a few random points to consider:
- Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam all in much warmer climate.
- hot spots in Italy and Japan are likewise in the northern region: Lombardy in Italy and Hokkaido in Japan.
- wearing masks during a global pandemic isn't apparently as fashionable in Japan.
- many Japanese elderly, or over 30K per year, die unnoticed in solitude. so it might take a while to catch up.
But on the other hand:
- In South Korea, most infections trace to a middle-aged lady "Super Ajumma" who is also a member secretive cult. Without the cult, the total infected with the virus in SK would be comparable to that of other Asian neighbors. So outside China, the spread of the virus doesn't seem so bad in Asia overall.
- Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam all in much warmer climate.
- hot spots in Italy and Japan are likewise in the northern region: Lombardy in Italy and Hokkaido in Japan.
- wearing masks during a global pandemic isn't apparently as fashionable in Japan.
- many Japanese elderly, or over 30K per year, die unnoticed in solitude. so it might take a while to catch up.
But on the other hand:
- In South Korea, most infections trace to a middle-aged lady "Super Ajumma" who is also a member secretive cult. Without the cult, the total infected with the virus in SK would be comparable to that of other Asian neighbors. So outside China, the spread of the virus doesn't seem so bad in Asia overall.