I wanted to try to clarify some of the information that's being thrown around lately. I've seen many sites and telegram posts claiming that Japan has used ivermectin and crushed covid.

Let me just say, I would be really happy if this could be proven to be true! I'm totally on team ivermectin but I think some of the news is being exaggerated or is accidentally misleading.

As far as I understand it:

• Around Feb 2021, Haruo Ozaki, chairman of the Tokyo Metro Medical Association, said that Japan should consider using ivermectin.
• Nothing happened, and then in August 2021, he doubled down saying "Now is the time to use ivermectin".
• As of that time, ivermectin was authorised to be used "off label". This means that while it's not necessarily a protocol, it is allowed to be prescribed at doctor's discretion.
• At the same time, the Japanese government is going forward with its own clinical trial to establish whether ivermectin is effective. You can find the link with mixed English/Japanese here. Notice that it still says that it's in 'Recruiting' stage.

It's quite possible that Japan HAS widely adopted off-label ivermectin use and it IS working as we all expect and hope, but I'm assuming that as it is not "officially" indicated for use for covid, Japanese mainstream media are not reporting on it, and its use is not widely known among the public.

If anyone has any more information, including disproving anything I've said, please let me know / comment below. I'm not an expert, I'm just someone who lives in Japan and has been cheering for team ivermectin for ages now.