Why do some Japanese people wear surgical masks even overseas – nobody else does?
Most Japanese live in crowded cities, and because of this, it’s difficult to get away from other people. With this said, in crowded places, it’s easy for diseases to spread. Mainly, they are being considerate of others, and trying not to spread colds to others (wearing a mask does NOT prevent someone from getting a cold, but it does capture the moisture which contains the cold virus when coughing). Also, many people wear the masks because of allergies. This time of year, hay fever is very common, and many people will wear masks to prevent some symptoms of hay fever. As for why they wear them overseas, it’s habit.
