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'Why do Japanese people wear those surgical masks?'
this must be the single most frequently asked question about Japan
we've seen in your comments, so...
It's about time we address it.
We've got the gear.
Let's unwrap this thing...
We got two different kinds, I mean: their packaging looks different
Mine has got two masks
This is our first time, actually, mask-wise
- Not mine.
- Okay, fair enough.
- I've never done it not ironically, though.
- The Japanese style, wrapping everything in two layers of plastic
- I don't know what to say.
- I don't really feel any difference in my oxygen intake.
- Just the bloody condensation, my face will be getting so wet...
- I hear you.
- To answer the question - there are a couple of reasons they wear those masks
some of them not so obvious at all.
First, and this one is easy to understand, is that if you're sick
and you want to be... I guess polite
you'd wear a surgical mask so you don't cough or sneeze in somebody's face on the underground
Or when it's the flu season,
or something like this, you wear a mask to avoid catching it.
It's like a more elaborate version of covering your mouth when you cough.
By the way - up until 10 years ago
that was the only reason people wore them.
- They were made of cotton, and... - You'd have to wash them
- Yes, exactly.
So that was a bit a pain, and 10 years ago
some company came up with the disposable ones, and since then
they started becoming ubiquitous.
- And now the reasons are endless.
- And the types of masks are endless too
- there's the Pokemon ones, for instance.
- But mostly they just wear the basic ones
- Yeah. - White, ordinary, nothing special.
- Because - well, I think that for them, from the esthetic point of view
- it's just completely a non-issue
- it's just... normal.
- I get what you guys are thinking
- 'Woah! People wearing surgical masks!'
- 'Something's about to happen. Something big.'
- When in fact, here, it's like wondering why is somebody wearing a hat.
- Or gloves.
- Like, one of our Japanese mates wears a surgical mask in winter
- only to keep his face warm.
- I mean, that's surely a way to achieve it.
- Yeah, that makes sense.
- What else... Sometimes people with different allergies wear them
- Any more reasons?
- Well there are some reasons of a more... let's say social nature.
- Like, Tokyo is super overcrowded. Some people have a problem with that.
- So you put a mask on, headphones, and you're set.
-You're in your own little bubble, nothing will ever bother you again.
- No more people in your face.
- Another interesting use for those things
- is that they are a perfect thing for any kind of celebrity,
- Yeah, to stay under the radar.
- With a mask on, nobody can tell you're famous.
- You can even go on public transport. - Exactly.
- Maybe we passed someone famous already...
- The masks just completely blend in after a while,
- they wear them with every possible kind of outfit
- it's almost invisible.
- While it does look funny, when you see a girl
- all dressed up, and she's wearing a mask.
- Because it looks weird, but on the other hand
- what would you have to wear to match that mask?
- Like, some sort of biohazard jumpsuit?
- Does it even work? I mean, how efficient really are those things?
- Apparently it works,
- there are some sort of filters, or whatnot.
- Let's read the info.
- Yeah, as if you were going to understand something.
- There you go, says 'FILTER' in English.
- You're right, it does.
- So yeah, they've got some filters. Mostly anti allergy, I'm guessing.
- that's a pretty common problem here, in spring.
- See? I'm allergic to pollen.
- I should wear one, even back home in Poland.
- I wonder what kind of reaction that would get in Poland.
- They'd probably move away from me.
- That wouldn't go down in States now, would it?
- They would ban them fairly soon, I guess.
- You walk in wearing a surgical mask, how the hell could anyone recognize you?
- Sometimes they wouldn't let you in if wearing a hood, let alone this thing.
- Exactly.
- Anyways. The mystery - hopefully - has been solved.
- Now you now why Japanese people walk around wearing surgical masks.
- And why it's not a big deal.