Hay fever in Japan (花粉症 Kafunshō, literally "pollen illness") is most commonly caused by pollen from cryptomeria (known as sugi in Japanese and often incorrectly translated as "cedar") and Japanese cypress (known as hinoki), two native Japanese tree species.
A sizable industry has developed in Japan around services and products that help people deal with hay fever, including protective wear such as coats with smooth surfaces, masks, and glasses; medication and remedies; household goods such as air-conditioner filters and fine window screens; and even "hay fever relief vacations" to low-pollen areas such as Okinawa and Hokkaido. Some people in Japan use medical laser therapy to desensitize the parts of their nose that are sensitive to pollen.
- Cryptomeria japonica discharges a large amount of pollen in spring. To prevent allergic rhinitis with the pollen of Cryptomeria japonica, the mask is multiused in Japan.[citation needed]
- In Japan and Taiwan, it is common to see these masks worn as a show of consideration for others and social responsibility.[7]
The mythological figure Kuchisake Onna is commonly seen with a surgical mask to hide the scars on her mouth. Pop star Michael Jackson often wore a surgical mask out in public to conceal his identity.
A surgical mask, also known as a procedure mask, is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and at other times to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. Its first recorded use was by the French surgeon Paul Berger during an 1897 operation in Paris.
Kuchisake-onna (口裂け女, "Slit-Mouthed Woman") is a figure appearing in Japanese urban legends.
Note: Other reasons for wearing a facial mask are possible too such as protecting oneself from catching diseases, fashion, hiding pimples, emotions, etc...
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