Advertisement
Japan marks mask-free Monday – with most people still wearing masks
- Masks were never mandated in Japan, yet usage of the face coverings has been near-universal throughout the country amid the Covid pandemic
- From Monday, theme parks, railways and cinemas are among the places dropping their mask requirements based on revised government guidance
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
The smiles and screams at Tokyo Disneyland may be more obvious on Monday as the amusement park and much of Japan relaxes face mask norms that have defined the three-year Covid-19 pandemic.
Disney park operator Oriental Land Co, East Japan Railway Co and cinema operator Toho Co are among the major companies allowing patrons to go maskless starting on Monday, based on revised government guidance announced last month.
But rapid behavioural change is unlikely, given a long history of mask usage in Japan and a pollen onslaught that has given hay fever sufferers one of the worst spring seasons in years.
“Mask-wearing was part of our culture even before Covid-19,” said Hitoshi Oshitani, a Tohoku University professor who was an architect of Japan’s Covid response. “I think many people will be wearing masks even after the rules are relaxed.”
Japan is one of the last major economies to relax official guidance on the coverings, whose usage has been nearly universal throughout the country even without firm regulations or penalties governing their use.
South Korea dialled back most requirements on indoor masking in January, while Singapore allowed bare faces on public transport last month. Hong Kong dropped its mask mandate, which was in place for more than 940 days and enforced using HK$5,000 (US$637) on-the-spot fines, on March 1.
Japan has already eased norms on masks, allowing maskless speeches in parliament and permitting schools to decide whether to require them at commencement ceremonies this month.
Advertisement