1 in 4 still to wear masks in Japan despite eased COVID rules: survey

Over 80% will keep it in the train for a while.

20 to 25% won’t do it for sure all around

March 13th can't get here quick enough!

LOL.

With respect, you are being very naive if you think things will magically change come March 13.

A lot of people have gotten used to wearing masks for the last two years that now they feel more comfortable when they’re wearing them, hiding their identities and remaining anonymous in the crowd.

But they will gladly remove their masks to drink and shout in izakaya

go figure

A comment from the article that's the most interesting to me is -

"...and 39.2 percent who wanted to prevent themselves "becoming infected from diseases other than the coronavirus..."

So almost 40% of the polled population are afraid of all airborne infections to the extent that they seemingly never want to stop wearing a mask.

40% !!!! Like that's some serious nervousness.

1 in 4?

Make that 4 in 5.

No way that the people in Japan will stop wearing masks.

The government has subliminally conditioned its population to be scared of virtually everything so that they are easy to control.

March 13th can't get here quick enough!

What a misleading headline. Reading the article, it seems what they want to say is 1/4 company employees plan to continue wearing masks unconditionally.

More importantly, only 5.5 percent plan to drop them completely. Which is pretty much in line with most of our expectations. Even today, I saw most people wearing masks driving their car, riding their bike, and walking their dog alone in the park. Parents wore their masks while running around playing with their kids. The recommendation to wear masks outside was dropped a year ago, yet they are still doing it...

ALT headline JT made a conscious effort to avoid;

"3 in 4 to remove masks after guideline dropped"

Why is it JT decided on the negative narrative?

Listening to peoples comments on the news about removing masks - words like scared, uneasy, anxious.

thankyou media for making people so scared to return to normal life

Why would anybody want to remove their mask in the height of the hay fever season?

Nearly everyone will still wear a mask that much is pretty certain.

All these companies that will still ask their employees to wear masks. Pathetic really. . All my Japanese friends told me that they were very happy to remove their when abroad so it social pressure at its worst.

I’ve seen the most absurd conformity to mask wearing: young couples masked on park benches; lone hikers in the middle of the countryside masked; people putting on theirs masks leaving a crowded bar. The list goes on and on. Tbh, mask wearing wouldn’t normally bother me. It’s just the irrational extent of it, the now anti-science of it that gets to you. It’s like living in a gigantic sick ward. Even the crowd in the Taiwan baseball game was largely maskless yesterday while Tokyo Dome was masked up to the eyeballs. The last country in the world to be totally masked. Let that sink in for a minute.

At my Anytime Fitness gym, masks became optional on 3/1.

Mostly it’s me and the real knuckle-draggers (My term of admiration for the guys who carry more muscle than I ever will) going without. Everyone else is masked. I have to admit I was a bit surprised.

I think a lot of people will continue to wear them especially on public transport.

I did as well without complaint (or at least without verbalizing it) because at one time that was all that we had to reduce infection, and because I am a responsible member of an interconnected society.

Now that we have proven safe and effective vaccines, and proven safe and effective treatments that do not involve bleach or horse de-wormer, I am done. Maybe on the train. I’m going to think about that one.

But in the office, on the plane, around town, I’m done with masks while understanding those that choose to keep them on.

My workplace told me I will be fired if I don’t continue wearing it, fantastic isn’t my rights are zero. Up side we have exactly one year left in Japan so I will try and enjoy a few places before we’re gone.

You can choose to wear it or not. So long Starbucks and other businesses don't tell me to wear one to buy something, while everyone else sitting and talking without wearing them.

there should be clear government guidelines on it and not just leave it up to individuals and businesses to decide.

Why? Can't people just make up their own minds? Masks are hardly a health hazard, are they?

And telling people not to wear masks during pollen season is like telling people to not wear a coat in winter....

I doubt it's only 1 in 4, I'm guess young guys and old people will be the first to drop them, the rest will follow what ever the majority does, at least in public. When the heat starts though I think the 1 in 4 could be true.

I am so over the mask wearing subservience in this country. Most of all, stop forcing children to wear them.

@Bob Fosse - It’s not as simple as that though. Many employees are still forced into wearing them. Or you still need to wear them watching baseball or soccer or going to the theatre. That’s not including peer pressure. Japan is the last country in the world doing this. It’s not acceptable.

Proud member of the 5.5% club.

But good on you for being a rebel. Well once they changed the rules and allowed you (and everyone) to do so.

Same as before. Wear one if you want to, don’t wear one of you don’t.

No need to make a song and dance about it again and again.

“ One in four people in Japan have said in a survey they will continue to wear face masks in all social settings, even after COVID-19 guidelines on face coverings are eased on Monday, citing reasons such as infection prevention and habituation.

The move to leave decisions around mask-wearing to individuals is the latest effort by the Japanese government to "normalize" social and economic activities that have been under public health restrictions for the past three years, but the survey indicates that a drastic change in face-covering customs may not occur any time soon. “

Well, I was expecting worse, considering that we all want to return to normal and that we all want to get rid of these masks… but one thing is to give your answer to a survey, without pressure and judgment, in other words, the person is saying what he/she wishes to do (there’s a good possibility that it’s completely different from what he/she does in the “real world”)… another thing is exactly that: the real world…; tomorrow, Monday, the people that said no will step out of their houses and they’ll have to deal with social pressure, which, like it or not, is real and has a tremendous power…; I wish I could be more optimistic but this is Japan, honne and tatemae is still a thing so the real numbers might be different… BUT things are starting to improve and I firmly believe that we’re gonna see some real change in May (after the downgrade). Just two more months.

its people own choice.

I and millions of others will be wearing masks outside until at least May due to hay fever. Not that it’s really mine or anybody’s business why people choose to wear a mask. Leave them alone.

It gives me infinite sadness that many Japanese continue to act like there isn’t a rest of the world outside that is actually living in 2023, without masks and surprisingly alive. 195+ countries, and maybe 3 still wearing masks. And when Japanese are in one of those 195+ countries, they absolutely do NOT wear a mask. Traveled to 12 places from Japan this year, not once I have seen a Japanese wearing a mask until asked to do so inside the flight coming back to Narita. But here, the show goes on.

I'll keep wearing mine on public transport & in crowds. Don't GAF what anyone else thinks.

It's my choice so none of anyone else's business 'why' me & others choose to continue wearing them.

Those at risk should carry on wearing a mask but the majority have never been and are not at risk.

Still, tomorrow will show nothing has changed and the primary and junior school kids will still be masked up on their way to school..

the government recommends wearing masks indoors, while not suggesting doing so outdoors

Yet, my observation is the opposite. People tend to take off the mask then they enter the room, or chat with someone, and put the mask on when going for a walk alone.

The data we have now

This is not rocket science. Just simple aerodynamics. Just a plain filter. Of course, many of these masks are manufactured to function as a filter in the first place, causing the air to pass though the sides. They don't filter the air, just change the direction.

I don't care if people wear masks but there should be clear government guidelines on it and not just leave it up to individuals and businesses to decide.

@ Awa - I think you will find the majority of people that have a problem with mask wearing in Japan aren't that friendly or considerate of others and not team players of the community.

I think we can all agree that there was a time and place for team play as you call it. But 3 plus years in - nearly 100% conformity - the only country in the world still fully masked. The problem is not with the maskless anymore - it’s switched.

So much anti mask rhetoric in the comments section and not a single care for the sick, life altered and dying… I hate seeing this as a long Covid patient.

I’ve almost given up reading japan today due to this nonsense

The only way to put an end to this nonsense would be for the Japanese government to admit to the people that they misinterpreted the data, educational institutions and private enterprise admit they over-reacted and over-reached, and for all parties to apologize to those adversely affected - namely children whose social development may have been hugely impacted.

I'd prefer people around me to wear mask. I don't like their spit and whatever virus they have in the air that I breathe.

If this is the famous 'Mindo', they are welcome to it.

I still want to know …. All you anti science… anti masks … anti vaxers, basically… anti any and everything related to mitigating the spread of Covid , please enlighten the vast majority of responsible people who have followed the scientifically proven recommendations…. Precisely… how is YOUR life going to change tomorrow? Please be specific.!. Hiding behind your masked identities all while whining about peoples choices to mask up ! Priceless.!.

“The only way to put an end to this nonsense would be for the Japanese government to admit to the people that they misinterpreted the data, educational institutions and private enterprise admit they over-reacted and over-reached, and for all parties to apologize to those adversely affected - namely children whose social development may have been hugely impacted.”

1st of all , the jgov did NOT misinterpret any Covid related Data. If so , it was not in the way you’re portraying.!. The jgov kept a hands off approach and let us live as usual.!. That was a huge mistake.!. Lead directly to unnecessary deaths.!. Schools didn’t over- react or over- reach either .!. If anything, they were far too lax ! As for the private sector, ha…. They hand their hands out for the massive amount of corporate welfare they received to do nothing .!. As for child development…. Do you have any credibility on the issue ? I do … and you’re just patently wrong….

Mask have and will continue to save lives .!. Long before Covid ever came along… the Japanese people were a mask wearing society… Part of their culture.!, to deny this reality is an admission you haven’t been in and around Japan very long … if ever .!.

Good for them. People should do what makes them comfortable. After all, c19 can kill

I was out and about today in Kichijoji and there were shops selling masks on the street, like a final big push. Lots of people seemed to buying them!!!

It will also note that masks protect people at higher risk of serious illness, including elderly and pregnant women.

How can anyone forget?? Lol

Most people are absolutely, acutely aware that tomorrow the rules change.

they have not been whinging and moaning about it for the last three years.

Nicely put Roy.