Vaccines, masks? Japan puzzling over sudden virus success

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Almost overnight, Japan has become a stunning, and somewhat mysterious, coronavirus success story. Daily new COVID-19 cases have plummeted after a mid-August peak that nearly reached 6,000 in Tokyo, with caseloads in the densely populated capital now below 100, an 11-month low. Possible factors include, after a long delay, a remarkable and rapid vaccination campaign and a shared practice, well before the pandemic, of wearing masks. The bars are packed, the trains are crowded, and the mood is celebratory, despite a general bafflement over what, exactly, is behind the sharp drop. Experts worry that without knowing how it cut cases so drastically, Japan may be in store for another devastating wave like during the summer.