[StavrosK]

Is it really? Do you live in Japan, or have visited? When I was there, only sick people (even from a cold/flu) wore masks, to prevent the spread of disease.

That's still "more culturally accepted and practiced widely", but it was far from some claims I see that "everyone is wearing masks". Everyone is wearing masks when they're sick, not every day.

[veidr]

I live in Tokyo. In normal times, people wear masks when they are sick, as you say. It's good manners, consideration toward others.

But now, and since COVID-19 became a thing (February here), "everyone is wearing masks" even when they themselves are not feeling sick.

I sometimes count them when I go out and it is about 95% of people in the streets and 100% of all the shop employees I interact with.

[StavrosK]

That makes sense, thanks for the update. Where I live, it would have been extremely weird to wear a mask outside, but now all the employees wear masks everywhere. Some of them slack off sometimes and lower them to their neck, but that's about it. Amazing how cultural norms can change in a few days.

[veemjeem]

Culturally the Japanese are more respectful. When one wears a mask, one is trying to be respectful to others. That would never fly here in the USA where people care more about their personal freedoms. Americans don't like to be told what to do.

[StavrosK]

That's what impressed me as well about the mask-wearing custom, and I really hope it catches on everywhere now. Over here (Greece) people wear masks to protect themselves (even though they aren't for that), hopefully some will realize that they need to wear masks to protect others.

[flocial]

That all changed with COVID-19 now everyone wears masks. And this was long before emergency was declared, around the end of January. Masks were constantly sold out until quite recently.

[PKop]

Every discussion I've come across claims Japan has prevalent usage of masks, and many Asian countries generally. No I haven't been there, so I must go by the evidence presented to me.. one way or the other.

Of course this is mostly for the sick, but also generally in times of seasonal illness, but also yes.. this pandemic. But across this spectrum, Japanese cultural acceptance of wearing masks is much higher than even right now in the middle of covid for Americans and particularly their political leaders, to say nothing of non-pandemic mask usage. So the contrast is stark.

Here's a random article[0] I just googled (but I've seen many more speaking to this dynamic) of prevalent mask usage in Japan, written in 2017. There's some pictures there too, of Japanese people wearing masks.

[0] https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/why-do-japane...

[anonymoushn]

Most people are wearing masks, maybe 90%.

[StavrosK]

You mean post-COVID or pre? I'm talking about pre-COVID, I imagine most people are wearing masks now.

EDIT: Reading the comments again, it seems that they're talking about post-COVID, so I misunderstood.