Hello, I recently moved to Japan as an international student for a semester. I come from a country where mask wearing is no longer required and even when it was, it was never required outdoors. I understand it’s not the law here, however, I see no one maskless outside and don’t want to stand out and be glared at (I walked to the store once outside maskless for 2 mins and had glares)
Anyways, I’m having a hard time wearing one outside here. I will go for a ten minute walk and been dripping in sweat and feel like I’m going to pass out.
I have no issue wearing one indoors, in fact, I feel safer doing so. I just don’t want to get heat stroke while outside.
Does anyone has tips to make this more bearable? I have to walk most places since I don’t have a car, like the grocery store and what not.
Thank you in advance
26 comments
Just wear a mask under the nose (or even under the mouth), this is apparently accepted.
Pull the mask down when you’re outside and pull it back up when you go into a store.
You don’t have to wear a mask outside. People are going to glare but that’s on them.
You can remove when outside and not in a crowded space. Perhaps just put on briefly when you pass someone close. I have seen people removing outside. Even the government said that removing masks in open spaces is absolutely fine. Hang in there! It will start to cool down soon
*and don’t want to stand out and be glared at*
As a foreigner in Japan this is something that wont go away by wearing your mask outside. You need to overcome this asap.
Mask wearing outside is pretty much 50/50 (give or take) nowadays in my experience around Kyoto. I generally dont wear a mask outside but do carry one in my hand. If it gets a little crowded I will put it on until it becomes less so. This seems to be the way for the 50% not wearing them outside. I still wear one indoors at shops etc.
A lot of people go maskless outdoors except in crowded areas.
Just take it off outside. It’s really not as big of a deal as you’re making it seem.
The govt has specifically said you don’t have to wear them outside. Fk all the people still doing it.
This is a country where people will stare at or comment about wearing shorts when the calendar flips over to October 1st, despite it still being warm outside.
Welcome to the Japan hive mind.
Stand out and be glared at. Eventually they will realise it’s stupid when they see people having a happy life without covid restrictions.
No need for a mask outside anymore. Just do your thing.
Just stop wearing it out. Plenty of Japanese people in my area aren’t wearing it outside.
1) get a mask stand-off that holds it further outside your face and stops if from getting sweaty and reducing how much air can pass through
2) realize that a mask has fuck all to do with getting heatstroke. You can literally do hard exercise in a mask and be fine. If you’re legitimately feeling like you’re going to pass out after 10min outside you’ve got some other serious issues.
3) deal with the stares if you can’t deal with the mask.
It’s normal to be dripping with sweat in summer. If you pass out you’ll have to keep your mask on in an ambulance anyway.
But you don’t have to wear one outside when people aren’t around you.
Yeah it is crazy that some people insist on wearing masks even when outside. Inside I understand, outside in a crowded place, maybe, but I see people wearing masks in parks and at the beach which is insane.
Take the mask off then. No one cares.
The government recommended taking it off outside anyway
Stop wearing them except where necessary! Just because Japanese are socially conditioned to follow the flock doesn’t mean you have to. Use a little discretion, if you’re outside and not utterly surrounded by a throng of strangers, take it off.
here’s what helps me:
– carry a portable fan around my neck, and blow it on my face when it gets too hot.
– keep a little towel in my bag no matter where i go. i wipe under my mask once in a while.
– drink a lot of water/tea and often. taking your mask off for a few seconds just to drink something is fine, and totally acceptable.
Maybe your thinking too much, it’s normal, you stand out regardless. (Gaijin status)
See what people do, you’ll be fine👍🏽
Indoors everyone probably has it on, outdoors you see people that don’t or have it on their arm or to the chin. Train/ bus/ taxi I would wear it but that’s just me 🤷🏽♂️
The government knows it’s hot outside so they said you don’t have too wear one.
For outside, I only pop the mask on if we’re standing still, close to people, and in stagnant air with no breeze. Comes off again when we start moving.
I suppose the one exception might be when I see elderly or infants and I briefly pop it on out of an abundance of caution.
The Japanese government even said it’s not necessary to wear them outside when not in a crowded or confined space. People chose to ignore it. I would just choose to ignore their smooth brained glares.
When out and walking in the fresh air, it’s not unusual to not wear a mask where I am.
If you’re on your way to your company in the city, on public transport, inside shops or department stores, in crowded places, they are still used and people might take notice of you if you don’t wear one.
So yes, masks aren’t needed outside, but how often are we truly in the ‘outside’…
Don’t wear a mask outside then.
At this point in time when we know a lot more about the virus and we have vaccines and treatments are becoming better, there is no point for you to wear a mask outside.
If you really look you will realize you’re not the only one doing it
I bring a mask if outside and when interacting or if it’s crowded, wear it. Some runners use a neck gaiter which can quickly be pulled up or down.
I don’t wear a mask outside.
Who cares if they stare at you? They gonna stare anyway since you’re foreign.
I only wear them in stores, stations, train… but outside is a big no. Unless you want to suffer from heatstroke.
You can take it off when you are walking down the street but put it on when you get closer to areas with lots of people. There are also cloth and masks from synthetic fabric that don’t really protect you that well but allow you to breath better. Still allows you to wear a mask if you’re really bothered by the people around you starting.
Depending on where you are and what your ethnicity is, you might get people staring just because you’re a foreigner.
In this weather you sweat regardless of if you are wearing a mask or not.