The Japan healthcare system is considered as one of the world's finest. However, medical facilities across Japan are struggling to cope with the recent surge in novel coronavirus infections, leaving the medical care system in many areas on the brink of collapse. Physician burnout was already a growing problem, and the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has only made it worse. The personal impact of coronavirus disease 2019 in Japan is reported.
Keywords: COVID-19; burnout; ethical decisions; pandemic; resiliency.