Almost all the people waiting at a traffic light in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward wear masks on the morning of May 24. The Asahi Shimbun Despite the government seasing policy on outdoor face-mask use, most people in Tokyo still wear anti-virus gear, with many citing peer pressure as the reason.
The masks are not necessary outdoors for people who maintain a good social distance, according to the government on May 20. They were recommended for use on trains.
On the morning of May 23 most people heading for JR Akihabara Station in central Tokyo for work or school were wearing masks.
An 18-year-old high school student said I feel uncomfortable if I don't wear a mask.
He said he will wear a mask outdoors because almost everyone around him is doing so.
If more people take them off, I may follow suit, he said.
Kinoroku Ando, an 82-year-old printer who was cycling to work, said wearing masks has become a habit during the COVID-19 epidemic.
When I take it off, I have to put it away somewhere. I can't be bothered, Ando said. I wear it when I am on the train. When people are cycling or jogging, masks are not necessary, according to the government's announcement on May 20.
On the afternoon of May 21, the area around the Imperial Palace was crowded with runners.
A 49-year-old company employee was running without a mask. She removes the mask for her jogs, but she chooses times and places when there are fewer people around.
She said she sometimes gets unpleasant looks when she isn't wearing a mask.
She said that it will be easier to take it off when the number of infection cases settles down.
Ryo Hirose, a company employee who was also running without a mask, indicated that he did not care about how others felt.
He said I wanted to take off my mask for a long time. I can take it off openly after the announcement by the government. He said he is questioning the point of wearing a mask when he is not having a conversation.
He said that I won't wear a mask when I go out for a short time.
On May 20, just after the government s announcement, all people on four futsal courts in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward were maskless.
On the fifth court, four people in a group of about 20 were wearing masks.
One of the four people who want others to wear masks cited by Shuhei Susa, a 28-year-old company employee.
Susa said it is hard for them to ask unmasked people to wear them.
Mitsuhiko Asakura, a 39-year-old company employee who was maskless, said I have not worn a mask when playing futsal because it is hard to breathe. Asakura said that he usually wears a mask on the court because he is concerned about what other people might think.
When asked when he will feel comfortable in removing his mask, he said, when the number of people wearing masks and those who don't is about 50 -- 50.