Japan and Masks

こんいちは！アンバです～

Hey guys, so I've decided to make a new blog entry on something I noticed my friends talk about a lot-- that is...

masks.

Yes, masks. If you've ever watched a video that is featured in Japan, most likely, you'll often see someone walk around wearing these:

Thank you

Oh... wrong mask type of mask.

So many masks...

There we go. Ahem! As you can see, majority of the people in that photo are wearings surgical masks. Is it because the air in Japan is polluted? No. Is it because they have crooked teeth? Probably not. It's because it's to prevent from getting others sick. 

Japan is not only one of the safest countries in the world to live in, but according to EPI ranking back in 2014, Japan makes the top 30 list as 26. In 2013, they made 23, And in 2006, Japan was ranked 14.

Now this isn't to say that if you wander around Japan, you won't see litter, but Japan is very eco-friendly and believe that even blowing your nose in public will result in passing along a sickness (and it's considered rude). In Japan, you're expected to wash your hands frequently, even when you visit a restaurant, your waiter or waitress will hand you a moist (warm in winter; cold in summer) towelette called a おしぼり (Oshibori), they are used to wipe your hands. They are not napkins and you should not use it to wipe your face. Only your hands. 

Even some restaurants won't allow you to take home food which is a shock to us Americans. This is because it prevents the food from spoiling. In Japan, the summer gets so humid that it feels like you're stepping into a sauna. A Japanese proverb goes, "In Japan, even dust molds.".

Anyway, back to what I was saying before, Japanese people wear those surgical masks whenever they are sick no matter what or if you are coming down with something. Even if it's allergies, you're expected to wear one of them. Don't worry though, you won't get stared at, it's a common thing to wear in Japan.

Japanese people refuse to take days off. Unlike America, if you have a cold or the sniffles, you miss a day of work (or school in my case), but in Japan, you're suppose to function like a healthy person, no matter how sick your are. The exception to this rule is vomiting. Stay home if you're vomiting. Another reason why people wear them is because they are considered cute. Or, some people wear them to hide a blemish, a mustache/beard, or they just didn't do their makeup.

Moral of the story is, Japan uses masks to keep other people from getting sick. It's a courtesy thing to do after all.