Peer Pressure Forces Japanese People to Wear Masks—and the Government Wants More
Meanwhile, the emperor and empress do as Londoners do when in London
Japan always marches to the beat of its own drum, and the news coverage of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is no exception. People are more interested in the mask choices of the Emperor and Empress than following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Masks Covers News Headlines
When Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako departed Haneda airport to attend the funeral in London, the royal couple were wearing white masks as usual—they never took them off in public since the outbreak of COVID-19. Three years into the pandemic, they haven’t resumed visiting local cities in Japan.
Thus, their first appearance in black masks at London Stansted Airport was somewhat unfamiliar to the Japanese. Mainstream media claimed the Imperial Household Agency—the government staffers who serve the Imperial Family—struggled to find a solution to the mask problem.
While Japanese people still wear masks, the U.K. has already gone back to normal. The black mask was a small token of the royal couple’s condolences, referring back to the funeral of Prince Philip. Still, many commented on social media…
