Photo taken on Feb. 19, 2020 shows passengers walking on the deck of the "Diamond Princess", a cruise ship which has been kept in quarantine for 14 days at the port of Yokohama in Japan. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

Reports say at least 701 novel coronavirus cases have been detected in Japan as of 7 pm Wednesday, including 621 infected passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship that is docked at Yokohama. The cruise ship is owned by the UK and operated by a US company.

In Japan, the origin of the infection in some patients is unknown, and it is expected the virus will spread among the domestic population. This has led the government to shift focus from measures aimed at border restrictions to measures involving the domestic healthcare system.  

During the outbreak of SARS in 2003, border control measures, such as strengthening quarantine were successful. Japan had several suspected SARS cases but no fatalities. 

However, this new pneumonia has been difficult to stop at the border, and the Japanese government has strengthened early detection and treatment of patients.

Since February 13, foreigners who have been to Hubei and Zhejiang provinces 14 days before arriving in Japan have been denied entry. Japanese citizens have also been requested to refrain from traveling to China. 

Many public events in Japan have been canceled and travel and outings have been discouraged. Citizens have responded by washing their hands and wearing masks but they are facing a shortage of masks and disinfectants. 

A recent public opinion survey conducted between Friday and Sunday by the Yomiuri Shimbun showed 52 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the government's response to the virus, while 36 percent said they were satisfied. Some members of the ruling party also said there were inadequacies in the government's border controls. However, traditional measures are not effective against the coronavirus, which has a long incubation period.

It is essential for Japan to investigate the route of infection and to identify those who have likely been infected, such as family members and close contacts of known patients. It is also necessary to reduce the likelihood of transmission from infected people who remain asymptomatic. 

Although there are differences in the way personal information is handled in Japan, the use of IT in China will serve as a useful reference. In China, remote medical services are sending notices to people on social media platforms, allowing hospitals to check and deal with a person's health information. This system will be a good reference for Japan to build remote medical services. It is also important to learn from China's use of "telework" and online teaching, which has allowed workers and students to remain productive from their homes.

Some of China's crisis management has been remarkable. The decision to use blood plasma from recovered patients to treat the severely ill would be difficult in Japan, where clinical trials or other processes are required. The process of constructing a new special hospital in Wuhan in just 10 days is also remarkable, and a lesson for Japan which has many natural disasters.

The WHO said it may be 18 months before a vaccine for the coronavirus is available. Hopefully, research institutions and pharmaceutical companies in Japan, China and other countries will work together to develop one sooner. It is also highly meaningful for Japan and China to jointly prepare for a reoccurrence of the new coronavirus and its variants. 

As China continues to battle the coronavirus, a number of countries and regions have blocked the entry of Chinese, while Japan has continued to accept Chinese citizens (from outside the embargoed provinces) and maintain bilateral exchanges. 

In Japan, the government and the private sector have voluntarily provided donations, such as medical masks and protective outfits. It has extended visas for Chinese tourists who cannot return home, and provided accommodation and training centers for a Chinese sports team whose stay in Japan has been extended.  

Japanese sympathy and snuggling up to friends in a neighboring country has touched the Chinese people, allowing people of both countries to sense their enduring friendship.

For Japan, the coronavirus has become its own domestic issue. Japan and China must overcome their own domestic challenges, otherwise the fight against the virus will not end and cause adverse impacts on their interdependent economies. 

The Japanese economy has already cooled due to last year's tax increase. The Chinese economy is also vulnerable to changes in the market. If the epidemic is prolonged, the impact on the two economies will be enormous and the supply chain will be damaged. It is time for both countries to realize they share the same destiny.

The author is a former member of Japan's House of Representatives. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn