Covid situation and handling in Japan?

I was watching a live webcam from Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, Tokyo around New Year and noticed the huge amout of people gathered in the alley in front of the temple. I suppose face masks are compulsory in Japan when among people, but what about social distancing? I guess it is quite hard to enforce due to the compact nature of the cities and transport.

Masks and social distancing are not mandatory. There are no laws. There are only guidelines and social rules and pressure. As a result, almost everybody wears a mask. Social distancing is also encouraged and observed widely, but in crowded situations, actual distancing of 1-2 meters is not always actually observed by everybody. When I lined up at a shrine on January 1, the distance to the people ahead and behind me was less than a meter. In the supermarket, too, I often have some people behind me who step beyond the social distancing marks on the floor ;)

I am living in Japan and when I saw people without a mask, I was surprised and wondered why people don't tell police, why people don't take a photo and expose on facebook but I was told that the Japan law doesn't, can't force
because it is unfair for those who are unable to wear due to health reasons. People in Japan wear a mask as a manner for public hygiene and those who are unable to wear do something alternatively. But I feel some people without a mask don't seem to have health problems actually and they are just selfish because they are joggers who run at public roads breathing hard towards pedestrians or shoppers who ignore the sign on the floor for social distance, or those who insist that they are safe because they got vaccine twice.

As it is in many countries around the world, a lot of people in Japan are starting to care less about social distancing. There are various reasons. Like in many countries, the main reasons are that (A) some people are getting tired of distancing, (B) some people are starting to feel that it's okay as long as you're vaccinated, (C) some people think that even if you catch it now, it's no big deal because the hospitals can handle it, (D) some people are rebelling against all those rules we're supposed to follow, (E) some people prefer to follow certain beliefs, etc.

As for (B), the number of Covid-19-positives had dramatically decreased right after the vaccination was pretty much done. But then, around the end of the year, it started to increase dramatically again. My wild guess is that a lot of people out there for New Years worshiping are those whose minds just couldn't catch up with the increase of Covid-19-positives.

To me, the crowd at Asakusa is as scary as the crowd at Times Square in New York. Just as we did last year, we avoided going to any shrine during the first three days of January. When we visited our little neighborhood shrine on Jan 4th, there were no visitors queuing, and my family and I were able to enjoy a nice long safe prayer as well as a comfortable walk back home without going any closer than 2 meters to a stranger.

Not only Asakusa, not only the new year celebration time, but many touristic places are getting filled with tourists on general days, I think. Japanese people seem to doubt effect of vaccine as the infection cases increased and medical crisis happened after more vaccine rolled out last summer. Nevertheless more people travel to Tokyo, go back to hometown in a province.
They don't seem to be afraid of 3C situation.

be scientific.

pictures through telescopic lens look to be crowded than the reality.

almost none who run in pedestrian ways (on pubic road). I saw joggers who don't wear masks in parks. but it is OK, if outside.

it is a risk that someone speaks in laud voice meaninglessly in a closed space. it often happens at izakaya with alcoholic beverages.

I don't mind if someone says me as a liar but at least in the city we can see people running on public road, maybe not in rural regions because they have more spaces to run. And I don't think people in Japan think breathing towards the others (activities that saliva is sprayed) is ok regardless outside or inside. In fact, people in Japan wear a mask not to spray saliva (virus) rather than to avoid catching virus.

@emiliang why people don't take a photo and expose on "XYZ" site
Well, actually that risks you getting sued. Street photography is legal, but expressed consent and usage are different matters.

@OP - As for people not wearing masks - I avoid them. They might have a reason, not care, be young (often), or have some kind of impairment. Certainly not mandatory to wear one. Also remember the rates of infection are SOOOO much lower than somewhere like the US, and vaccination rates are pretty good.
Also, picking an example like Asakusa and central Tokyo are a bit different to much of the city/prefecture. My last visit to Shin-Okubo/Shinjuku the sidewalks were packed, but in many of the less dense cities in Tokyo it is much less crowded. One of the shrines I visited yesterday still had plenty of people doing hatsumode, but as it was the 5th and a less busy location people were a little more spread out.