I didn't know this till now

Masks On, Masks Off

A new basic response policy on COVID-19 announced by the Japanese government on May 23 provides brand new guidance to residents and visitors on wearing masks. It defines situations where people should continue to wear face coverings and others where it's not mandatory, rather than recommending masks in all public places as had been the case since the beginning of the pandemic.

According to the new guidelines, masks are not necessary outside, except when talking to someone close to you. During summer, it is recommended that people remove their masks to avoid heatstroke.

When indoors, masks are not needed as long as people do not talk and maintain a distance of at least two meters from each other.

Actually, I stopped wearing a mask outside long ago. Although I was recently in Shimane, Tottori, Kyoto, Nara and Mie, I would only wear a mask if the places were very crowded , like temples and grocery stores.

Why are people still wearing mask at baseball games? In America no one wears mask at games.

yeah, masking outside and in well-ventilated spaces always struck me as a bit extreme. I've compared these policies (and peoples' adherence to them) to driving in the fast lane; there's always someone going too slow in front of you (so you honk at them), and people riding your butt, honking at you in turn.

If folks are still wearing masks to spectate sporting events, it's probably because they feel it's crowded enough to warrant it (or it may still be the policy, or perhaps people just got used to it as the new norm). I wouldn't consider Americans a particularly good example to follow at any rate.

Only in Japan: the government urges people NOT to wear masks during the heat wave.

The recommendation for outdoor mask usage now only applies to those conversing within 2 meters of each other. But most people continue wearing them outside regardless of circumstances. The government has made some efforts to increase public awareness of the changes, creating leaflets and planning to broadcast the message through commercials. There have been multiple cases of children who wore masks during gym classes being sent to hospital due to heat exhaustion or heatstroke. The education ministry has asked schools to let schoolchildren go maskless during physical activities, and for younger children to take masks off on their school commutes.

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