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Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

qz.com

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Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#51

Post by freetime2 »

marcus_holmes wrote: post #45

In SE Asia, you don't wear a mask to protect you from other people's germs. You wear one to indicate to other people that you are currently unwell, and protect them from your germs. The article is pure uninformed speculative bullshit

The article does state this reason.

> A second global flu epidemic in 1934 cemented Japan’s love affair with the facemask, which began to be worn with regularity during the winter months—primarily, given Japan’s obsession with social courtesy, by cough-and-cold victims seeking to avoid transmitting their germs to others, rather than healthy people looking to prevent the onset of illness.

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#52

Post by freetime2 »

ezoe wrote: post #14

Why the linked page and nobody don't mention about the hay fever? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_fever_in_Japan If you are living in Tokyo and you have pollen allergy, you too will wear masks all day.

The article does imply that hay fever is a big factor when it references air polution and pollen from Japanese cedars.

> Then, in the 1950s, Japan’s rapid post-World War II industrialization led to rampant air pollution and booming growth of the pollen-rich Japanese cedar, which flourished due to rising ambient levels of carbon dioxide. Mask-wearing went from seasonal affectation to year-round habit.

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#53

Post by jpatokal »

ezoe wrote: post #14

Why the linked page and nobody don't mention about the hay fever? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_fever_in_Japan If you are living in Tokyo and you have pollen allergy, you too will wear masks all day.

Came here to post this. Japan has vast plantations of cedar (sugi) forests and a huge percentage of Japan's population is allergic to the pollen, which in spring can be seen in quantities large enough to form visible clouds.

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#54

Post by majewsky »

ezoe wrote: post #14

Why the linked page and nobody don't mention about the hay fever? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_fever_in_Japan If you are living in Tokyo and you have pollen allergy, you too will wear masks all day.

Does this also affect tourists? Since I don't live in Japan, I wouldn't expect to have an allergic response to a Japanese native tree.

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#55

Post by majewsky »

giocampa wrote: post #11
dustinmoris wrote: post #8

I often wear a mask during the Winter months in London too. Mostly because the majority of people on the tube are absolute disgusting pigs. They cough and sneeze without holding their hand in front of their face or making any other attempt to cover it up.

Sneezing in their hand helps to spread it to everything they touch. The best thing would be to cough/sneeze in the arm.

The best thing is actually coughing/sneezing into your shirt (by pulling your collar over your nose).

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#56

Post by dgarceran »

oblio wrote: post #49
dgarceran wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you very much for this explanation. It reminded a bit when I read The Chrysanthemum and the Sword by Ruth Benedict. I visited Japan (and stayed with locals all the time) this last year after reading that book and I didn't see most of these rigid descriptions Ruth Benedict explained there, but I felt like they have this kind of work culture that is way different than mine in Spain.

You guys are probably at the other ends of the spectrum, and not only geographically :p

While I find it funny and I like those jokes, I think your comment implies a bit of ignorance. You should look for a list of countries ordered by their GDP (PPP) per hour worked. Spain's productivity is a bit higher than Japan's (I'm not an expert, so maybe there are more technical data to check out). Here you have a couple of links:

List of countries by GDP (PPP) per hour worked: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)...

Problem of productivity in Spain - compared with Germany: http://www.caixabankresearch.com/en/la-productividad-del-tra...

And of course we like our siesta and enjoy our nice weather! haha

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#57

Post by richardwhiuk »

majewsky wrote: post #54
ezoe wrote: post #14

Why the linked page and nobody don't mention about the hay fever? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_fever_in_Japan If you are living in Tokyo and you have pollen allergy, you too will wear masks all day.

Does this also affect tourists? Since I don't live in Japan, I wouldn't expect to have an allergic response to a Japanese native tree.

The reverse would seem more likely - surely a native population is less likely to have a reaction to a native tree - otherwise adaption to their environment is fairly poor....

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#58

Post by oblio »

dgarceran wrote: post #56
oblio wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You guys are probably at the other ends of the spectrum, and not only geographically :p

While I find it funny and I like those jokes, I think your comment implies a bit of ignorance. You should look for a list of countries ordered by their GDP (PPP) per hour worked. Spain's productivity is a bit higher than Japan's (I'm not an expert, so maybe there are more technical data to check out). Here you have a couple of links: List of countries by GDP (PPP) per hour worked: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o…

I know, I was just joking. I've been to Spain and I know that the whole "sleeping at work" stereotype is based on things from 200 years ago :)

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#59

Post by salty_biscuits »

ezoe wrote: post #14

Why the linked page and nobody don't mention about the hay fever? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_fever_in_Japan If you are living in Tokyo and you have pollen allergy, you too will wear masks all day.

When I lived over there, I only asked one guy why he wore the mask and he said allergies. After that I think I just assumed that was what it was about and the west had somehow bizarrely misconstrued it as being virus related. I wish I had asked a few more people now...

Re: Why Asians wear surgical masks in public (2014)

#60

Post by ilamont »

I lived in Taipei in the 1990s and have been back many times since. Prior to 2002, I rarely would see people wearing them while riding scooters, but never anywhere else. After the shock of SARS, that changed - people starting wearing them on subways, airplanes, on the street, etc. It was a major urban public health panic, and the building quarantines, airport health checks, and media coverage freaked people out.

15+ years later, it's not pervasive. Last summer when I went back I spotted a few people on the subway and airplanes wearing them, and it's pretty widespread among scooter riders, reflecting (I think) a sensitivity about air quality along with a mild concern about catching something from the people around you.

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