A survey of 500 parents of children of elementary school age and under was recently published which gives insights into the how Japanese mums and their kids think about child masking now it’s optional.
I’m at a uni in Hokkaido. First year students are much more masked up than my fourth year zemi. Professors, the smart critical thinkers, are 99% masked.
The Hokkaido countryside where we're at seems to be pretty relaxed now. At a local festival last weekend, I think about 5% were masked outside on the beach. Almost none of the children were masked. Still see some people driving alone with it on.
None of my nursing students, only one of my med students and fewer now than right after the May 8th downgrading are unmasked in the classroom. However, I did see three students at the med/nursing school in the hall ways unmasked last Wednesday.
11 out of 33 students were unmasked in my kid’s 4th grade class during last week’s class observation. The teacher was as well.
I remain unmasked. Wife is now unmasked but mother in law still masks.
All I can conclude, it's a different world with the strict social rules trumping the personal. I saw enough idiots in North America, and certainly WEF would prefer we all become like Japanese.
Questions out of curiosity: are Chinese as compliant as Japanese? Or Koreans? Or are Japanese trumping them all?
Thanks. That was my general impression that Chinese comply when they are forced to but deep down they are non-conformists. Of course, some are as obedient and unquestioning as the Japanese, and more so than Westerners, but Westerners have deeply disappointed me as well in 2020-2023. Even Eastern Europeans have this trait, to a lesser degree. So, breeding an obedient population is doable and have been done. Therefore, I admire Chinese for still having a spine despite the millennia of a pressure-cooker environment.
I live in China, I'd say 90% are now not wearing a mask. It's actually taken me by surprise I thought they'd cling onto it for longer than they have. A pleasant surprise. Note however that I don't think this is because they are refusing to follow the rules but rather that the government no longer recommended that people wear them (they was never a mandate) and its no longer compulsory on public transport. When it was there was very little non compliance.
Recently I got really interested in China. I'd like to understand how regular folks really think and how their lives are beyond the CPC facade. I watch Brian at The New Atlas and follow several Chinese and foreigners living there on Twitter, but for those I am not sure how much they truly speak freely, or how much they are free from communist brainwashing or blind love towards it. I tend to think that the truth lies somewhere in the middle of western propaganda and the view of the enamored foreigner living there.
Do the majority actually like Xi and the system, or they just go along with it as there's not much choice? Do they have to pretend their "love" toward the system or can they express themselves freely to their family/friends? Were the COVID measures really draconian everywhere or just in selected cities? Did people really believe in all the COVID bs?
And what's your take on the system?
FYI, I grew up in communist Hungary, but my sense is that the current Chinese communist/capitalist hybrid system is quite different from the one I experienced.
Not exactly what you are looking for and has many confounding factors, but my first class under Covid that tried to maintain in person instruction had several Chinese students in it. They masked all the time just as their Japanese classmates did.
Are there any polls like this from South Korea/Taiwan/Hong Kong/Singapore? My impression is that Japan is unique in continuing to use masks to this extent, but I'd like to see it quantified. Malaysia only dropped their public transport and healthcare mandate yesterday, but I gather compliance was already low.
That was very interesting and informative, thank you. It is notable that it is the women/the mums who have been targeted to push the masks on their poor kids.The idea of masked beauty is interesting. The trouble with the masks is that apart from anything else they are the nasty plasticised blue things by and large and not a thing of beauty in themselves.
But otherwise as I have said elsewhere anybody insisting on masks or making people feel uncomfortable without them are just mask-ists!
The masked rate at my high school is virtually 100 percent among the students and not much better among the teachers. It’s maddening.
The high school survey also asked “How many kids in your class are masking?” Over half said 90-100%.
I’m at a uni in Hokkaido. First year students are much more masked up than my fourth year zemi. Professors, the smart critical thinkers, are 99% masked.
It's a cult and should be registered as one. There should be warnings posted everywhere.
I wonder if there are any regional differences. Now on the subway in Sapporo and I notice about half the people on my car are unmasked.
The trains in Tokyo are still about 75% masked up.
Was just in Sapporo and felt it’s still pretty masked up, compared to the countryside in Hokkaido which I think is pretty relaxed already :)
The Hokkaido countryside where we're at seems to be pretty relaxed now. At a local festival last weekend, I think about 5% were masked outside on the beach. Almost none of the children were masked. Still see some people driving alone with it on.
None of my nursing students, only one of my med students and fewer now than right after the May 8th downgrading are unmasked in the classroom. However, I did see three students at the med/nursing school in the hall ways unmasked last Wednesday.
11 out of 33 students were unmasked in my kid’s 4th grade class during last week’s class observation. The teacher was as well.
I remain unmasked. Wife is now unmasked but mother in law still masks.
All I can conclude, it's a different world with the strict social rules trumping the personal. I saw enough idiots in North America, and certainly WEF would prefer we all become like Japanese.
Questions out of curiosity: are Chinese as compliant as Japanese? Or Koreans? Or are Japanese trumping them all?
Dunno about the Koreans, but the Chinese are much less obsessed with rule-following. Of course, that means the Japanese look down on them.
Thanks. That was my general impression that Chinese comply when they are forced to but deep down they are non-conformists. Of course, some are as obedient and unquestioning as the Japanese, and more so than Westerners, but Westerners have deeply disappointed me as well in 2020-2023. Even Eastern Europeans have this trait, to a lesser degree. So, breeding an obedient population is doable and have been done. Therefore, I admire Chinese for still having a spine despite the millennia of a pressure-cooker environment.
I live in China, I'd say 90% are now not wearing a mask. It's actually taken me by surprise I thought they'd cling onto it for longer than they have. A pleasant surprise. Note however that I don't think this is because they are refusing to follow the rules but rather that the government no longer recommended that people wear them (they was never a mandate) and its no longer compulsory on public transport. When it was there was very little non compliance.
Recently I got really interested in China. I'd like to understand how regular folks really think and how their lives are beyond the CPC facade. I watch Brian at The New Atlas and follow several Chinese and foreigners living there on Twitter, but for those I am not sure how much they truly speak freely, or how much they are free from communist brainwashing or blind love towards it. I tend to think that the truth lies somewhere in the middle of western propaganda and the view of the enamored foreigner living there.
Do the majority actually like Xi and the system, or they just go along with it as there's not much choice? Do they have to pretend their "love" toward the system or can they express themselves freely to their family/friends? Were the COVID measures really draconian everywhere or just in selected cities? Did people really believe in all the COVID bs?
And what's your take on the system?
FYI, I grew up in communist Hungary, but my sense is that the current Chinese communist/capitalist hybrid system is quite different from the one I experienced.
Not exactly what you are looking for and has many confounding factors, but my first class under Covid that tried to maintain in person instruction had several Chinese students in it. They masked all the time just as their Japanese classmates did.
Are there any polls like this from South Korea/Taiwan/Hong Kong/Singapore? My impression is that Japan is unique in continuing to use masks to this extent, but I'd like to see it quantified. Malaysia only dropped their public transport and healthcare mandate yesterday, but I gather compliance was already low.
That’s my impression too, although I don’t have the data to confirm it. The Japanese are…unique.
At the monthly matsuri group meeting, there were 8 of us. Myself and one other were the only unmasked of the group.
Never look at the japanese herd as a proper source of Balanced Behavior...
That was very interesting and informative, thank you. It is notable that it is the women/the mums who have been targeted to push the masks on their poor kids.The idea of masked beauty is interesting. The trouble with the masks is that apart from anything else they are the nasty plasticised blue things by and large and not a thing of beauty in themselves.
But otherwise as I have said elsewhere anybody insisting on masks or making people feel uncomfortable without them are just mask-ists!
As expected... There is only a very small number of actual Mothers out there... 5,6%! These will be the target for the next OPERATION!