Face Masks in Japan?

So I`m from the USA and I have seen a couple people with face masks on (like the ones your dentist wears). I never thought much of it though.

In Japan however, I see it all the time. Is there some custom where if you get a cold you should wear a mask or is something else going on here? I`ve seen it on all different classes of people.

Thanks,

People wear it for various reasons as you mentioned, if they are sick, or if they don't want to get sick. Also during allergy season many people in Japan suffer from Hay fever, so they want to protect themselves from pollen etc.

Yeah, I figured it was something like that. Maybe it`s more common to use them because it is so crowded?

Those trains get packed.

I used to live in Japan and whenever I got sick I wore one of thos face masks at night while I slept. It prevented my throat from drying out in the middle of the night. I loved them. I'm from Australia and you can't buy them here. Does anyone know what they're called in Japanese so I can try and buy some online? I think they rock!

I don't know what they are called in Japanese but here are some on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Disposable-EARLOOP-Face-Filters-Bacter...

http://www.amazon.com/Particulate-Respirator-Face-Masks-N95/...

Yeah, great ideas here...if everyone wore a face mask, they'd be keeping their germs to themselves and protecting themselves from my germs, thus keeping me free not to wear one!! great idea!

Yeah, I actually don't like the idea much. The more disease we avoid the more susceptible we become. Imagine one day you forget you face mask and catch some 10 virus because you never built up the antibodies in the past.

People think that because colds are uncomfortable that they are bad. When in fact the very reason they are uncomfortable is because your system is building immunities to them. I was once told you are doing the world a favor by passing on a flu/cold.

I noticed I only saw paper masks used in Japan, never those rubber half-mask respirators or even a cup-shaped N95 mask. Any reason why?

because people are just trying to protect themselves from the common cold or from allergens, not the plague.