The wearing of masks became optional on March 13.
In other words, people can now decide whether or not to wear a mask at their own discretion.
Until then, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare had requested that people wear masks indoors unless they were able to maintain a safe distance from other people and were rarely engaged in conversation.
Now it is up to each individual to make his or her own decision. However, when visiting a medical institution or on crowded buses and trains, people are asked to wear masks.
So I thought more people would take off their masks after March 13, but most people are wearing masks even outdoors. From what I have seen, 95-98% of the people are wearing masks.
I try to take off my mask as much as possible except in train cars and in supermarkets.
Yesterday, when my wife and I went to a local supermarket, I took off my mask in the store and she looked at me with a white eye.
She was also trying to get away from me, so I had no choice but to put my mask back on.
Still, I wonder why people don't take off their masks; perhaps it has become a habit after living with a mask for more than two years.
However, it has been scientifically proven that wearing a mask does not prevent viral infections, so it is probably just for a sense of security. The rest would be pattern watching. I think the main reason is that people will look at you with white eyes if you do something different from others around you (i.e., not wearing a mask).
But hey, it must be boring to wear a scientifically meaningless mask and worry about what people around you think.
Masks are still good when it's cold because they provide protection from the cold, but when it gets hotter, masks will just get in the way.
Under the current situation, many people will probably wear masks until May 18, when the new strain of coronas will be lowered to the same Class 5 level as seasonal influenza.
After that, if people continue to wear masks as they do now, I have to wonder if the Japanese will be all right.
All things being equal, I think Japan's future is in jeopardy if people can't think for themselves.。
