| Number |
CREPEDP-181 |
| Publication Date |
December 2025 |
| Title |
Uneven Normalization from the COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence from a Mask Survey in Japan |
| Author |
Kei Shimazawa, Reo Takaku, and Taisuke Nakata
|
| Abstract |
We aim to shed light on the society’s normalization process after a pandemic by documenting the process of unmasking in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis in Japan. For that purpose, we conducted a weekly or biweekly survey of masking wearing behaviors from Summer 2022 to Spring 2024. Japanese citizens had worn masks at a high rate until mid-March 2023—three years after the onset of the pandemic—when the Prime Minister announced that mask-wearing would become up to individuals. After the announcement, Japanese citizens gradually unmasked themselves. However, the process of unmasking was uneven; some segments of the population unmasked themselves more gradually than others.
|
| Keywords |
Keywords— COVID-19, Heterogeneity, Mask, Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions |
| Other information |
Paper in English (18 pages) |