Black Face Masks

Here in the NY metro area I wear a black KF94 face mask in indoor public spaces, thus I still have a good supply of these black face masks and which I plan to use in my May 2023 trip to Japan. Is it generally socially acceptable to wear black face masks in Japan?

Yes, black face masks are perfectly fine. They have become quite popular over the past few years in Japan, as well.

Yes, no problem. While most people wear white ones , specially younger men (but not only) go for black ones. There are also many other colours.
You can buy face masks in a lot of shops in Japan so you can try some new designs (and colours)

Thank you all for the replies.

Just curious. Why did you think black was bad option?

I've been wearing nothing but black face masks for more than seven months here in Japan, and I wear them to everything from job meetings to punk concerts without any problem whatsoever. It looks just like the one you describe, which looks just like the ones the Emperor and Empress wore when visiting the UK for the Queen's funeral.

People here have been wearing masks of all colors and designs. No problem.

Out of curiosity I looked at the masks people were wearing today in the metro. Conclusion
- white is the predominant color (probably 80-90%)
- black is probably the next color. Worn more frequently by (younger) men but some women wear them too
- grey is probably the next choice. Equally worn by men and women
- pastel colors or (light) skin color is quite popular with women. Probably same percentage as men with black masks. Those come in all different types of light pastel colores. I don�ft think I saw any man wearing such a mask.
- other strong colors, not very common but probably around 1 person per train wagon
- masks with decoration (generally flowers), worn by women. Not very frequent, but I saw a lady with one today.
- cloth masks with decoration. Equally infrequent
- nude nose & mouth (I saw 1 guy today in the subway going without any mask. Not very common at all at least in Tokyo. When I went to Osaka a few months ago I had the impression to see a few more �gnude�h noses in subway. While in Tokyo it�fs a really rare sight. )

So yes, your black mask will totally fit in. But if you are up for new mask adventures you can find other interesting colors as well.

We can tell that someone is either a scientist or engineer through a recent answer above....

And just like any other kind of "fashion item", frequency depends on the area, time range and occasion.

So is it OK to wear cloth masks or would it upset people?

Non-woven masks are advised, but it's commonly accepted to wear masks of other material.

We're quite fond of the Airism ones by Uniqlo. I don't know if they were just available in the US, but they're 3 layers, and a decently tight weave. We've had a few Covid exposures and have yet to get Covid (that we know of) so they seem to be doing the job decently. I admit, I like that they are washable vs. just getting tossed out, but I would prefer not to upset people and would be happy to wear the KN94 style. I find some of the medical style masks in the US just have a terrible fit.

Yes, I purchased the Uniqlo Airism masks in New York City.

Cloth face masks are definitely worn. Not terribly frequently but no problem. The most normal mask type is the simple white paper mask. Not something advanced like KN94.

@LikeBike, Thanks! I just want to make sure we don't look like thoughtless jerky foreigners. Both my daughter and I should have 4 doses before we go to Japan. We're both currently at 3.

People still mostly wear masks, but the government is pushing the public not to wear masks outside in less crowded places. House rules are different, so if you go to the shops and restaurants, they expect you to wear one, but often it's acceptable to go without one.

the government is pushing the public not to wear masks outside in less crowded places

I wouldn't say that the government is "pushing" but rather they're saying "it's okay not to wear masks if distance is being kept outdoors".

They are certainly pushing it. Many realize that the current mask customs are hurting the tourism industry and that Japan needs to at least approach "global practices" preferably sooner rather than later.

@rkold - "just want to make sure we don't look like thoughtless jerky foreigners"
That is a nice sentiment and nice to hear. Certainly with the return of tourists this month there are a lot of international visitors that simply don't care about mask wearing - a lot from Europe and a fair number of obviously US travelers. But while they stand out much more than usual there are still quite a few that do wear masks.
My impression having done two weeks recent travel around the more famous tourist spots is that the local population is just going to have to accept the world has moved on and Japan is still very much lagging behind.
Personally, I'll still be wearing a mask a while yet.

@JCT, I still wear masks indoors in the US, as does my daughter. My husband does so less often, but he also spends the least time outside our home, as he works from home now. My daughter and I also wear them outside if it is crowded, like Hershey Park and Disneyland. We're planning to go to Nagashima Spa Land and Nabana no Sato, and I can't imagine not masking at either! (outside of onsen time.) I forgot about plastic gloves at buffets, but we used them in CA this Summer, and I am fine with those as well.

But I'm not going to lie, after wearing masks of various types since April 2020, I am definitely biased towards the Airism ones. (and no, I do not work for Uniqlo or receive any benefit from saying this.) They're comfy and wash well and are probably my favorites of the type we've tried. But if it's medical only in Japan, I'd prefer not to make people uncomfortable over something that trivial. I'm just glad they are finally letting foreigners in.