[Anchor]

In Japan, the flu epidemic has started more than a month earlier than usual and is spreading at an alarming rate. Experts point to a surge in tourists driven by persistent rain and the weak yen as contributing factors.

Here is a report from Tokyo correspondent Mun Junmo.

[Reporter]

The waiting room of a hospital in Tokyo is packed with flu patients starting from the morning.

[Flu Patient: The coughing was so severe at night that I could barely sleep.]

[Doctor: Is the coughing so bad that it makes you vomit? (Yes.)]

During the week leading up to September 20, the number of flu patients reached 31,428, marking the 13th consecutive week of increase, with an even steeper upward trend entering this month.

This is more than a month ahead of last year's pace.

[Tokyo Resident: My daughter has Type A flu right now. This is the first time since she was born that the flu has broken out at this time of year.]

A total of 1,060 schools and kindergartens have implemented school closures or class suspensions, and regular vaccinations, which are usually administered every October, have been moved up.

[Middle School Student: Other classes were closed down because of the flu, so I was scared, but now that I got the vaccination, I feel relieved.]

The early flu outbreak is partly attributed to an increase in tourists fueled by the weak yen.

Experts suggest that the massive influx of travelers from Southeast Asia and East Asia, where the flu had struck earlier, led to the spread of the same strains of the flu virus.

Among the tourists who visited Japan in July and August, 4.95 million came from Southeast and East Asia, accounting for 75 percent.

Another factor analyzed is the increase in indoor activities due to persistent rain.

[Medical Specialist: Due to the rainy season, heavy downpours, and large temperature ranges, people spend more time indoors, making droplet transmission inside homes, classrooms, and offices much easier once a person is infected.]

In Tokyo, rain fell for a record-breaking 35 consecutive days through today (September 30), as an early-formed autumn rainy front has lingered by continuously receiving moisture from five typhoons since late August.

Experts emphasized that the number of flu patients will rapidly increase through November and urged people to get vaccinated promptly.

(Photo courtesy of Yonhap News)
(Reported by Han Chul-min and Moon Hyun-jin | Video Editing by Won Hyung-hee | Design by Yang Gi-tae)