IN TOKYO

MANY people tend to associate the wearing of face masks with medical personnel working in operating theatres in a hospital.

Or when there is a major public health crisis, such as in the case of the recent outbreak of a new strain of flu in Mexico.

But in Japan, wearing face masks is a year-round thing and no one pays any attention to a masked person.

Recently, some experts in Britain reportedly pooh-poohed the use of face masks to guard against the new flu virus, saying that the masks become porous to the virus when they turn moist after several hours of use.

But the effectiveness of wearing masks has never been an issue in Japan.

To prevent the spread of germs, many Japanese wear a mask when they have a cold or a bad cough out of courtesy to fellow travellers in the nation's jam-packed trains, to passers-by on the crowded streets, and to their colleagues at work.

A mask also helps to keep the nose warm during the cold winter months.

The wearing of masks is particularly common during the spring, when strong winds from the mountains bring pollen to the cities, causing distress to people who suffer from hay fever.

A mask ensures that the wearer does not breathe in the pollen, which causes tearing, a runny nose and general discomfort.

Many foreigners on their first visit to Japan are said to have been unnerved at the sight of Japanese sporting white masks on the streets – until they learn that wearing masks is common and very much part of the social etiquette in this country.

The masks themselves have undergone a transformation in recent years.

The traditional lie-flat variety made of cloth tends to become uncomfortably warm after some use and also plays havoc with a woman's make-up.

In recent years, masks made of a stiff synthetic material that leaves a small gap between the mask and the face have been gaining in popularity, particularly among women fearing for their make-up.

In general of course, the rationale for choosing these more expensive masks is that they offer better protection against pollen and germs than the traditional ones made of soft white cloth.

As part of the government’s action plan to deal with a pandemic, the authorities have prepared millions of face masks for distribution to schools and hospitals in the event of a major outbreak of flu.

But despite the announcement of a suspected case of swine flu in Japan on April 30, and the likelihood that there may be more, there has been no noticeable increase in the use of face masks on the streets.

The Japanese in general seem to have heeded the call by the authorities to stay calm and not over-react.

Incidentally, neither have the Japanese given up eating pork, as the authorities have repeatedly assured the people that heating kills the flu virus.

At my neighbourhood "tonkatsu" restaurant, which features breaded pork cutlet on its menu, the queue at lunch time is just as long as always.