Chinese people living in Japan have bought 10 to 20 boxes of masks at once. Masks sell out as soon as they come back in stock.

Was witness to this just yesterday. Really wish they'd limit this type of parasitic hoard shopping.

They (the Chinese) have been doing it since forever with iPhones, baby diapers, now masks. Guaranteed more than 95% of them punt them off at a major profit back home instead of actually needing said product.

If for whatever reason there was a sudden need for them here in Japan the locals (me included) would be up the creek.

And not just Chinese, even the locals did the same just after the 2011 quake. Retailers need to put limits on certain products for all shoppers and adjust accordingly depending on product and circumstances.

Sure, blame the Chinese. I bet if someone did an actual analysis of all these paranoid hoard shoppers, you'd find at least 4 in 5 would be Japanese.

As mentioned above, I saw the same thing during the 2011 earthquakes as people hoard shopped toilet tissue, rice, and everything they could get their hands on even though I lived in a prefecture hundreds of kilometers from Fukushima.

Then when there was a scare about the norovirus, those same people charged right out to buy facemasks and liter upon liter of antibacterial hand gels.

It's all bunk, and to blame it on the Chinese is just more jingoistic xenophobia.

As mentioned above, I saw the same thing during the 2011 earthquakes as people hoard shopped toilet tissue, rice, and everything they could get their hands on even though I lived in a prefecture hundreds of kilometers from Fukushima.

You only have to go back to the big typhoon late last year. The night before, every single item in the bread section disappeared. Next day, the typhoon turned out to be nothing but a bit of rain in my area. I bet a lot of the locals were stuck with horrible bread that they wouldn't usually eat. I sure as hell don't like most of the bread on sale here - I always have a stockpile of water, tins of protein-filled beans, and other more nutritious stuff.

In principle, money is money and it shouldn't matter who's buying what but when my daughter was a baby the diaper thing always bothered me. The stores around us all had a 1 pack per person limit and that's really annoying when you have a small baby and no one around to help you. I imagine if the virus picks up heavily here that the mask hoarding by travelers will not be looked upon very kindly.

Hmmmmm.....   Sounds unlikely.  All these "Chinese" are flying here, buying masks and then flying back to China?

In defence of these accusations against the Chinese, Taiwan is currently receiving criticism from the Chinese for not increasing the Taiwanese export of face masks to China. Taiwan quite rightly needs to safeguard it's own stocks. China is complaining that they need these masks more.

It is highly unlikely that Japanese are hoarding baby diapers - it is the Chinese resell business for sure, and likely for these face masks too.

It is highly unlikely that Japanese are hoarding baby diapers - it is the Chinese resell business for sure, and likely for these face masks too.

I think it is likely that there masks will be ending up back in China, either send for families to use or for resale. There is actually a need for these masks in China whereas there isn't in Japan.

Other posters need to reread the quote. The drugstore manager said they are Chinese buying up the masks. No need for the Japan-bashing and accusations of racism.

When I see tv announcers using them, I might consider it.

marcelito,

as usual your comments are on the money.

The seniors spend all day watching tv and by design its hysteria and then rush out and buy up all of the masks because they are told to.......absolute mind control.

Was at my local station today and almost every single senior was donning a mask.

Sorry to burst many bubbles here, but unless the store itself places a limit (x-amount per person), get over it. Doesn't matter it's face masks, candy bars, or packs of cigarettes. Someone can buy as many as they want unless the store says no.

So selling out of paper and a strip of elastic at an exorbitant price is a problem? Fashion who can foresee it.