@mcfate I lived in Kyoto and Nara - the masking surprised me at the time and pleased me too.
I was mostly in Tokyo, except when I went on pilgrimage, which was all on Shikoku. I spent a bit of time in Osaka and Kyoto on my way there, went up Mount Koya.
@mcfate I got to Kobe a couple of times and my free speech class took me to a 'spa somewhere for a weekend of Mah Jong, adult club, drinking etc. :)
I was in Japan in 1970- EVERYONE WORE MASKS in crowded places, on transportation... there was definitely smog, too- so masking up made sense.
We're such limp noodles in this country- we'd rather spread epidemics around the world than wear a fucking mask and get vaccinated!
@NorthernInvader
My experience has been the same, and anyone who's ever "pulled" a Tokyo cold knows exactly why.