Masks no longer “recommended” to wear both indoor and outdoor from March 13, 2023
From March 13, 2023, the Japanese Government has announced that it is no longer necessary to wear a mask in outdoor and indoor places. Having said that, it is still recommended to wear masks for the following situations/locations:
- When visiting a healthcare institution or an elderly care facility
- Inside crowded trains and buses during peak hours
Kindly note that the above-stated recommendations are made compulsory by the Japanese Government. Instead, people are recommended to wear a mask only when they are unable to ensure a 2-meter physical distance between one another.
Nevertheless, the majority of Japanese continues to habitually wear masks whether they are outdoor or indoor. This behaviour has been ingrained into many Japanese people for decades.
If you have any plans to go to Japan after March 13, do bring a few masks along.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, (as of Feb 2023)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kansentaisaku_00001.html
