Easy Japanese 14 - Why do Japanese wear masks? 

because they don't do anything

@H not for viruses

H not for viruses

In my perspective, I think hiding their mouth by their hand when they're laughing is a bit お上品 for us. Or may be かわいい。 I guess in America as well(I've never been to America, so Idk well tho), some people hide their mouth I guess. My friends never behave like that.

I've been recommending this video since the crisis started to people to help them understand different cultural dispositions to masks. What's interesting to me is that nobody here says what has become received wisdom: that people in E. Asia do it to protect others.

@@dogdyedblack Not protest, but protect. But this is true, and it's totally different to Western thinking.

@@joergw.8244 sorry, yes, protect--either a slip or an autocorrect. I'll edit it that now....

this way before covid because of air polution.

@@joergw.8244 Not the whole Asia but, only specifically Japan, Philippines, Thailand or Korea maybe. Even I'm an Asian and here its really an alien thing to wear a mask. If anyone will wear a mask here people will either ask the person if some flue or virus is spreading or something? And get worried or either think that that person's sick and avoid that person. I remember when I was small a flue had spread it was all over the news, so my Mom send me to school by making me put mask on, I was made such fun of at school I had to take it off it and refused to wear it the next day. Even during Corona now, many people were refusing to wear a mask, government had to impose a fine for not wearing one to enforce that everyone wears one. In our country there's a lot of dust around because of climatic reasons, if you ride a scooter you need something to cover your mouth and nose so people instead of buying a mask used to cover it with a scarf of something. Here mask is related with people working in medical fields. This time is far more that the everyone is wearing a mask because of being forced to. I think its because of the culture, like in Japan you're encouraged to go with the flow, to blend in the background, to not stand out Which is not the case here or I think in western culture aswell, it's like you are encouraged to stand out, individuality is stresses upon. Covering your face is not encouraged unless its for religious purpose. Many people even if religiously obliged don't really cover the face, unless if its really obligbline for that person and us I can't say for all. So it's like everywere its different and Asia is very big, the biggest continent so is very diverse so are its countries. In Asia what is true for in one place is not for the other. Westerns are like everyone in Asia has small eyes look the same but it's not the case, people are diverse, some Asians look life Europeans, all Asians don't have small eyes, its really very big and diverse.

Yea its weird how covering your face is a big thing in the west but really isn't so much of a thing in eastern cultures.. In Japan, China, Thailand or the Philippines you can wear a surgical mask for colds/flus or to avoid pollution (they all have the "conbini" culture so you can buy them everywhere) without much of anyone caring, but you'd get panicked looks from other passers by in Aus, the US or the UK, and they're hard to get unless you go onto somewhere like amazon

It's not weird at all. Western culture is expressive, outwards, and encourages individuality. Eastern culture meanwhile, especially Japanese, encourages you to not stick out, to go with the flow, to blend into the background. It would not be surprised if the whole mask thing eventually escalates to the point where everyone does it, and no one remembers the original reason, the supposed Health benefit or the need to be "considerate".

​@@Alexander_Kale if western culture encourages individuality so much, in the train the other people would not stared at him. the use of mask can be because tokyo train or bus are overcrowded. maybe outside tokyo they don't use masks so much. example: watch?v=iwbPdF5dIgQ.

@@violetta202 "in the train the other people would not stared at him" - Bullshit. Noticing patterns and exceptions to them is what humans DO. We are literally hardwired to notice differences.

@@Alexander_Kale not only human are hardwired to notice difference, but all animals: infact exist mimicry as a tool for catch or elude predator. but notice something is a different thing from watch someone in a persistent way, and japanese seems that although notice someone wears a mask, no give two shit. that can be because they are introvert or so free minded to accept that someone can wears fancy thing.

In pretending. It obviously didn't work there either.

That is a whole different subject there, dude!

That's stupid. Not at all pretty and some of them are smart to cover up.

They are wearing it cus they don't want any subjective judgement...like, any ... With a mask you can't be expected to look certain way or smile certain way

It’s been 9 years, hope you’re doing great in life

まだ日本語を勉強したいまさか？

What if you are Wrong

+Simmekakibackup2 Koujo what if I told you that an opinion can't be wrong

They only listen to their very society that they need to blend in. That's a very strong force in Japan.

They would tell you, you didn't get the point ... They don't want any subjective judgement when they are out and about

So wear a bag

日本語の上手ですね

頑張って～😆😆

No such thing.

@@based9930 Do you live on Mars?!!

Omkar true 💯

@@Aditi-mb3qm No, sheep.

now not wearing mask is a strange culture during covid

You can now!

Yes, you can use it now.

you have to now lol

@@kyra7891 Your wishes came true lol

This comment singlehandedly started it all.

Careful what you wish for 😖

Be careful what you wish for. Now the whole world has to wear one

Actually Japan doesn't have air pollution like China or Korea has. So they don't really need it for that reason.

@@TheRiordane I dont know that whats the reason because this video taken precovid japan weared masks ever snice the pandemic happened.

That's mainly in China. The air quality in Japan is pretty good, nobody uses it for air pollution

actually the first thing i thought was: with such little exposure to germs, their immune system must be so weak, i bet the ONE day they go out without the mask they get the flu. Dunno if this makes sense

Not only Japan, its most of the Far East that follows this particular thing (surgical masks)

@@Angelica-rg2mf yeah this one is probably debunked by now.

理由(りゆう)=reason May be you were trying to say reason? Actually it's not いゆ。but I think it's good Japanese! Good luck!

Because when the human body isn't exposed to disease the immune system becomes weak making the body weaker towards infection and disease which is why the flu and cold shots were created to build up natural resistance towards them so wearing the gas mask will make you weaker except for when the disease will kill you but there isn't an outbreak of anything like that even the Ebola virus in the U.S. The country basically went into panic for just a couple of cases not even ten people but since we're constantly exposed to disease we get stronger like exercising we get weaker to a point if we don't do it so not wearing the masks is just making us stronger

The US did not go "into panic" over the media-manufactured Ebola hype, "basically" or otherwise. Stop exaggerating, projecting your own subjective reality, and believing everything the scare mongering media tells you to fear this week. The US is a country of over 320 million people, the vast majority of whom pay little or no attention to that clickbait nonsense.

You might be living under a rock but yes Ebola hype made most people go into panic mode.

I feel safe when I use it 👍👍

Not any longer. Now everyone has to wear one

yes but it doesn’t really sound as good or cohesive

ever heard of changing the mask?

+According to all known laws of aviation, They don't change the mask. If they have a cold, they'd be changing it all day. No, they change it next day. I would just remove the mask for the sneeze, and sneeze into the crux of my arm. Then put the mask back on. The point is that most mask wearers do not seem to care about wearing the dirty mask all day - even though it may have pretty flower decorations!

@@rossriver75 your sneeze staying inside your mask will not harm you but sneezing without a mask will harm many around you.

@@juch3 Keep in mind this was a pre-corona days comment. But even so, sneezing your mucus drops into a mask and continuing to wear it without a thought is pretty revolting at any time. Go off away from people, sneeze into the crux of your arm, and it should be okay.