Step 2 of 4

Face Mask Recommendation

Related Images

  • Fig. 3 three dimensional mask from the Shōwa era (1926-1989)- [Tamotsu Hirai, The Japantimes 2020](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/04/national/science-health/japans-history-wearing-masks-coronavirus/)
  • Fig. 3 three dimensional mask from the Shōwa era (1926-1989)- [Tamotsu Hirai, The Japantimes 2020](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/04/national/science-health/japans-history-wearing-masks-coronavirus/)

The square shape of the Meiji era mask looks quite different as compared to the face masks we wear today. Over the years mask materials, shapes and colors have been altered. We will be looking into ‘ what has been altered’ and ‘why it has been changed’ in the next paragraph.

In the second half of the 20th century, mask-wearing was no longer regulated by the government but was solely recommended in various protocols for health related purposes. These protocols recommended mask-wearing during natural disasters, fire outbreaks, gas leakages , pollinosis seasons, influenza seasons and epidemics. As the purposes for mask-wearing became more varied over the course of the 20th century, so did mask designs (fig.3). For instance, from the 1970s onwards masks became more three-dimensional in shape (often white in color) and were available in different sizes. Furthermore, mask materials differed depending on the intended function of the specific mask (e.g. pollinosis prevention masks required differing materials - fig. 4). From the 2000s onwards, the government also placed the responsibility for mask promotion on the mask industry itself in influenza protocols. This was closely related to the simultaneous promotion of individual health responsibility where the government urged individuals to take health protection matters into their own hands. (Burgess and Horii 2012) And so, the mask producing industry in Japan expanded rapidly. Mask businesses produced various types of masks and commercially advertised them to compete with rival companies. Consequently, mask commercialization became primarily responsible for the normalization of mask wearing in Japan. (de Wit 2021)