Amid Coronavirus Fears, Japanese Twitter Responds to Abe’s 2 Mask Promise with Memes
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As always, Japanese Twitter users hit the nail on the head, responding to coronavirus mask worries with all-too Japanese anime-themed memes, from classic manga to Ghibli and Pokemon.
This April 1st, families across Japan were left wondering if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was playing an April Fool's joke on them. As cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) infection continue to spread across the world, and people around Japan are asking those in government to employ more proactive measures, Abe announced his newest plan to tackle Japan's coronavirus situation: an offer of two masks per household. Despite his insistence that the two washable, reusable fabric masks are a good response to the sudden demand, Japanese Twitter is unsurprisingly… unimpressed.
On Twitter, many people's impression was that Abe was clearly trying to hide from the truth. So the first response was this image, shared all over the platform, of the prime minister hiding between his two masks. The image has been accompanied by hashtags like #アベノマスク (Abe's masks) and tweets of all kinds, from fairly insightful comments like "we already know how to make masks out of handkerchiefs, why would we need cloth masks?" to people simply laughing at how the masks look, well, a little small for an adult face.
友人がマスク２枚よりも諭吉２枚欲しいって言ってたから作った。#マスク二枚 pic.twitter.com/VE6NitcBNX
— 森永のおいしい牛乳 (@milk3285) April 1, 2020
Twitter user @milk3285 quickly responded to the announcement with a comment about how his friend told him would have much preferred two 10,000 yen bills to two masks, including an image of the mask of his friend's dreams.
安倍首相、マスク２枚はぜひこのデザインでお願いします。枚数も２枚ではなくて２０枚でお願いします。#マスク二枚でごまかすな #マスク2枚 #マスク配布 #マスク2枚でごまかすな #マスク二枚 #アベノマスク pic.twitter.com/x5VbIzQBrp
— 人生を幸せにチェンジする ゲッターラボ (@getterlabo) April 1, 2020
User @getterlabo agreed, saying "I'd like my two masks to come in this design. Also, I'd like 20 of them, not 2."
The ridicule, of course, did not stop there.
The next meme to explode all over Japanese Twitter was this one, featuring the plight of one of Japan's most beloved manga and anime families, the Sazae household. Written across the top in colorful lettering is the phrase "Two Masks per Household." The Sazae family doesn't look pleased with the situation, either.
Next came Ghibli.
「雫、2枚だから」 pic.twitter.com/e0tLskUR8p
— ⛩️失敗即位⛩️ (@sokuishippai) April 1, 2020
Utilizing a scene from the classic Hayao Miyazaki film Whisper of the Heart, Twitter user @sokuishippai writes "Shizuku, it's because there are only two masks."
政府発表
1世帯につきマスク２枚配布へ#マスク2枚 pic.twitter.com/0eVrjGiw2c— ろんげーin Da ワインラウンジLonge【公式】 (@Longe0829) April 1, 2020
Japanese Twitter just couldn't help but imagine how their favorite families would be putting the masks to use. Can't you just feel Chihiro's pain?
As this Dugtrio shared by @haruki126 proves, when you have only two masks, even the closest of families may have to make some sacrifices
マスク2枚の使い方#マスク2枚 pic.twitter.com/TMa19vFZ4j
— ｍｏｉｓｔｏａｓｔ 災 (@moist0ast) April 1, 2020
Finally, Twitter user @moist0ast came to our rescue, showing us the proper way put the two masks to use as a four-person family! What a relief to finally understand!
Have you found the best way to use Abe's two fabric masks? We'd love to hear! Let us know on the JAPANKURU twitter… or instagram and facebook, if you prefer.
Half a lifetime ago I came to Japan for a semester abroad... and I never left. I guess I really like the place! I spent my first few years in Japan living in the middle of nowhere, so I'd love to hear your Tokyo recommendations via Japan's social media accounts!
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