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Meiji Era Face Mask

Elaborate packaging to tempt possible buyers to mask up (the image is from the collection of Tamotsu Hirai). The outer shell of masks from this era and the Taishō period were usually black to prevent stains from showing on the fabric. Furthermore, the Meiji mask incorporates a brass filter for air filtration. This Meiji era mask confirms the usage of face masks in Japan from an early age. Today, due to the COVID pandemic, masks are being used daily in many countries around the world. However, in Japan masks had already been integrated into society for a long time. How have masks been normalized in Japan pre-COVID-19 and how did the coronavirus impact mask wearing in Japan? Let's take a look at some masks to find out.

Stories

  • The Origin of Face Masks in Japan

    story by Merel de Wit.

    In Japan, masks had already been worn regularly during health hazards from as early as the eighteenth century. But the history of face masks in Japan is not as straightforward as it may seem. Overtime, mask-wearing has lost and regained its originally intended purpose; from health protection device to multipurpose item. In order to decipher some of these mask-wearing developments, we will be looking at a few historical and contemporary face masks in Japan.

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