Masks

@judith
Now you see everywhere people without masks. Including a fair number of Japanese.

BUT in trains still the vast majority wears masks. Maybe 20-30% without masks now. That�fs an increase from a few months ago when the mandate was first revoked. But still�c
You don�ft get any bad looks for not wearing a mask.

Outside it depends. In the city (Tokyo in my case) many people wear masks. Maybe about 60-70% with masks in busy areas. However in tge countryside or in parks it is now less common. Still more people than pre Covid though.

In shops and restaurants most of the employees will wear masks. However A friend ditched her mask. She is a kindergarten teacher who works in a public kindergarten where everyone else is wearing masks and the doctor even official asked her why she isn�ft. But she stood with her decision. So yea in some workplaces it is still pretty much expected.

While in my workplace (Pharma industry) many people ditched their masks. More so the older generation. Specially the younger employees seem to stick with masks. The other day I went with our company Director to a client meeting with a major Japanese Pharma company and no one was wearing masks.

My Japanese friends mostly have ditched their masks

I guess the point is the , yes , you�fll see a lot of people with masks everywhere BUT if you personally don�ft want to wear a mask go for it. Nothing bad will happen.

Wondering what the situation and feelings about wearing masks currently are.

In short, even since 2020, I've often had my mask off when I'm not speaking, and never had a problem. Pre-May, I sometimes was politely asked to wear one, due to facility policies, which I was happy to.

And ever since mid May, 2023, I don't think I've worn a single mask, and no one has even asked me to. I do carry a new one just in case. If I were to ride a very crowded train with a lot of people squeezing each other, I'd probably wear one. So far, I've successfully avoided that situation.

I shop without masks and try not to talk much. If the clerk starts small talk with me, I interpret it that the clerk doesn't mind my not wearing a mask, so I gladly engage in the conversation without wearing one.

I've dined with a very small number of friends or family, and make my orders without wearing a mask. If the waiter starts small talk, same thing as above.

(Japanese) friends are now starting to ask for hugs, which I gladly offer (big ones). We're not a kissing culture anyway.

At hospitals and at facilities for the elderlies, you are still required to wear masks, but they'll probably give you one if you don't have one in hand.

For me, the small downside is that many places now don't offer sanitizing alcohol any more. But I carry a portable one myself so that I could avoid touching something/someone after I touched another item. My policy is that as long as I'm sanitized I can feel free to do anything I want.

I still notice from Twitter that a lot of people are still scared of those who don't wear masks (especially people who are forced to commute through crowded places tend to be more scared), so I do try my best not to scare people.

I've been in Japan for less than 24 hours, but mask usage seems to be spotty.

Basically no-one on the plane was wearing masks (including Japanese people) but we were flying from Warsaw.

Some of the people at the airport were wearing masks - but my customs dude was not but was protected by glass so that makes sense.

At first glance - it appears as though customer first contact jobs have less people wearing masks (such as my hotel, bus driver), but the offices I drove past had heaps of people wearing masks inside them (aka - back door airport workers)

For me personally - I'll wear masks when it's really busy or I'm a bit congested, which is close to the norm prior to covid.

Recently (from around May), I basically don't wear a mask outdoors except when I have a sore throat or a cough.
About half a year ago, I had difficulty breathing while wearing a mask while riding a bicycle.
Also, there is a danger of heat stroke from now on.
Outside, the number of people who do not wear masks is increasing these days.
Probably around 20-30%.
But in supermarkets, convenience stores, and libraries, I wear a mask.
In my neighborhood, many people wear them indoors.
I wear a mask, especially at supermarkets (no plastic sheets), where there is a fully automated checkout and the possibility to ask questions directly to the staff.
I haven't used disinfectant outside for a month or two.
It's been about half a year since I've been using disinfectant at home.
Alcohol sterilization deprives the body of water, so it seems to be bad for the body.
My mother, who is in her 80s, has to wear a mask when she goes to the care facility.
I also wear a mask when I meet the staff.
Last time, during a home-visit medical care, a male doctor in his 70s took off his mask.
Perhaps men are more likely to remove their masks.
I wear a mask even when I sleep at night. Because I breathe through my mouth and my throat is dry.
Non-woven masks are airtight, but it is difficult to breathe, so I plan to mainly use cloth masks in the summer.

Hey mfedley appreciate the update. Any idea what the approximate Japanese to European passenger ratio was on your flight? I am flying ANA out of London next month and wondering what kind of masking to expect.

I'm the same as you, I'll probably mask up on trains and stuff when it's busy because that is what I used to do pre-covid anyway. But outside in the July heat? Absolutely not. Never masked on a flight before but I suppose I don't mind if a lot of other people are.

Hi,

I will go to Japan in approximately two weeks. Can anyone update on mask wearing now ? Are there still many masked people outside ?

Thanks in advance

Some people still wear them, not nearly as many as before. Non-mask wearing is quite common, even places like trains/indoors. No one will care/notice.

@Vienna Logan, I observed this morning in Tokyo rush hour about 50% were wearing masks on the train. While on my flight Frankfurt- Haneda on the WE I only saw a few (maybe about 5 people in my vicinity) with masks.

Outside I still need to check but would guess something around 40% of people with masks on the streets of Tokyo.

Anyway, you will NOT be the only person with / without mask anywhere. So you can essentially do as you please and won�ft stick out either way.

It�fs definitely a minority in Tokyo right now, even on trains I feel, though not a small minority. Pretty good balance where nobody will feel awkward for the choice to mask or not (though this is has always been the case in Japan pre-covid really). 40% sounds like it could be right in some places. I was in Harajuku today and honestly it felt like less than 25%. Not really counting though. Do what you want as others say

A lot of people still wear masks, but you have to remember that a lot of people in Japan wore masks even before the pandemic. A lot of people in Japan simply like to wear masks. That doesn't mean you have to do the same. At least, that's not how it is now. You still have to wear masks inside places such as hospitals, but that was how it always was even before the pandemic.

To sum up, today it's quite the norm to see people without masks speaking talking to people wearing masks, and shouting/chanting has come back to concert venues.

"You still have to wear masks inside places such as hospitals, but that was how it always was even before the pandemic."

That's really not true at all. I went to a hospital in Hokkaido for a suspected broken bone in early 2019, spent an hour or so there and don't recall seeing a single person wearing a mask...! It wasn't even a consideration.