The transmission of HIV/AIDS in Japan followed a different trajectory than the epidemic in Western countries, such as the US. This, along with the conservative nature of Japanese government and society, affected the negative perception of the disease by the general populace, a perception that continues today.

The first spike in HIV/AIDS cases in Japan in the late 1970s and 1980s occurred due to blood products containing HIV that were imported from the US; about 40% of people with hemophilia in Japan who were treated using these products contracted HIV (“Japan’s Response to the Spread of HIV/AIDS.” Japan Center for International Exchange, 2004). A subsequent lawsuit revealed that many people in power knew the products had the potential to transmit HIV but distributed them anyway. This came to be known as the “Contaminated Blood Scandal.” In 1981, the first AIDS case was announced in the US. As the number of cases rose in Japan, HIV/AIDS became associated with foreigners and men who had sex with men (“Japan’s Response to the Spread of HIV/AIDS”).

While HIV/AIDS cases eventually plateaued at around 1,300 per year, many experts believe these numbers are underreported due to the stigma surrounding HIV as well as LGBTQ+ identities (Barratt, Deanna.