The other weekend I went down to Tokyo to hang out at a couple of my favorite bars and chat with some friends. I also wanted to check up on Shinjuku and make sure the area was improving economically after becoming a ghost town in March and recovering somewhat by July. Naturally, 99.9% of the people I saw on the street in Tokyo were wearing proper masks to protect themselves and others in the age of COVID-19, behavior that’s enabled Japan to get by with just 1628 deaths from the virus. I thought I’d write a post about some trends in Japanese mask fashions I observed in Tokyo!
First there was a woman I was chatting with in my favorite haunt in Shimo-Kitazawa, who I noticed was wearing her mask on her arm, as pictured above. When I asked her about it, she said, “But I have no other place to put it. If I put it on the counter, it might come in contact with the virus.” The new “fashion” is known as ude mask or “arm mask.”
Since there’s anxiety about what to do with your mask when you’re sitting at a restaurant with it removed, some smart companies have created the “mask holder,” a specific case that holds your mask for you while you’re not wearing it, and can be closed to ensure cleanliness.
Or you can do what Mrs. J-List does, using a special clip that allows her mask to always be nearby while out in public, even when she removes it to eat. You can buy a fancy one from Amazon Japan or Rakuten or just repurpose some sunglass clips.
Want to make sure your masks are always handy and dry from the last use? There are mask stands that you can buy and put on your desk, or near your front door so you never forget to take your mask with you.
It took a while, but high-end “brand masks” are increasingly becoming a thing, as famous companies get over their fear of being associated with a global pandemic that’s killed more than 1 million and make masks that allow fans of their brands to choose them. The latest trend in Japanese mask fashions!
Young people always want to be fashionable, and what could be better than masks with light-reflecting sequins on them?
Another trend in Japanese mask fashions I noticed were these frilly mask coverings, which turn your boring paper mask — which is actually shown to provide the best protection against airborne
#マスク #ファッション
マスクはファッションの一部です🐰😷 pic.twitter.com/7Tr2EhUccv— 🐰ばうぴょん🐰カーイベントにGoTo🎵🐰💃Fall零にゃん🐰🐱🐹🤦 (@baucyan1) September 29, 2020
Tokyo now has its first mask-only store, stocking nothing but various types of masks: fashionable, high-tech, great for sports, or great for making an impression on that special date.
Of course, anime fans have another option: the new official J-List Otaku Masks for Social Distancing, which are great for getting normies to keep their distance from you. You get one free with any order from Japan of $100 or more, or buy the set for just $20 while supplies last!
Thanks for reading this post on the latest trends in Japanese mask fashions!
J-List’s first line of official Otaku Masks for Social Distancing are here, allowing you to make a bold fashion statement while you protect yourself and others. Get one free with every order (from Japan) of $100 or more, or grab the whole set for $20! If nothing else, it’ll be a great memento of the weirdness that 2020 has been!
