Relaxed new mask usage guidelines barely spread among Japan public

There has never been a mask mandate in the country, but more than two years of the pandemic has made mask-wearing the polite thing to do, even as heat-related illnesses are emerging as a concern as Japan readies for a boiling summer.
Experts say many people are unaware the government has been proposing since May 20 that masks can be taken off in certain circumstances, which may remain so until a well-known figure like Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlines the new guidelines publicly.
The recommendation for outdoor mask usage now only applies to those conversing within two 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.

TV Asahi - Sep 26
Before the war, large numbers of Japanese people immigrated to the Philippines and worked in the cultivation of hemp and other crops. Many of them married local Filipino women and started families.

News On Japan - Sep 25
An 18-year-old male high school student was arrested Monday after a random knife attack in a supermarket in Nagaoka City, Niigata, injuring 3 customers.

News On Japan - Sep 25
A male reggae musician who goes by the name "CHEHON" has been arrested for possessing marijuana in Tokyo.

News On Japan - Sep 25
A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of repeatedly assaulting a 24-year-old woman over a 20 minute period in an apartment they shared in Kashiwa City, Chiba, leading to her death.

NHK - Sep 25
Japan's Imperial Household Agency says Princess Kako has tested positive for the coronavirus.

News On Japan - Sep 24
Fukuoka City has slapped four Chinese nationals with 50,000 yen fines for repeatedly swiping garbage bags containing aluminum cans without permission.

News On Japan - Sep 23
Witnesses have recounted a close encounter with a bear in a residential area of Sekigawa Village, Niigata Prefecture, when the beast invaded their house and went on a rampage in the bathroom.

News On Japan - Sep 23
A wave of bridge nameplate thefts has swept across Shizuoka Prefecture, with 90 of the metal plates stolen so far this month.

NHK - Sep 22
Japan's Crown Prince and Princess Akishino have attended a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the country and Vietnam in its capital Hanoi.

News On Japan - Sep 22
Unexpected accidents can happen while giving a final farewell to a loved one, with three deaths reported in Japan from inhaling carbon dioxide inside coffins.

News On Japan - Sep 22
In response to a significant rat infestation in Kabukicho, Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward will allocate 12 million yen for a large-scale extermination effort.

dexerto.com - Sep 22
Controversial Kick streamer Johnny Somali has been arrested in Japan following months of harassing locals and other streamers.

News On Japan - Sep 19
Kitakyushu's coming-of-age ceremony fashion has hit the world stage, with a dazzling collection of outfits adorning the runway at New York Fashion Week.

News On Japan - Sep 19
Previously unseen photos of the famous Akita dog 'Hachiko', a symbol of Shibuya celebrating his 100th anniversary this year, have been recently discovered.

Japanese Comedian Meshida - Sep 19
Thanks to our ancestors, many Japanese women are now able to work in countries all over the world as prostitutes.

The Spectator - Sep 19
For the first time more than 10 per cent of the Japanese population are aged 80 or older, according to new official data. This reinforces Japan's reputation as the world's oldest society with 29 per cent of the population now aged 65 or more, a full 5 per cent ahead of Italy in second place.