It's part of the cultural package. I have been having this conversation for 30 years now.

All the good things most people love about Japan are inextricably attached to all the bad things they hate about it too.

Masks are a good example. They have always been used as a courtesy toward others, not so much to protect oneself -- in theory. In practice, the flip side is that they are just one more layer of antisocial behavior.

And yes, with the excuse of covid mask use has noticeably skyrocketed and become a lot more prevalent, worsening even more the antisocial aspects of it.

I don't live in Japan anymore but I go several times a year, so I really notice this kind of more subtle changes that people there may miss.

And it's the same in China, Korea, HK, Taiwan, Singapore...