Face mask row in Japan over cost of 80m left in storage unused

Government facing ridicule over Abenomasks' as it denies wasting large amounts of taxpayers' money

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Wearing masks may be near-ubiquitous in Japan, but the government has come under fire after it was revealed that more than 80m face coverings it procured at the start of the coronavirus pandemic are still in storage, at a huge cost to taxpayers.

The government secured 260m washable cloth masks early last year to distribute to every household in Japan after public anxiety over the virus emptied stores of medical versions.