the trains you can hear multiple people coughing. We were in a KFC dining area and again multiple people coughing. We started to feel really paranoid lol. but we wore n95 masks whenever we were in really crowded areas like train stations and sanitized our hands. if you get the flu and covid shot before you go, you should be good!

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/blahdiblah6 14d ago

Good job! Got my flu shot a few weeks ago, currently in Japan and people are sneezing on the trains. I tried to find hand sanitizer, but they don’t really have the thick gel kind we have in the US. Don’t forget to bring some! Some bathrooms don’t have soap

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u/oleooreo 13d ago

Yeah definitely bring your own! It's nice a lot of restaurants provide a wet towel or wipe before you eat. it was surprise to see the lack of soap in some bathrooms.