So after all the hype about the government lifting its request for indoor masking, did the Japanese people finally breathe freely again en masse from 13th March?
I hope it never ends. For once in my life I am the Alpha male. Every time I get on the train or walk into a shop, the women come aflockin' to the maskless wonder, me. Granted, their average age is about 76 but I'll take it. This morning, I thanked two betas for their mask wearing. " More oxygen for me. Less for you." I also have thought of starting a new political party: 酸素党, The Oxygen Party.
It is going to take more than just a while. Here is a machine translated email from my kid’s school.
“Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in our school's educational activities.
By the way, as reported in the media, from March 13, 2023, the wearing of masks by citizens and businesses will be left to the discretion of individuals. Based on the content of the notification, new guidelines are currently being considered by the Board of Education, etc.
At school, except for the graduation ceremony, the initiative will start from April 1st. For school educational activities other than graduation ceremonies during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, please continue to take measures to prevent infection using the current guidelines.”
There are still requiring schools to remain masked. My kids though they could go mask free from Monday. Nope. Still forced to Mokushoku too. My med school just sent out an email telling us teachers that we must be masked for our first on campus meeting in three years set for after the 1st of April. I have been told that I will have to wear a mask and face shield for the Zoom classes I’ll have to run from campus. They can not have students on campus all day, therefore the afternoon classes will be over Zoom. Until the medical profession decides to get back to practicing medicine, this will not end. As long as doctors are running around panicked like children afraid of thunder, the rest of society that had foolishly looked to these idgits for guidance, this does not end.
You of all people should have expected continued idiocy from the education system. From April, MEXT will ask that students face the same way while singing, not shout during close contact sports, and not put desks together during lunch.
I remember at the Qatar World Cup a lot of the Japanese fans were wearing masks for their teams first game. A few days later after a few more group games they realised only a handful of other teams fans were wearing masks and they were beginning to look like a bunch of bell ends so they stopped wearing them. .
That’s not what is happening. They are doubling down on the idiocy. Though, we/I have more than enough experience with them doing that that it should be expected, and in fact it was. It is the dashing of my last bit of hope. My son can no longer clearly understand his own language when it is spoken, I am now more likely than ever to be all but completely unemployed and remaining that way for at least a full school year. This is likely to put far too much pressure on my marriage for it to survive. And why, madness. Stupidity.
I have not worn a mask. That is why I am unable to get jobs to replace the ones I have lost and why I am likely to lose my position at my last remaining med school.
I have never seen any spelling for his intentional misspeaking of “idiots” but have always heard a “d” within it, with the possibility of when spoken through a mask.
Given the size of the US and the variety of pronunciation of many words between different regions, I’d bet there are multiple ways to say this in the States. Where I grew up, “T” is often pronounce “D”; “City” as “cidy” for example. So I my neck of the woods may have it wrong, the fargon idgits.
Reading both your and Guy Gin's substacks on the Japanese being such sheeple reminded me of a passage I read in the 1991 book by Dr John Coleman _Conspirators' Hierarchy: The Story of the Committee of 300_:
At least 4 billion "useless eaters" shall be eliminated by the year 2050 by means of limited wars, organized epidemics of fatal rapid-acting diseases and starvation. Energy, food and water shall be kept at subsistence levels for the non-elite, starting with the White populations of Western Europe and North America and then spreading to other races. The population of Canada, Western Europe and the United States will be decimated more rapidly than on other continents, until the world's population reaches a manageable level of 1 billion, of which 500 million will consist of Chinese and Japanese races, selected because they are people who have been regimented for centuries and who are accustomed to obeying authority without question.
In the UK there was a cascade. While everyone wore masks it was hard not to. Once 20% went unmasked another 10% were happy to follow. Once 30% went unmasked another 10%% were happy to follow. And so on. No doubt it will be more sticky in Japan as you have more true believers but hopefully you’ll get the same mimetic cascade with different people being happy to unmask once they see a certain number of people doing so.
It’s now 15 days since mandatory masking ended here in Hong Kong and I have observed a similar phenomenon. In fact any outsider might be forgiven for thinking the requirement is still in place. The vast majority of people have been brainwashed into thinking they offer protection and still believe a deadly virus is stalking them. Some opted for a half-hearted approach saying they would continue to wear them in crowded places and on public transport. Other excuses included having a large stock of masks at home so they might as well use them up, for ladies some said they took away the necessity to use makeup and many others decided to continue wearing them as a political statement to show their dissatisfaction with the government, choosing to decide when they will stop wearing them and not trust the government’s word. It’s a pity the latter group didn’t stand firm when the government originally forced this illegal requirement on us all.
Maybe when it's 37 degrees (99 F) outside more will start to unmask. Until then, Japanese prefer to hide their faces. The women in particular seem to like it. Honestly, 80% of them look better that way. Sorry, not sorry. As long as they don't frown at me for not masking I don't care. I think I wore a mask less than ten times since 2019. And only then because my Japanese wife did not want me to embarrass her.
Have you heard about this movie that will be released in september, "I will come to meet you first thing at dawn." ? It is based on a novel (same title) written before the pandemic (scamdemic).
Here is a deepl translation of the summary of the book :
"Akane is an "honor student" who can't let go of her mask and only reads the air around her. Her silver-haired classmate Seiji is free-spirited and loves to draw pictures.
Akane is not very fond of Seiji, who is the complete opposite of her in every way, but she is drawn to his drawings and his straightforward personality, and Akane's world begins to change colorfully.
The two gradually grow closer, but they have a secret that they cannot tell anyone."
Maybe it will have a positive influence on junior high and college student ? Who knows...
I saw 3 naked faces in the Family Mart at lunchtime. I saw another 2 in a supermarket last night. It gives me hope. I work at a few kindergardens and the kids there are no longer masked. No idea what the rules from the BoE will be regarding masks at elementary school. Will hear next week. Right now all teachers and kids still 100% masked up.
I have observed the same in Canada - it took MONTHS for the people to start taking the masks off but for the few "extremists", myself included. But we've finally came out of it, save for a few lost causes. For all it's worth, we've learned a valuable lesson on human nature. And this has made us disappointed in our species.
I'm sure we all know this already, but Covidianism is a religion. There's no science behind it at all. It's nothing more than blind belief, blind followers, blind faith in their snot rags and holy hand sanitizer. The mask has become the Japanese turban. We just have to look at it this way. I am teaching our kids that the Japanese have their religion and they perform their little religious rituals. We simply do not follow their religion and that's that.
Agreed, but aside form those I have contact with here, every single gaijin I know, myself also excluded, are onboard with all this madness. The Japanese add their own flavor to the religion, but it is not theirs exclusively. Madness knows no boundaries.
We consider ourselves very lucky to have been a part of a community that doesn't subscribe to mouth turbans. Jab rate is around 20% here. Our kids have been going to a school within the community that doesn't use these ridiculous things whatsoever, where everyone still knows that getting snotty just helps to build their immune systems. Sure, we are a little covid-athiest bubble but that's fine by me.
Yeah, it's gonna take a while for sure. I saw a few people with no masks yesterday. A few! I also went to a bank to do some stuff there. I was the only one without a mask and the bank rep sat safely behind a 5 foot plexiglas barrier. Fun.
I hope it never ends. For once in my life I am the Alpha male. Every time I get on the train or walk into a shop, the women come aflockin' to the maskless wonder, me. Granted, their average age is about 76 but I'll take it. This morning, I thanked two betas for their mask wearing. " More oxygen for me. Less for you." I also have thought of starting a new political party: 酸素党, The Oxygen Party.
It is going to take more than just a while. Here is a machine translated email from my kid’s school.
“Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in our school's educational activities.
By the way, as reported in the media, from March 13, 2023, the wearing of masks by citizens and businesses will be left to the discretion of individuals. Based on the content of the notification, new guidelines are currently being considered by the Board of Education, etc.
At school, except for the graduation ceremony, the initiative will start from April 1st. For school educational activities other than graduation ceremonies during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, please continue to take measures to prevent infection using the current guidelines.”
There are still requiring schools to remain masked. My kids though they could go mask free from Monday. Nope. Still forced to Mokushoku too. My med school just sent out an email telling us teachers that we must be masked for our first on campus meeting in three years set for after the 1st of April. I have been told that I will have to wear a mask and face shield for the Zoom classes I’ll have to run from campus. They can not have students on campus all day, therefore the afternoon classes will be over Zoom. Until the medical profession decides to get back to practicing medicine, this will not end. As long as doctors are running around panicked like children afraid of thunder, the rest of society that had foolishly looked to these idgits for guidance, this does not end.
You of all people should have expected continued idiocy from the education system. From April, MEXT will ask that students face the same way while singing, not shout during close contact sports, and not put desks together during lunch.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/038f979ae82683e2b0810d21303e648162290be9
Brain dead, inane, paranoid, COVID rituals.
COVID cult.
It is taking much more time for Japanese people to get this nonsense out of their collective system.
I remember at the Qatar World Cup a lot of the Japanese fans were wearing masks for their teams first game. A few days later after a few more group games they realised only a handful of other teams fans were wearing masks and they were beginning to look like a bunch of bell ends so they stopped wearing them. .
That’s not what is happening. They are doubling down on the idiocy. Though, we/I have more than enough experience with them doing that that it should be expected, and in fact it was. It is the dashing of my last bit of hope. My son can no longer clearly understand his own language when it is spoken, I am now more likely than ever to be all but completely unemployed and remaining that way for at least a full school year. This is likely to put far too much pressure on my marriage for it to survive. And why, madness. Stupidity.
Take off your masks.
Be one of the first. :)
I have not worn a mask. That is why I am unable to get jobs to replace the ones I have lost and why I am likely to lose my position at my last remaining med school.
Thank you for your service.
"the rest of society that had foolishly looked to these idgits for guidance"
In Ireland, it is spelled "eejits".
I have never seen any spelling for his intentional misspeaking of “idiots” but have always heard a “d” within it, with the possibility of when spoken through a mask.
I guess that perhaps the Irish pronunciation differs from that found in Japan or the USA.
Given the size of the US and the variety of pronunciation of many words between different regions, I’d bet there are multiple ways to say this in the States. Where I grew up, “T” is often pronounce “D”; “City” as “cidy” for example. So I my neck of the woods may have it wrong, the fargon idgits.
Nice riff on "frickin".
I like it.
Thank you.
;)
Comes from a movie, Johnny Dangerously I think. A character kept saying “Fargon ice holes” for, well, you know.
Hereabouts, it is spelled "idjits". ;)
Whereabouts might that be?
Reading both your and Guy Gin's substacks on the Japanese being such sheeple reminded me of a passage I read in the 1991 book by Dr John Coleman _Conspirators' Hierarchy: The Story of the Committee of 300_:
At least 4 billion "useless eaters" shall be eliminated by the year 2050 by means of limited wars, organized epidemics of fatal rapid-acting diseases and starvation. Energy, food and water shall be kept at subsistence levels for the non-elite, starting with the White populations of Western Europe and North America and then spreading to other races. The population of Canada, Western Europe and the United States will be decimated more rapidly than on other continents, until the world's population reaches a manageable level of 1 billion, of which 500 million will consist of Chinese and Japanese races, selected because they are people who have been regimented for centuries and who are accustomed to obeying authority without question.
https://archive.org/details/conspiratorshier00cole/mode/2up
Oh? Sez who?
They are dead wrong. ;)
In the UK there was a cascade. While everyone wore masks it was hard not to. Once 20% went unmasked another 10% were happy to follow. Once 30% went unmasked another 10%% were happy to follow. And so on. No doubt it will be more sticky in Japan as you have more true believers but hopefully you’ll get the same mimetic cascade with different people being happy to unmask once they see a certain number of people doing so.
It’s now 15 days since mandatory masking ended here in Hong Kong and I have observed a similar phenomenon. In fact any outsider might be forgiven for thinking the requirement is still in place. The vast majority of people have been brainwashed into thinking they offer protection and still believe a deadly virus is stalking them. Some opted for a half-hearted approach saying they would continue to wear them in crowded places and on public transport. Other excuses included having a large stock of masks at home so they might as well use them up, for ladies some said they took away the necessity to use makeup and many others decided to continue wearing them as a political statement to show their dissatisfaction with the government, choosing to decide when they will stop wearing them and not trust the government’s word. It’s a pity the latter group didn’t stand firm when the government originally forced this illegal requirement on us all.
Reminding me of the adage, “The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.”
出る釘は打たれる deru kugi wa utareru
Yep. No other adage better describes Japanese society.
Maybe when it's 37 degrees (99 F) outside more will start to unmask. Until then, Japanese prefer to hide their faces. The women in particular seem to like it. Honestly, 80% of them look better that way. Sorry, not sorry. As long as they don't frown at me for not masking I don't care. I think I wore a mask less than ten times since 2019. And only then because my Japanese wife did not want me to embarrass her.
'As long as they don't frown at me for not masking I don't care'- at least they'll be frowning under their face nappies so you probably won't notice.
Told my son the same. He disagreed.
They wore them the last 3 summers including after the gov. Recommended that they do not.
Have you heard about this movie that will be released in september, "I will come to meet you first thing at dawn." ? It is based on a novel (same title) written before the pandemic (scamdemic).
Here is a deepl translation of the summary of the book :
"Akane is an "honor student" who can't let go of her mask and only reads the air around her. Her silver-haired classmate Seiji is free-spirited and loves to draw pictures.
Akane is not very fond of Seiji, who is the complete opposite of her in every way, but she is drawn to his drawings and his straightforward personality, and Akane's world begins to change colorfully.
The two gradually grow closer, but they have a secret that they cannot tell anyone."
Maybe it will have a positive influence on junior high and college student ? Who knows...
link : https://www.no-ichigo.jp/article/yorukimi/movie
I saw 3 naked faces in the Family Mart at lunchtime. I saw another 2 in a supermarket last night. It gives me hope. I work at a few kindergardens and the kids there are no longer masked. No idea what the rules from the BoE will be regarding masks at elementary school. Will hear next week. Right now all teachers and kids still 100% masked up.
I noticed a few less masked people today (Wednesday) than yesterday. So I’m ~hoping~ it will gradually get better.
That's what I'm hoping too, but I think the change will be more glacial than gradual.
I'd go insane if I had to stay in Japan. Here in Switzerland, I can go days without seeing a mask.
What are the requirements for citizenship? Asking for a friend.
It takes a stupid person to make a stupid rule,
And a fool to mind it.
Do not be a stupid.
Do not be a fool.
And the government needs to stop talking out both sides of its mouth.
COVID is over.
It is no worse than a common cold.
Stop being sheeple.
All the images in the post are displaying “Image Not Found” messages.
Bugger! That'll be due to my dodgy WiFi. Thanks for quickly letting me know. Check now.
Good now.
I have observed the same in Canada - it took MONTHS for the people to start taking the masks off but for the few "extremists", myself included. But we've finally came out of it, save for a few lost causes. For all it's worth, we've learned a valuable lesson on human nature. And this has made us disappointed in our species.
I'm sure we all know this already, but Covidianism is a religion. There's no science behind it at all. It's nothing more than blind belief, blind followers, blind faith in their snot rags and holy hand sanitizer. The mask has become the Japanese turban. We just have to look at it this way. I am teaching our kids that the Japanese have their religion and they perform their little religious rituals. We simply do not follow their religion and that's that.
Agreed, but aside form those I have contact with here, every single gaijin I know, myself also excluded, are onboard with all this madness. The Japanese add their own flavor to the religion, but it is not theirs exclusively. Madness knows no boundaries.
We consider ourselves very lucky to have been a part of a community that doesn't subscribe to mouth turbans. Jab rate is around 20% here. Our kids have been going to a school within the community that doesn't use these ridiculous things whatsoever, where everyone still knows that getting snotty just helps to build their immune systems. Sure, we are a little covid-athiest bubble but that's fine by me.
Yeah, it's gonna take a while for sure. I saw a few people with no masks yesterday. A few! I also went to a bank to do some stuff there. I was the only one without a mask and the bank rep sat safely behind a 5 foot plexiglas barrier. Fun.
The crowd at the current sumo tourney looks moderately hopeful in terms of how many are ditching the mask. Of course, it’s in Osaka.