![]() With global cases of the novel coronavirus on the rise as Japan’s humid summer arrives, companies across industry lines are rushing to produce cooling and drying face masks to help cope with the sweltering heat that medical experts warn could lead to breathing difficulties and dehydration. The key, apparently, is the enhancement of the eyes. There’s even a term for women who look good in masks - masuku bijin (masked beauty) - and contests are held to decide who among them looks the most attractive donning one. ![]() There are masks that cut ultraviolet rays and prevent glasses from fogging, and masks that make the face look slimmer. Besides being sporadically worn during hay fever and influenza seasons, masks have expanded beyond their traditional role over the years and have even been adopted by the fashion and beauty industries. Masks are now omnipresent in Japan as a result of the pandemic, thanks in part to an inherent mask-wearing culture. Perhaps the proverbial phrase captures the essence of the nation’s affinity for face masks, a relationship that can be traced back centuries and a custom to which is attributed Japan’s lower number of deaths from COVID-19 compared with Western nations - in particular the United States, where wearing a mask has recently become a politically charged issue. In Japan, it’s sometimes said that the eyes speak as much as the mouth. The history behind Japan’s love of face masks 黄金の織田信長像 - マスク Golden Statue of Oda Nobunaga Lion with a mask, Mitsukoshi Store, Tokyo
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