Japan is facing another winter flu crisis with a record-high average of 57.09 patients diagnosed last week with the ailment per medical institution conducting flu tests, the health ministry said Friday.

The figure for the seven days through Sunday compares with last winter's weekly peak of 54.33 and was the highest since comparable data became available in 1999, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said.

Around 2.23 million people are estimated to have been diagnosed with influenza during the reporting period, up about 100,000 from the previous week, it said.