Photo/Illutration The lion statue at the Ginza Mitsukoshi department store is seen without a mask on March 13 in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward. (Hideki Motoyama)

For the first time in nearly three years, the iconic lion statue at the Ginza Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo welcomed customers without a mask.

The department store removed the facemask from the statue at the entrance on March 13, when the government declared it would leave the decision of mask-wearing up to each person.

From May 2020, the bronze sculpture had worn a 30-centimeter-wide face covering to encourage customers to follow suit to prevent novel coronavirus infections.

One commuter said the maskless lion signals the pandemic is coming to an end. Others stopped to look at the statue and take photos.

The masked lion became something of a local celebrity during the pandemic, with tourists posting its photos online and the Wall Street Journal featuring it in a story about the die-hard mask-wearing practices of Japan.

The store’s operator, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., said it will no longer ask customers to wear a mask at all 20 of its outlets across the country.

To help customers shop with confidence, however, the store’s staff members will continue wearing masks, and contactless-thermometers and sanitizers at the entrance will remain.

Related News