Japan asks China to stop performing anal COVID tests on Japanese citizens

There are also reports that say that this same test was given to US diplomats on arrival to mainland China.

Chief Cabinet Secretary for Japan, Katsunobu Kato noted that the use of these anal swabs, which are used only in mainland China, "has not been confirmed anywhere else in the world."

"Some Japanese reported to our embassy in China that they received anal swab tests, which caused great psychological pain," continued Kato, adding that he wasn't sure how many Japanese people were subjected to the procedure.

According to the BBC, the test consist of inserting a cotton swab 3-5cm into the anus and rotating it, in a manner similar to the nasal swabs.

Chinese officials have not responded to the request to switch back to the more traditional nasal swabs, which some claim are less invasive and also more effective in the long run.

However, many Chinese experts have gone on the record as saying that the anal tests could "increase the detection rate of infected people". China has been implementing the new anal tests in a limited form since the beginning of the year 2021.