Japan mask-wearing policy slow

Since the Japanese government relaxed its guidance on mask usage to reflect subsiding fears of the coronaviruses, its call for removing masks whenever possible has not caught on widely among the public.

There has never been a mask mandate in the country, but more than two years of the outbreak has made mask-wearing the polite thing to do, even as heat-related illnesses are emerging as a concern as Japan prepares for a boiling summer.

Experts say many people are unaware that the government has proposed since May 20 that masks can be taken off in certain circumstances, which may be so until a well-known figure like Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlines the new guidelines publicly.

The recommendation for outdoor mask usage is only applied to those conversing within two meters of each other. Most people wear them outside of the house, regardless of circumstances.

The government has created leaflets and planned to broadcast the message through commercials in order to increase public awareness of the changes.

There have been multiple cases of children wore masks during gym classes that were sent to hospital due to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

The education ministry has asked schools to let schoolchildren go maskless during physical activities, and for younger children to take masks off on their school commutes.

The public's embrace of looser mask rules is even slower for indoor masking. Masking is unnecessary for those keeping more than 2 meters apart when there is barely any conversation.

As companies keep vigilant against the coronaviruses, announcements in public spaces continue to call for strict mask-wearing.

East Japan Railway Co., whose train service includes the Tokyo metropolitan area, continues to ask passengers to wear masks at all times. The announcements won't change unless there is a request from the government. According to an online survey conducted in May by Laibo Inc., around 40 percent of the 708 respondents said they believe mask-wearing requests can end, but nearly 90 percent said they would continue wearing them.

More than 48 percent said they would stop doing so if a wonder drug against COVID 19 was made.

The survey showed that 62 percent of people said it is inappropriate to appear in public spaces without a mask.

In Japan, peer pressure is very strong and people tend to change their behavior based on how others act, said Naoki Sato, honorary professor at the Kyushu Institute of Technology who is well versed in public attitudes. The word mask police was born during the flu and the feeling that one cannot take their mask off remains. He said that many people want to go maskless and that the prime minister should make an effort to give a science-based and impactful comment.