Arab News Japan

TOKYO: There have been a number of reports of people in Japan being criticized publicly by strangers, sometimes dubbed the “mask police,” for not wearing a mask outside.

The cases have fueled debate over when masks are necessary as the country faces sweltering summer heat.

Some of the public shaming reported by the Mainichi newspaper has involved children. For example, a mother pushing her 1-year-old in a stroller said she was scolded by an elderly woman for not putting a mask on her baby, even though the mother herself was wearing one.

In other cases, children on their way to school have been called out or reported for not wearing masks, including a young girl who forgot her mask and came to class crying after a man yelled at her.

Along with social distancing and handwashing, mask usage has been recommended by Japanese authorities to help prevent COVID-19 transmission. Specifically, masks are designed to prevent the spread of virus-carrying droplets by coughing, sneezing or talking.

But the actions of the so-called “mask police” have angered some, both because many people have an aversion to strangers yelling at each other and because masks are not always recommended.

While wearing masks in public is widely accepted by the Japanese and was common even before the pandemic, health authorities note that there are times when a mask can pose a danger to the wearer or when adequate social distancing makes wearing one unnecessary.

For instance, parents are urged not to put masks on very young children for fear of suffocation and heatstroke, especially infants and toddlers. And in the extreme heat and humidity of summer, measures to prevent heatstroke are recommended for people of all ages, including removing a mask if one has difficulty breathing.