How to self-test for COVID in Japan, and which antigen kits to use

So you want to know if you have COVID-19. You have a fever and are worried you may have been infected. Or you have a holiday planned or an event to attend and want to know if it’s OK to proceed. In those cases, you might turn to rapid antigen tests, which are widely available, both online and over the counter at drug stores.

But there’s a particularly key thing you need to know when you get a test kit. Those available in Japan come in two types: 医療用 (iryо̄-yо̄), meaning "medical use," and 研究用 (kenkyū-yо̄), or "research use."

The government is currently encouraging people with COVID-like symptoms to use self-test kits and register their results with municipal governments online.