Japanese media reported that the number of Japanese syphilis infection in recent years continued at a high level, the number of confirmed cases for four consecutive years more than 13,000 cases.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and welfare, 13,000 cases of syphilis were reported in Japan in 2022, the first time since current survey methods were introduced in 1999 that the number had exceeded 10,000. The number of infections in 2023 exceeded 15,000, the highest since current survey methods were used. The number of infected cases in 2024 and 2025 both exceeded 13,000 and remained high.
A pedestrian carries an umbrella as he walks on a street in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. . The first snow of 2026 fell in Tokyo due to cold weather on January 2.
From the infected sex, men account for about two-thirds, 20-year-old to 60-year-old the number of infected persons of all ages showed an increasing trend. The age of female infection is mainly concentrated in the 20s.
Over the past decade, the overall number of Japanese syphilis patients showed an increasing trend. The country reported just over 1,000 cases of syphilis infection in 2013, according to official figures, rising to nearly 8,000 in 2021, after which the number of cases has risen sharply.
Japanese experts believe that the development of social media, dating apps led to an increase in sex with an unspecified number of people, which led to the spread of syphilis infection in Japan a major reason.
According to the Japanese media, many syphilis patients in the deterioration of symptoms before going to the doctor, leading to delays in treatment. The Ministry of Health, Labour and welfare called on people to take preventive measures and seek medical attention as soon as possible if they suspect infection.
Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum, which can lead to neurological, cardiovascular and other multi-system damage. Its mode of transmission includes sexual contact. If a pregnant woman is infected with syphilis, she can pass it on to her baby.