Japan PM Kishida says ‘masks unnecessary outdoors’ amid struggle to get message across – The Mainichi

47 comments

1. 日本人はもうマスクを外せなくなるほど病気になりました。

2. Isn’t it possible that most people just wear it because they don’t want to forget putting it back on when they should? We are creatures of habit, too.

3. They almost seem to have become a part of everyday fashion. I still see countless numbers of people wearing them outside, alone in their cars, or walking alone down the street.

4. The only way this is going to work is if everyone collectively takes off their mask at the exact same time. That way, nobody has to be the first one to stand out. Seriously, I’m really worried that first domino is never going to fucking fall.

5. Japan has this strong concept of being accepted by society. That is why you see so many foreigners being mistreated and judged. Basically if you see your boss or senpai still wearing a mask then you would be ridiculed if you took your mask off. You know that silly saying your parents asked you “what if your friends jump off a cliff, would you?”. Well, in Japan, yes haha. It’s a strange concept for us westerners especially where I was raised. My town thrives on diversity and individuality. So it makes it difficult for myself to completely understand it.

   Also, Japan has a high population of elderly people. So with that strong concept of being “one group” you are also showing concern and consideration for the elderly.

   I don’t think mask wearing in Japan is gonna go out anytime soon, which may cause more harm than good but we will have to see for the near future.

6. I think Kishida needs to make a statement that it is not necessary for people to wear their masks inside their cars.

   This one blows my mind

7. Are trains considered outdoors?

8. This will help slowly move the dial forward. it will happen.

   People here seem to forget though that Japanese have always had masks as part of daily life. Many years ago I had colleagues come in from the UK on a business trip, and when they arrived at Narita they were stunned to see all the masks. They joked that they though they may have arrived in the middle of an outbreak.

   And the comments about people wearing masks in their cars. I’ve also seen this for years. Furthermore, why would you care about what people do in their cars? If they are wearing a sweater in their car during the summer does that also bother you? In 99% of the cases I’m sure they just don’t bother taking it on or off as isn’t a big deal for them.

9. I see people doing lives in hellotalk or instagram, teaching japanese or just casual conversation and they (specially women) uses them in their own house. They keep saying they have complex, mask fits them or they would do just eye makeup and finish.

10. The tell your fellow politicians to take off their fucking masks. Every time I see the local politician outside the train station at morning rush hour, blaring away on his megaphone he is in full mask, apparently too scared to follow his own governments policies

11. Japan will never let go of these horrible things, it’s not law, they don’t work and it should be personal choice.#マスクを外そう！

12. It’s not much of an annoyance, so I put it on anyway.

13. There is no point in complying, especially in the sardine packed trains in Tokyo, it prevents the flu and most have pollen allergies anyway.

14. When I see people alone far from people with a mask on it’s sad. They cannot relax at any point.

15. They need (yes, need) to more actively remove masks from the school children. It is not good for their development at all.

16. Part of this reluctance has been the false propagation that a large percentage of Japanese at any one time wore masks pre-covid and that it is somehow it is part of Asian/Japan identity. It wasn’t. Masks existed and some people wore them when they were sick (or for hay-fever). It was maybe 2-5%, at the very peak of winter or hay-fever season. Nothing at all like it is today.

17. Ask yourself whether you would still wear a mask if nobody else around you was wearing one (eg. in Europe or anywhere outside Asia)? If the answer is yes, then okay. If the answer is no, then recognize you are just virtue signaling or being submissive to social pressure.

18. Here in Kansai, the whole summer when I have been in a park or out exercising, the number of masks on has been about 20% at most (even lower recently). This weekend I was noticing many people are now not even wearing them pulled down – simply not on at all. On the streets, even here in the suburbs well away from crowds, that proportion is reversed unluckily, but there is still a sizable minority not wearing them. I mean I have nothing against people wearing these things if they want to feel like muzzled animals, but the danger from not wearing a mask outdoors (with social distancing etc etc) is practically nonexistent.

19. Kishida isn’t a doctor. Depends how close you are to people when outdoors.

20. The day will come when nobody knows why we are wearing a mask.

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22. I find this humorous, in part because for years people have always insisted that Japanese are obedient.

23. I take it off immediately when stepping outside. I won’t even wear it in the train if it’s not crowded.

    But the moment I step into a crowded area, it goes right back on. Or if the train becomes crowded while I’m on it, it comes back on.

    Honestly I’ll probably continue the same practice post Covid.

    Wearing a mask in crowded places feels good.

    Not wearing a mask in free air in open spaces also feels good.

24. It’s pathetic to see all these idiots in the comments taking offense to strangers wearing masks. Like seriously, how sad do you have to be to care about someone wearing a piece of cloth. Absolutely pathetic.

25. I was in the Nagoya ‘s suburb this summer, and most People didn’t use masks outside. In Nagoya center everyone used a mask. So it is not every people that keep the mask all of the time. But I felt social pressure when in city center, so this may take some time.

26. I mean, that much is obvious. But this implies that they’re “necessary” indoors. Until it’s made clear that that, too, is a matter for each individual to decide for themselves, the hygiene theater will continue.

27. At the pool nobody wears them, it’s hilarious

28. I ride a bicycle from my house to the station/supermarket and I dont wear a mask while riding. If I see a group of people at an intersection waiting, I stop a bit fair away and put a mask on but once I am alone, it is off.

29. I feel sorry for people who think masks saved us all from the pandamic. I really do.

30. A lot of people were wearing masks regularly even before the pandemic. I don’t think those people will be taking them off anytime soon, and that will strengthen the peer pressure to wear masks for the others. sad😥

31. It’s not really about covid anymore for some. The Japanese love their privacy and for some now being able to cover half of their face in public all the time without being weird is great. I hate it.

32. Korea the same.

33. Many Asian countries are like this

34. And in Germany, it’s now mandatory to wear a designated mask. Someone said that nobody in the West wears masks anymore, and that Asians who still wear them are idiots.🤔

    https://www.dw.com/en/new-german-covid-19-rules-come-into-force-as-infections-rise-in-colder-months/a-63305695

35. And it seems like he made this statement…wearing a mask, lmao.

36. Maybe they need Arashi or Exile to make a song about it.

37. Still can’t risk getting sick and bringing it home to make my severely high risk father sick. Not just Covid, but anything. So for me atleast, mask stays on whether indoors or outdoors. Just incase.

38. Unnecessary outdoors? Please it’s unnecessary indoors and anywhere else as well. I was forced to get the vaccination for fear of getting my visa pulled, and still got kicked out of a super market yesterday for not wearing a mask. The rest of the world has moved on, Japan needs too as well.

39. I am love wearing masks outside in winter, keeps my face nice and warm haha

40. I would wear masks in the train and the bus because they’re almost always crowded in Japan and smell so bad. Some people smell really bad. Of course not outdoor but I need it during the hay fever season in spring.

41. I think Prime Minister Kishida should be more worried about increasing numbers of missiles launched from North Korea that passed northern region of Japan than a mask

42. Mint scented mask filters are a blessing when you interact with people who smoke, never brush their teeth or just have bad hygiene overall.

43. They should hire all those election cars to drive around telling people to take their masks off outside.

44. wow. this guy must be smart.

    just 30 days ago, masks outdoors were no match for corona.

    we literally had record death and record cases, even WITH masks.

    I agree, we dont need masks outside, but the government shouldnt be saying “mask up, mask down, mask up, mask down” when corona cases fluxuate for reasons we’ve yet to understand.

    we dont know why the cases shoot up and down in the waves they do. we dont know why the cases taper off so quickly either.

    it sure isnt herd immunity.

45. Joke’s on you Kishida, I’m never taking off my mask!

46. They soon take them off when over here in Europe.

47. I honestly don’t see masks as much of a hinderance anymore. I don’t get why people are in such a huge hurry to not wear one