Why all the people where surgical masks in Tokyo? What up with that?

I was in Tokyo. If you walk the streets thousands of people young and old where surgical masks everywhere. I know they had they bird flu years ago but that is not still going around I don't think. What are all these people afraid of? Getting the common cold? Getting the flu? Does wearing a surgical mask around everywhere really protect you from anything in reality?????Why all the people where surgical masks in Tokyo? What up with that?
That is prevention against hay fever of cedar tree's pollen.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwpuMG-RI…


The big mystery will be unraveled with viewing this video (in English).





For a good many persons, early spring is not always comfortable season because of scattering of those pollens. Some weather forecasts report about that, every day.Why all the people where surgical masks in Tokyo? What up with that?
Japan was never really affected with the birth flu to begin with (human cases wise).





The Japanese have been wearing masks for a long time. For many reasons. During the spring time, many Japanese people suffer from hay fever and allegories so they cover their faces. Other's who might be sick wear masks to prevent others from getting sick, and others wear masks to prevent themselves from catching someone else's sickness.
At this time of the year, it is from almost the only one reason: Pollen allergy.





I'm one of the victims, my eyes are itchy and I have a runny nose.


Wearing mask helps a lot! I don't have to sneeze so much.


I hate those yellow powders! I actually saw the powders coming from the tree. I hate them!





Yes, wearing mask works!
Tokyo has a large percentage of doctors who are so busy they leave their surgical masks on between operations


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCxFb8tTc…





Ok, actually it's so people don't spread illnesses such as the cold. Some wear on trains in the hopes of not catching colds from rush hour crowds.
oh, it's just an asian thing; i know what you mean. They wear it because it's cold. did you go to japan when it's cold? I used to wear those too when i was little.. but i'm in canada right now so i don't wear them anymore. haha.
they wear them not as a prevention measure but because they have a cold. And this isn't simply isolated to Tokyo. It's most of east-asia. It's simply more polite if you wear a mask and it shows that you don't want others to get sick.
Japanese people wear the masks to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.
For colds and allergies. Not really bird flu :/
to keep from giving people their colds