This country, and a number of others, are in need of a serious reality check. According to the World Health Organization's most recent statistics, 865 people died of ORDINARY influenza in Japan in 2006. It should be obvious, therefore, to anyone that common influenza is far more deadly (than H1N1 flu). I have yet to see a university order exchange students back to Japan over ordinary flu.
Want to really take a risk? Drive in Japan. In 2006, 7,811 people died in traffic accidents. There were 646 deaths from physician-prescribed medication. And let's not forget accidental falls — accounting for 6,601 deaths in Japan in 2006. It seems that people here love getting hysterical about anything perceived as "foreign" and "harmful."
m. edwards