RIKA and Kimiko are typical Japanese schoolgirls.
They have blue sailor-suit uniforms, spangly mobile phones and several designer shopping bags. But one thing stands out: the cotton medical masks that cover their mouths and noses every waking hour.
These teenagers don't have colds. Instead, they are members of a growing tribe of Japanese teenagers who wear masks to take refuge from the world at large.
Rika puts her mask on when she leaves home and takes it off only when she goes to bed. She removes it reluctantly to eat, drink and occasionally allow her boyfriend to kiss her. She feels "comfortable" and "at ease" when she wears it. Rika, and others like her, are the cause of growing disquiet.
Last week's Asahi newspaper ran a long piece on these date or show masks. The phenomenon is one more example of a troubled youth culture turning in on itself, echoing Japan's lack of economic and political self-confidence.
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