News Mask use in Japan around 90% despite eased guidelines

The AiD AI system, which analyzed video footage of people walking in front of the station on Monday, showed that 85.6% of the people passing by were wearing masks, slightly down from a figure of 89.7% collected on March 13, when the mask guidelines were revised. The new guidelines leave the decision on wearing a mask to the individual's personal choice. COVID-19 cases have declined recently, with 9,940 daily nationwide cases reported on Tuesday, compared with nearly 250,000 in early January. However, Tokyo cases have been gradually increasing, with the capital reporting 1,490 cases on Tuesday, up from 1,357 a week before.

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Of roughly 750 working adults, 39.6% said they wear a mask "unconditionally," according to a poll conducted on 5-7 April by Laibo, a Tokyo-based career development agency. Another 53.4% said they wear masks depending on the situation. This adds up to 93% of respondents who still mask up. Japan relaxed its guidance for wearing masks on March 13, letting individuals decide in most circumstances. For those sticking to masks, a 42.6% plurality said they do so out of habit. Peer pressure also appears to be at work: 37.9% of respondents said they wear masks because many others do. Another critical factor involves companies that independently adopt mask-wearing rules for employees. In Laibo's survey, 35% said they wear masks because their workplaces recommended it.

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