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It seems that in Japan face-masks are currently recommended (not mandatory):

  • in public transportation, and
  • both indoors and outdoors, if there is a distance of less than aproximately 2 meters.

But what type of face mask should I use?

A simple surgical mask? A FFP2 or similar?

EDIT 26-MARCH-2023:
Thank you for the answers and comments. I have just returned from my trip to Japan - I found out that most people (around 90%-95%) used surgical or cloth masks almost all the time and everywhere - the number of pepole without any mask at all or with a FFP2 mask were a minority. So I followed suit, and no problem at all.

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    FYI, the official guidance on masks will be relaxed significantly from March: japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/02/10/national/…
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented Feb 19, 2023 at 21:11
  • @JonathanReez I don't think saying "No masks is the way to go now" is necessarily correct just yet. Note that there has never been a legal mandate for people to wear masks (as lambshaanxy's link mentions), so it remains to be seen how much the relaxed guidance will affect everyday life. I would recommend anyone visiting to do as the Japanese around them do. At the moment, that is to wear masks.
    – ProgrammingLlama
    Commented Feb 28, 2023 at 2:34
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    @ProgrammingLlama the general recommendation on Travel.SE is to follow the law. Since there's no law requiring the use of masks and even the government is now encouraging people to drop masks, I don't think it's worth the hassle. Some Japanese people were wearing masks long before COVID and I'm sure they'll continue to do so for a long time.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Feb 28, 2023 at 2:46
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    @JonathanReez I'm just saying that 99.999% of people in Japan wear masks when out and about at the moment, compared to very few (perhaps 1 in 20?) pre-pandemic. People can do what they want, but if they end up being stared at by locals (as I've witnessed this past weekend alone), then they'll know why. And a lot of shops are still currently asking you to wear masks inside, and restaurants still have signs up asking you to wear a mask when not eating, etc.
    – ProgrammingLlama
    Commented Feb 28, 2023 at 2:53
  • @ProgrammingLlama as per the video published by Franck, at least some locals are either not wearing a mask or aren't wearing one correctly. Of course, on private property rules might be different, and you should follow the wishes of the property owner.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Feb 28, 2023 at 3:07

3 Answers 3

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Just look at some recent "walking tours" in Japan (example). Most people simply wear a surgical mask.

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A few wear nothing or use masks as chin diapers.

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  • Thank you for the answers and comments. I have just returned from my trip to Japan - I found out that most people (around 90%-95%) used surgical or cloth masks almost all the time and everywhere - the number of pepole without any mask at all or with a FFP2 mask were a minority. So I followed suit wearing surgical masks
    – Sofronias
    Commented Mar 26, 2023 at 7:21
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I know that Japan has loosened restrictions, but I just returned from a short trip and 95% of the people in Tokyo still wore marks, especially in smaller spaces like trains. Those who didn't wear masks were looked at as loud, obnoxious people and/or anti-vaccine people. You may get a free pass as a foreigner, but if you're Asian that doesn't apply either. There are also places that require you to wear masks; I attended a concert that did so, and a few restaurants asked that I keep my mask on when not eating. This will eventually go away, but as of right now (3/21/2023), I recommend you still carry a mask with you just in case. Also, if you're going in the spring, a mask really helps with allergies anyway.

As for what mask to use? Any non-woven mask mask will work, so surgical masks are fine. Cloth ones are fine also for the most part, though some places require non-woven masks. This Amazon search should show you what masks are common. You can also simply purchase a pack at any convenience store or drug store in relatively small amounts.

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  • Did the restaurants and concert provide people with masks or did they just turn away those without a mask? If they don't turn you away, carrying one wouldn't be necessary.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Mar 22, 2023 at 0:55
  • For the concert, they specified that you would be refused entry/removed from the venue if you weren't wearing masks (no one around me broke those rules). I can't say about the restaurants, since I wore my mask regardless. JAL provided masked at the jetway bridge on the way in, but seemed to have relaxed the restriction by the time I left. Either way, the question is not whether or not masks are mandatory, but what masks are considered acceptable.
    – Jimmy
    Commented Mar 22, 2023 at 2:03
  • OP specified It seems that in Japan face-masks are currently recommended, implying that they care about the recommendation of the government, which has since been updated. So I think it's a bit inappropriate to scare OP about having to wear a mask lest they're seen as "loud and obnoxious".
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Mar 22, 2023 at 3:24
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    I'm not trying to scare anyone here, but that's just the current atmosphere of the city; people there were not ready to take their masks off just yet. While it may be legal to not wear a mask outside, they are still very much the social norm and are still enforced in some facilities.
    – Jimmy
    Commented Mar 22, 2023 at 4:13
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    Thank you for the answers and comments. I have just returned from my trip to Japan - I found out that most people (around 90%-95%) used surgical or cloth masks almost all the time and everywhere - the number of pepole without any mask at all or with a FFP2 mask were a minority. So I followed suit wearing surgical masks.
    – Sofronias
    Commented Mar 26, 2023 at 7:22
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Good news! The Japanese government has now downgraded the severity of COVID to that of the common flu and as such you no longer need to wear a mask during your trip:

Even at the height of the pandemic, mask wearing was never a legally required mandate here in Japan. Nevertheless, it has become a common practice in the country.

However, Japan has decided to reclassify Covid-19 as just a seasonal flu on May 8. In line with that, the government is also looking at relaxing the rules of mask-wearing. According to NHK, you can soon decide whether to wear a mask indoors, and this takes effect on March 13.

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    Thank you for the answers and comments. I have just returned from my trip to Japan - I found out that most people (around 90%-95%) used surgical or cloth masks almost all the time and everywhere - the number of pepole without any mask at all or with a FFP2 mask were a minority. So I followed suit using surgical masks
    – Sofronias
    Commented Mar 26, 2023 at 7:23

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