The government said on Tuesday that the threat from a mysterious killer germ , while still requiring vigilance , appears to be receding in the western Japan city of Sakai , where the epidemic hit the hardest .
<response> The government said on Tuesday that the threat from a mysterious killer germ , while still requiring vigilance , appears to be receding in the western <location>Japan</location> city of <location>Sakai</location> , where the epidemic hit the hardest . </response>