Nearly 40% of people surveyed in Japan going without a mask

42 comments

1. What, people are still wearing masks.

2. I don’t know, like everywhere I go (Hiroshima) I see like 90% Masks.

3. Yeah, no. In Sapporo about 75% still masking outside, more like 90% inside. It’s getting more common to not see masks but still very prevalent.

4. Thank god

5. Weird, the only people I see not wearing masks are foreigners. On occasion somebody walking outside because rural Shizuoka isn’t exactly crowded.

   At my office we are still required to wear them. We don’t require it for our guests, but basically everyone does. I would have guessed masking rate was close to 100% still.

6. I noticed when I visited Tokyo a few weeks ago there were way fewer people wearing masks there than in Hamamatsu where I work.

   In Hamamatsu I’d say around 95% wear masks on the trains and maybe 75% wear them outside. In Tokyo it was more like 40-50%, both on trains and outside.

   This might have been because I was there on a weekday (and most of the time I spend outside in Hamamatsu is commuting to and from work in the busy hours) but it was a pretty clear difference.

7. It’s time to take them off but for some they have become a crutch, or something to hide behind. For those people I can’t imagine them ever not wearing one.

8. Just went to the supermarket in Saitama – I saw two people without masks. I’d guess about 98% still masked up. I appreciate it every time I walk past someone coughing or sneezing.

9. As an American visiting, Tokyo and Kyoto outside it’s quite low, while on the bus/train, almost everyone is wearing one.

10. Feel like the “in Japan” is being used very broadly. Going to vary a lot by what part of Japan. In my small town in Iwate still over 90% using a mask. Would assume that the fact a large majority of those people have elderly at home is one reason.

11. Where I am in Tokyo most of the masks are gone except with store/etc staff, and I imagine that’s customer courtesy.

    My gym went mask by choice on March 1 and by far most people chose no.

    I wore mine with zero gripes, but the time for necessity has passed.

12. I stopped when it was announced okay to do do, but almost all my neighbors are still doing it. My husband says everyone in his office are still doing it too. We live in Tokyo prefecture.

13. Well, the good news is no one is gonna stop you from being maskless anymore. So mind your own business.

14. In osaka, it’s still common, but I’m seeing more and more japanese ditching the masks. This isn’t even a political thing for me at all or anything… I just miss seeing people’s faces, and I’m happy to see them again.

15. > For both surveys, Asahi Shimbun reporters checked whether 100 people were wearing a mask at 10 locations around the country, such as sightseeing areas and public facilities.

    I wonder which locations they used and if they ruled out people like tourists (especially if they were coming from countries with no mask policies). R&A’s are pretty much useless if done wrong and this one sounds pretty bad based on the limit info given.

16. I’m debating whether to take mine off during work or not. Students cough and sneeze in my face (not on purpose) and I really can’t afford to get sick again.

17. Was just at the supermarket and it was still about 98%. It’s never going to end.

18. If the staff wears a mask, I do too. If they don’t, I don’t. I always wear one on public transport because…. of course. Outside, never.

    Ya’ll do you. Masks ain’t news.

19. I slowly noticed that less people started wearing them, but still the overall majority is doing the mask thing.

20. Recently noticed (Sendai) that the vast majority of drivers I pass are no longer wearing masks in their cars. Used to be almost 100%. On a side note, both teachers at my daughter’s Juku are out with Covid and the school is shut for 10 days.

21. Outskirts of tokyo, 90% masks.

    OTOH I have two co-workers sick with covid right now.

    Over my ass …

22. I would guess it’s dropped in Sendai from last week of 90% to around 80% this week.

    Tokyo late at night it’s about 10% with masks from my observations.

23. Bruh I get that the Japanese are generally hyper-cautious, but how long will the mask-wearing continue? Until 2030? Lol

24. And to be real, it shocks the hell out of me. I thought no would take off their masks.

25. Uhhhhhh there must have been an issue with the methodology. Living here, the number must be closer to 80% still wear…..

26. I mean covid is still a real thing

27. I teach at a Japanese uni and 80-90% of my Japanese students still wear them. For my international students, it’s more like 30-40%.

28. Just got back from a Tokyo trip and most people on trains still wear masks, except tourists, of course.

    On the streets there’s definitely people ditching them, though. Not a great feeling having someone sneeze in a crowded space without covering their face.

29. About 50%/50% here in Azabu. Perhaps somewhat more unmasked than masked, now. Great to see.

30. Burger King head office just told all the stores they don’t have to wear masks. Not one person in my Osaka branch took their mask and as the only non-Asian looking person I was a bit hesitant to be the only one. Customers appear to be roughly 40% without a mask which lines up to the article. I still don’t know what any of my coworkers faces look like, they all never take their masks off, even in the back. I’m the only one…

31. Was in Disney yesterday and I would have to guess it was around a 50/50 split, with VERY few non japanese being part of it. I would wager Japan will end up with a 1 in 4 wearing a mask at the end of summer. I cant express how refreshing it is to actually see smiles. No judgement for mask wearing but seeing people break the “expectations” and be outgoing again is such a relief, especially in situations where masking is unnecessary.

32. I imagine it’ll be like in Thailand where it was near 100% compliance. It will take months for people to gradually remove them, but it will happen more and more as is finally the case in Bangkok.

33. I ride and live along the Odakyu line and 95% are still wearing masks in the public and on the train. Why?

34. I’m in Japan. People are over it. Rode the train yesterday. Half the people are unmasked.

    Gym. Everyone.

    Everybody is just tired of it. We all got played.

35. Meh, when I’m in crowded places I still wear a mask. It’s been nice not getting sick annually.

36. They need to stop socially pressuring young people to keep them on.

37. Tokyo is 98% masked up..

38. “A company employee in his 80s”

    WTF dude? Retire already FFS.

39. This week has been the first week since the pandemic started, where the seat behind the bus driver (in Okinawa) has been open to passengers!

40. Removed mine 2 weeks ago when realized that its almost stupid and meaningless to wear it anymore.

41. Glad masks are finally done. I thought it’d take years. Corona is over. At this point everyone has either gotten infected or been vaccinated.

42. I just travelled from Tokyo down to Okinawa, hitting Kyoto and Osaka in between. Definitely still see lots of masks with what I assume are locals. It felt like mostly tourists not wearing them. Not much pressure to put one on, I would always throw one on when entering a store and got a couple a 大丈夫s. But I also got trapped on the Shinkansen during golden week and faced some serious crowds. Heavily masked for the most part.