The smiles and screams at Tokyo Disneyland may be more evident on Monday after the amusement park and much of Japan relaxed the mask regulations that defined the three-year Covid-19 pandemic.
Park operator Oriental Land, East Japan Railway and cinema operator Toho are among the major companies allowing customers to go mask-free from Monday, based on revised government guidance announced last month.
But a quick change in behavior is unlikely, given Japan’s long history of mask-wearing and an onslaught of pollen that has caused allergic rhinitis.
“Mask wearing was a part of our culture even before Covid-19,” said Hitoshi Oshitani, a professor at Tohoku University who was the architect of Japan’s response to Covid. “I think many people will wear masks even after the rules are relaxed.”
Japan is one of the latest major economies to facilitate official guidance on masks, the use of which has been nearly universal across the country, even without strict regulations or sanctions governing their use.
“Regarding masks, I think it’s safer to wear one when using public transport to protect yourself from contagion,” said Yutaka Izawa, 60, as he walked through Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district.
Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said last week that masks will no longer be required at cabinet meetings from Monday and decisions on face coverings will be left to individual workspaces.
Source: Terra
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