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WAi! WAi! JAPAN

OCT 20, 2019　01:37

It’s very common for foreigners to feel uncomfortable seeing so many people wearing masks. As you may have noticed, people don’t always wear them for health reasons. The following answers doesn’t necessary reflect every motive behind Japanese masks but I hope you get a general idea:

1) Flu Prevention
First and foremost, the mask is used to prevent sickness. There has been several flu pandemics in the past and Japanese are extremely informative to take care of such emergency - with that said, more and more Japanese started wearing masks and became comfortable about it. During the flu season, people actually feel more comfortable and safe seeing others wearing a mask. I believe it’s comparable to how people wear their sunglasses.


2) Hiding their “imperfection” = Face look smaller.
Japanese really care about their appearance (trying to be more formal and clean). Since many consider having a “small face” a desirable feature, people wear their masks to hide majority of their faces to look appealing. There are ladies who would find it a necessity to have their make-up on before grocery shopping but, wearing a mask became an easy alternative option since it saves a lot of their time.

There are now various designs and colors for these masks and it’s becoming a popular fashion accessory for younger generations.


3) Keeping you Warm
Japan can get very cold during fall~winter. You can have layers of clothing, gloves, scarves and hats but it’s normally hard to keep your face warm. Since people have gotten all used to seeing others wear a mask, this has become an easy option to keep your nose and cheeks warm.  


4) Hay Fever
Hay fever peak will begin as soon as the end of February and continue until early April. In Japan, it’s assumed that approximately 25million people suffer from hay fever. To avoid these pollen, people would pay attention to the weather forecast and wear masks accordingly.


5) Preventing exposure to social media
Japanese are extremely self-aware and being tagged on social media can actually affect their relation with friends and work environment. That is why there is a significant number of people who do not want their face to be in group photos. Wearing a mask has become an easy way to hide their identity.

*With that said, you should always ask permission to take photos and explain what it’s used for. You’ll notice a lot of people who posts photos on Social Media blur-out faces in the background to prevent legal disputes.