Self-test for COVID in Japan and which antigen kits to use?

So you want to know if you have COVID-19. You have a fever and are afraid that you are infected. Or you have a vacation or event planned to attend and want to know if it’s OK to continue. In those cases, you can turn to rapid antigen tests, which are widely available both online and over the counter at drug stores.

But there is one particularly important thing to know when getting a test kit. Available in Japan, there are two types: 医療用 (iryо̄-yо̄), meaning ‘medical use’, and 研究用 (kenkyū-yо̄), or “research use.”