Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

Steruiz, the penicillin injection that’s the first-line treatment for syphilis, has been hit with both a voluntary recall over foreign-matter contamination and a manufacturing equipment breakdown — pushing the resumption of shipments back to the latter half of next year. Reported syphilis cases have surged from roughly 6,000 in 2020 to over 13,000 in 2025, and since mother-to-child transmission can cause stillbirth or “congenital syphilis,” the Japanese Society for Sexually Transmitted Infections is urging medical institutions to prioritize the drug for pregnant patients. On 5ch, some posters pointed to a structural problem — the drug’s low price makes the supply chain fragile — while many others veered off-topic, blaming the surge in infections on tourism policy or the nationality of specific visitors.

With syphilis infections holding at high levels, a shortage of the first-choice penicillin treatment continues. Production halted after equipment trouble at the manufacturer’s plant, among other causes, and resumption isn’t expected until the latter half of next year. As it’s also the only drug recommended for preventing mother-to-child transmission, the Japanese Society for Sexually Transmitted Infections had, as of the 9th, asked medical professionals to take steps such as prioritizing its use for pregnant women.

Syphilis, transmitted through sexual contact, began seeing a rise in reported cases around the time the COVID-19 pandemic wound down. From about 6,000 cases in 2020, the number topped 13,000 in 2025. If it crosses the placenta to the fetus, it can lead to stillbirth or premature birth, and there are also concerns about “congenital syphilis,” which causes abnormalities in a child’s nerves and bones.

Amid this, Pfizer’s treatment “Steruiz” was voluntarily recalled in July 2025 due to foreign-matter contamination. In November, a manufacturing equipment failure occurred as well. Preparing facilities and getting regulatory approval is taking time, and the company expects “shipments to resume around the latter half of next year.”

Source: 47news.jp / Original article here

*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “Syphilis drug shortage continues — equipment failure at plant, resumption next year.”

On the 6th and 7th, Kura Sushi ran a storewide 10% discount as an apology for canceling its Chiikawa collaboration campaign — but the discount wasn’t automatically applied at self-checkout; customers had to actively ask a staff member to have it applied. Online, complaints piled up that “the discount wasn’t given,” with some raising concerns about possible violations of Japan’s Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations. Opinions on the thread split between those defending it as an unavoidable quirk of self-checkout systems and those criticizing the company for poor design and inadequate notice. The discussion also spread to separate reports about how the collaboration merchandise had been managed.

Major conveyor-belt sushi chain Kura Sushi is in turmoil after abruptly canceling its collaboration campaign with the popular character Chiikawa.

On the 6th and 7th, the company announced a storewide “10% discount at checkout” for all items, but it turns out many stores mishandled even this apology discount campaign. Posts online piled up with complaints like “I wasn’t given the discount” and “it only gets applied if you speak up to an employee.”

If it’s true that the “10% discount wasn’t being applied” as a widespread, ongoing situation, Kura Sushi could well be in violation of laws such as the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations.

Source: news.infoseek.co.jp / Original article here

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (News Express+) thread “Kura Sushi’s Sudden 10% Discount Causes Chaos in Stores… The Truth Behind Online Reports That ‘The Discount Wasn’t Applied’.”