HALLOWEEN-THEMED FACE SHIELD IN JAPAN

Face shields that set the mood for Halloween while providing protection are attracting attention in Japan amid calls for people to avoid participating in costume parties and other Halloween events lacking appropriate coronavirus countermeasures.

Mainichi Shimbun reported that the "Changing Face Shield" designs produced by printing company Handa in the city of Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, have been on sale since August. President Kiyomi Tsugawa, 50, developed them after considering whether there was any way to make use of technology to print on plastic as a coronavirus countermeasure.

Handa has received orders for a total of about 1,600 face shields from English conversation classes, nursing homes, eateries and other facilities.

The item consists of a frame to be worn like glasses, costing 550 yen, and a detachable A3-sized clear plastic sheet that costs 1,100 yen. Customers can choose from 15 different types of plastic sheets, each with a different Halloween design, from illustrations of ghosts to skulls and jack-o'-lanterns.

So that customers can continue using the face shield during other events, Handa has also prepared sheets with Santa Claus and a reindeer for Christmas and an ogre for the annual Setsubun event.

Japan's national and local governments have called for people to avoid taking part in events with a risk of infection, such as gathering at the Scramble Crossing in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, which usually sees swarms of costumed youth on Oct. 31. The face shields can be worn at home and elsewhere to get users into the Halloween mood.

Tsugawa commented, "We would like children to feel safe while enjoying Halloween at home with their grandparents."