OSAKA -- Handheld mask holders that allow people to raise a mask to their face when talking have been developed in western Japan. As the need for "masked meals" to prevent coronavirus infections has been pointed out, these products are expected to play an active role in year-end parties in the country.
Kyoto Saga University of Arts' "table manner mask" paper pattern is seen in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, on April 19, 2021. (Mainichi/Ryohei Masukawa)
People have tea while holding "Eatith" mask holders developed by Shinnihon Printing Inc. (Photo courtesy of Shinnihon Printing Inc.)
Professor Yoshiyuki Watanabe of Kyoto University of Advanced Science is seen in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, on April 19, 2021. (Mainichi/Ryohei Masukawa)
The various products can all be used with commercially available masks, and their three-dimensional structure helps prevent droplets from spreading when they are held up to the mouth.
Developed by product manufacturer Kawakita in the Osaka Prefecture city of Higashiosaka, the "Masukucci" holder has a handle like a fan. The mask fits into a plastic frame made from the same material used for face shields. When not in use, the holder can either be placed on a table or worn around the neck with a strap.
In April 2021, Kawakita started selling the mask holder online for 550 yen (about $5) apiece, but the company later curbed its sales activities in light of the infection situation. Sales have been sluggish, but Ichiro Kawakita, the 54-year-old president of the company, says "the real competition begins now."
The company president explained, "The holders are a quick and easy way to cover your mouth, and they can be washed and used many times. We want people to use them in various situations, such as lunch with their colleagues."
In August 2020, Kyoto Saga University of Arts in Kyoto's Ukyo Ward introduced a mask holder that can easily be made by printing out a paper pattern from the university's website and using scissors and staples.
The university's president, Masako Sasaki, who invented the product, named it the "table manner mask." She said the name reflected her desire for people to use it as a form of etiquette when eating.
Users need a thick piece of paper from which they cut out the handle and outer frame, resembling that of a hand mirror, along the lines of the paper pattern. They then snip off the left and right edges of a mask, including the elastic straps, and staple or glue the mask to the paper holder. Sasaki advises, "Use it to cover your mouth tightly, keeping it close to your face."
In the city of Kyoto, a total of 3,700 students from 19 municipal elementary schools and five municipal junior high schools had made the table manner mask in their classes by March 2021.
Shinnihon Printing Inc., based in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, also developed a product in November 2020 that attaches a mask to a Y-shaped paper holder. The holder has a slit in it, and the ear straps are hooked onto it to hold the mask in place. The product is named "Eatith" in the hope that it will be used during meals, and a pack of 100 retails for 8,000 yen (about $70). A company representative commented, "We hope it will contribute to infection prevention measures in restaurants."
Regarding these products, Yoshiyuki Watanabe, a professor of public health at Kyoto University of Advanced Science, said, "They are not based on scientific evidence, but they can help reduce the risk of infection. It is important for everyone to do what they can, to the extent that they can."
Masukucci can be purchased from Kawakita's online store at https://masukucci.theshop.jp/. Information on how to make table manner masks can be found on the Kyoto Saga University of Arts webpage at https://www.kyoto-saga.ac.jp/web_magazine/saganikki/52238. To purchase the Eatith holders, please visit the specialized website at https://eatith.com/. (All links are in Japanese)
(Japanese original by Ryohei Masukawa, Osaka Regional News Department)
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