The guy who served me at Lawson last night was wearing his mask on his chin while stacking shelves, but hitched it back up when he came to the register. I almost felt like asking him to please leave it off, but I don't think a foreigner's opinion is going to change anything.
In brighter news, ANA was less strict yesterday than I'd feared - the cabin attendants didn't tell me off (I had a prop water bottle), and I even spotted a Japanese lady snoozing with her mask pulled down. Baby steps.
In the Jiji article I mention, the airline rep is the only person who says their industry welcomes the changes. The article doesn't mention it, but I bet JAL/ANA are loosing a lot of business to US/European airlines due to mask mania.
Tell ANA that you can't wear a mask when you check-in. You can go straight to the counter designated for "special needs" customers, if possible, they'll assign a seat further from other customers. Enjoy.
The problem is, touching a mask that has been worn for any amount of time is just like putting your fingers in you mouth. If the clerk did not wash his hands between touching his mask and touching whatever your were buying, it is no different than if he licked his fingers before touching them.
All joking aside, poor hygiene has always been the root cause or major contributing factor for early death. I suspect masks are playing a huge role in the Covid “case” counting and in the never ending pandemic here in Japan.
We went for a city hike yesterday. 11.5 kilometers through Tokyo. I did not wear a mask throughout, but I choose not to go in to several sites, museums and such, because I did not want to mask nor deal with door guards telling me to mask with my family with me.
I got a lot of dirty looks but no one spoke a word to me. It is really hit and miss, just more hits recently than in the past. I also had a bad experience the day before over masks and face shields the day before at work.
They are planning on down grading covid on May 8th. That’s after Golden Week. So, for 4 years, no GW or a greatly reduced Golden Week. It being anytime in May also guarantees a fight with my med and nursing school over masks. I am so sick of this.
I miss Golden Week in Hamamatsu. The Kite Festival was a fun, free-spirited, raucous affair. And zillions of people went to the food festival and parade of yatai (floats). Last year they opened it up a bit more; you could have your parade, but it had to remain in your local neighborhood, keeping everyone safe in their quarantined sectors. Some neighborhoods didn't even let the children participate, so no kids riding the floats while banging their drums and playing their flutes. Sad.
Similar up here near Tokyo. While we not allowed to have our local matsuri in October, the main city shrine was. So many of our neighborhood group, myself included, helped carry their mikoshi. No kids allowed. None of the neighborhood mikoshi that would normally accompany the the big one. Masks were optional for this event, but recommended. For the rest of the 3 years, we had to plan on not allowing people outside the Chokai to participate in events only to be told that we couldn’t have them anyway.
We were allowed to go camping last GW, I think. The previous two we had our campsite reservation cancelled. Cuz corona.
I had always wondered if it were possible to recreate the Milgram experiment on an entire population. I now have 3 years of evidence and about 120,000,000 participants to refer to.
Just returned from a month in Tokyo, staying with family.
We attended a buffet at a large restaurant on Christmas Day and my husband and I wore a mask when we were serving ourselves at buffet. That was only time in a month that we wore a mask. Before we visited, we were told at the very least, we must wear a mask in convenience store, as staff and customers would voice their displeasure at us. Not so, we only saw kindness and helpfulness everywhere, to our faces!
My Japanese daughter in law of course wears a mask outside at all times, as do her family. But it IS peer pressure why she does. She’s a very intelligent lady and knows these masks do not provide any protection by wearing them.
I don’t think the Japanese people are happy about foreigners not wearing masks but that’s the price you have to pay to get tourists back and boost the economy.
Now when are they going to drop vaccination/PCR test requirements? Why are they going to be a thing when “Covid” is officially flu from May.
Same experience here, I don't wear face nappy anywhere. I am not happy about Japanese wearing masks but that's the price I have to pay if I wanna live here in peace with everyone.
My 14yo unfortunately is getting her dose of brainwash at school which in turn we try very hard to get rid of.
I still cannot visit my family in Hawaii because I am pure-blood. USA still does not allow unvax'd foreigners. So it's not just Japan, only other countries are more subtle about it.
I live just outside Tokyo. Generally, my experiences are as yours were, however, I have been called out by shop clerks more and more for not being masked. My med school wants us English teachers to teach class masked and now with a half face shield. For me, they want me to wear these for Zoom classes as I will be on campus for them.
Covidianism has truly taken hold as the religion of the Japanese people. It's not even about thinking at all anymore. It's like going out and putting on a hijab or turban.
So that I understand the masking requirements, is a mask required to be worn on Japanese public transportation (eg, shinkansen) up until 8th May? Or even afterwards? Family member is traveling to Japan in mid-March. Does he have to wear a mask on public transportation? Thanks.
There is no legal requirement to wear masks in public, just government requests. Your relative can be unmasked on public transport as long as he/she doesn't mind standing out and getting negative looks.
Thanks for this info! My family member already stands out in Japan due to his 6ft 5in height, and never cared about whether or not he was "liked" by the majority. But he's respectful of others, especially small business owners, and if they ask him to wear a mask at their shop or restaurant, he'll simply bow politely and leave.
Much to the chagrin of my wife and kids, I do not wear a mask on the trains and subways here. A student who also hates masks but wears them to avoid the glares asked how I can bear them. I answered, “I’m gaijin, I am always being stared at.” I must say though, that the stares and glares seem to be becoming more menacing. It could be that after three years of this, I am more sensitive to them. Your family me,ver should have no problems unmasked.
We need to move on from the Japs masking since some will mask until sayonara.
The masking mindset has been unconditionally firmly entrenched.
Here in western Sydney, Australia, two days ago I saw a fit-looking man in his late 50s returning home with shopping bags in hand on a beautiful sunny summer's day with a cloth mask on top of his surgical mask. AND HE HAD THE FOOTPATH TO HIMSELF! (I was on the other side of the road. As a general rule, I avoid laypeople who wear masks. For those wearing medical gowns, I leer at them! And they tend to avoid me!)
So depressing. Imagine the internal madness going on in folks' heads. Grade A psyop stuff.
The guy who served me at Lawson last night was wearing his mask on his chin while stacking shelves, but hitched it back up when he came to the register. I almost felt like asking him to please leave it off, but I don't think a foreigner's opinion is going to change anything.
In brighter news, ANA was less strict yesterday than I'd feared - the cabin attendants didn't tell me off (I had a prop water bottle), and I even spotted a Japanese lady snoozing with her mask pulled down. Baby steps.
In the Jiji article I mention, the airline rep is the only person who says their industry welcomes the changes. The article doesn't mention it, but I bet JAL/ANA are loosing a lot of business to US/European airlines due to mask mania.
Tell ANA that you can't wear a mask when you check-in. You can go straight to the counter designated for "special needs" customers, if possible, they'll assign a seat further from other customers. Enjoy.
The problem is, touching a mask that has been worn for any amount of time is just like putting your fingers in you mouth. If the clerk did not wash his hands between touching his mask and touching whatever your were buying, it is no different than if he licked his fingers before touching them.
How is humanity still alive after all these thousands of years? Ah, yes - they didn't wear masks!
All joking aside, poor hygiene has always been the root cause or major contributing factor for early death. I suspect masks are playing a huge role in the Covid “case” counting and in the never ending pandemic here in Japan.
I live in Hong Kong, it's even worse here. Masking is like a badge of honour for some people.
To be brutally honest, it's not really psychology we are talking about here... It's just stupidity, plain and simple.
I agree. The best solution is to not give your hard-earned money to stupid people.
Similar here in Japan, actually.
Oh no... my wife and I are going on a trip to the Kansai area soon, and we thought we could stay away from the masking madness for a while... ...
We went for a city hike yesterday. 11.5 kilometers through Tokyo. I did not wear a mask throughout, but I choose not to go in to several sites, museums and such, because I did not want to mask nor deal with door guards telling me to mask with my family with me.
I got a lot of dirty looks but no one spoke a word to me. It is really hit and miss, just more hits recently than in the past. I also had a bad experience the day before over masks and face shields the day before at work.
They are planning on down grading covid on May 8th. That’s after Golden Week. So, for 4 years, no GW or a greatly reduced Golden Week. It being anytime in May also guarantees a fight with my med and nursing school over masks. I am so sick of this.
I miss Golden Week in Hamamatsu. The Kite Festival was a fun, free-spirited, raucous affair. And zillions of people went to the food festival and parade of yatai (floats). Last year they opened it up a bit more; you could have your parade, but it had to remain in your local neighborhood, keeping everyone safe in their quarantined sectors. Some neighborhoods didn't even let the children participate, so no kids riding the floats while banging their drums and playing their flutes. Sad.
Similar up here near Tokyo. While we not allowed to have our local matsuri in October, the main city shrine was. So many of our neighborhood group, myself included, helped carry their mikoshi. No kids allowed. None of the neighborhood mikoshi that would normally accompany the the big one. Masks were optional for this event, but recommended. For the rest of the 3 years, we had to plan on not allowing people outside the Chokai to participate in events only to be told that we couldn’t have them anyway.
We were allowed to go camping last GW, I think. The previous two we had our campsite reservation cancelled. Cuz corona.
I had always wondered if it were possible to recreate the Milgram experiment on an entire population. I now have 3 years of evidence and about 120,000,000 participants to refer to.
Just returned from a month in Tokyo, staying with family.
We attended a buffet at a large restaurant on Christmas Day and my husband and I wore a mask when we were serving ourselves at buffet. That was only time in a month that we wore a mask. Before we visited, we were told at the very least, we must wear a mask in convenience store, as staff and customers would voice their displeasure at us. Not so, we only saw kindness and helpfulness everywhere, to our faces!
My Japanese daughter in law of course wears a mask outside at all times, as do her family. But it IS peer pressure why she does. She’s a very intelligent lady and knows these masks do not provide any protection by wearing them.
I don’t think the Japanese people are happy about foreigners not wearing masks but that’s the price you have to pay to get tourists back and boost the economy.
Now when are they going to drop vaccination/PCR test requirements? Why are they going to be a thing when “Covid” is officially flu from May.
"Now when are they going to drop vaccination/PCR test requirements?"
I assume they'll be lifted in May, but we'll have to wait for confirmation.
Same experience here, I don't wear face nappy anywhere. I am not happy about Japanese wearing masks but that's the price I have to pay if I wanna live here in peace with everyone.
My 14yo unfortunately is getting her dose of brainwash at school which in turn we try very hard to get rid of.
I still cannot visit my family in Hawaii because I am pure-blood. USA still does not allow unvax'd foreigners. So it's not just Japan, only other countries are more subtle about it.
The world not only went crazy in 2020, it’s not over yet
My 9 year old gets his daily brainwashing at school too. However, I am trying to undo it while his mother reenforces. It.
I live just outside Tokyo. Generally, my experiences are as yours were, however, I have been called out by shop clerks more and more for not being masked. My med school wants us English teachers to teach class masked and now with a half face shield. For me, they want me to wear these for Zoom classes as I will be on campus for them.
Computer viruses, you never know…
I can't believe people wear them while on zoom. That is grade A insane!
One of my schools actually demanded that I wear a mask for online lessons taught from my own home. Yes, insane.
Us gaijin have an advantage in Japan in that we are thought of as weirdos by default. Take advantage my gaijin friends!
It is called gaijin pass and it works a lot in many places (even before covid actually ^^)
It breaks my heart to see my 10 and 11 year old grandson’s wearing masks at schools
Barbaric and inhumane
Sorry Japanese people, these masks neither prevent infection to yourselves or transmission to others.
They are harmful to a child’s development
Please ditch them
The best part of being a conspiracy theorist is NOT having myocarditis
Covidianism has truly taken hold as the religion of the Japanese people. It's not even about thinking at all anymore. It's like going out and putting on a hijab or turban.
There is a simple solution: all the gaijins should leave and not enter Nippon! :) (Actually, that is the wish of some Japs.)
I really do hope so.
Found the whole PCR test intrusive and not knowing what is on the swab is worrying
Fingers crossed (why wait until May - so Japanese)
So that I understand the masking requirements, is a mask required to be worn on Japanese public transportation (eg, shinkansen) up until 8th May? Or even afterwards? Family member is traveling to Japan in mid-March. Does he have to wear a mask on public transportation? Thanks.
There is no legal requirement to wear masks in public, just government requests. Your relative can be unmasked on public transport as long as he/she doesn't mind standing out and getting negative looks.
Thanks for this info! My family member already stands out in Japan due to his 6ft 5in height, and never cared about whether or not he was "liked" by the majority. But he's respectful of others, especially small business owners, and if they ask him to wear a mask at their shop or restaurant, he'll simply bow politely and leave.
Much to the chagrin of my wife and kids, I do not wear a mask on the trains and subways here. A student who also hates masks but wears them to avoid the glares asked how I can bear them. I answered, “I’m gaijin, I am always being stared at.” I must say though, that the stares and glares seem to be becoming more menacing. It could be that after three years of this, I am more sensitive to them. Your family me,ver should have no problems unmasked.
Guy,
We need to move on from the Japs masking since some will mask until sayonara.
The masking mindset has been unconditionally firmly entrenched.
Here in western Sydney, Australia, two days ago I saw a fit-looking man in his late 50s returning home with shopping bags in hand on a beautiful sunny summer's day with a cloth mask on top of his surgical mask. AND HE HAD THE FOOTPATH TO HIMSELF! (I was on the other side of the road. As a general rule, I avoid laypeople who wear masks. For those wearing medical gowns, I leer at them! And they tend to avoid me!)