"Shall I Even Polish Them?" The Bitter End of 'Abenomask' Taking 33 Years to Dispose

About One-Third of Total Procurement Quantity Remaining in Stock
Controversies Arise from the Beginning of Procurement over Performance and Quality

The image of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wearing the 'Abenomask' / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The so-called 'Abenomask,' an ambitious mask initiative promoted by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三) for COVID-19 prevention, has met a humiliating end with plans for disposal. Demand for using these masks on the ground has drastically fallen, leaving tens of millions of masks in stock. Earlier, the masks faced controversy in Japan due to suspicions that their small size reduced virus-blocking effectiveness, and frequent reports of defective products. Some netizens even mocked them, saying, "They should be used for polishing shoes."

On the 28th (local time), the Japanese media outlet Sankei Shimbun reported that about 10,000 people had applied to receive Abenomasks as of that day. However, it was conveyed that many applicants intended to use the masks not for wearing but for purposes like shoe polishing or as gauze.

Earlier, on the 21st, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (岸田 文雄) stated at a press conference that Abenomasks would be distributed to individuals and local governments who wish to receive them, and the remaining stock would be discarded. Applications for distribution are accepted until January 14, 2022. Distribution is in units of 100 masks, and the Japanese government will cover all shipping costs.

The Abenomask, which has been plagued by quality controversies, faced strong criticism from Japanese citizens. The photo is a satirical image combining former Prime Minister Abe's face with the Abenomask / Photo by Online Community Capture

Abenomask was a COVID-19 prevention mask initiative promoted by the Japanese government during former Prime Minister Abe's administration. Initially, about 260 million masks were produced and planned to be distributed to general households, nursing facilities, and daycare centers, but demand for actual use was almost nonexistent, turning a significant quantity into surplus stock. According to reports from Japanese local media, about one-third of the total procurement quantity, 81.3 million masks, remain in stock, valued at approximately 11.5 billion yen (about 117 billion KRW).

The cost of managing and disposing of the stock also became a controversy. At the current rate of mask stock depletion, it is estimated to take about 33 years to process all 81.3 million masks, and last year alone, 600 million yen (about 6.2 billion KRW) was spent on storing the stock masks.

There were posts on social media saying they would use the Abenomask as a substitute for shoe-polishing cloths. / Photo by Japan Twitter capture

Abenomask was embroiled in quality controversies from the early stages of procurement. The masks, made of gauze and measuring 9.5 cm vertically and 13.5 cm horizontally, were three-dimensional masks, but the ear loops lacked elasticity, causing some people to be unable to fully cover their mouth or nose with the mask.

There were also reports of defective products, such as mold or insects found inside the masks, and the custom production cost of 49.7 billion yen (about 512 billion KRW) became an issue.

Ultimately, the Abenomask, rejected by the public, is heading toward disposal. On social media platforms, Japanese netizens posted 'bittersweet' jokes about the Abenomask, saying, "It can be used as a cloth for polishing shoes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.