A destination of evolution I never imagined

There are two things I never imagined would evolve this much. One of them is stockings. I don't wear them here (going bare-legged is just the norm here, you know~), but they've become much harder to tear, and now you even see ones with embroidery or prints on them — I never imagined stockings could carry this much artistry. What used to be just "a skin tone that makes your legs look nice" or "black for mourning wear" has now become, Just when I thought things had really changed with the trend of colorful tights, it turned out there was more to come. When the desire to push fashion further meets the right technology, it's honestly astonishing how far everyday items can evolve. And now, the main topic: masks. When I was little, a mask meant several layers of gauze stacked together, with elastic bands threaded through to loop around the ears. I used to think that face masks were only for people with colds or for kids on school lunch duty. In dramas and such, you'd sometimes see medical-style green or blue masks, but it was just taken for granted that ordinary people only wore white ones. Even just the switch from gauze to non-woven fabric impressed me — I remember thinking, "Oh, that's handy, and disposable too." But then COVID came along, and everything changed completely. Fabric that's gentle on the skin, clever designs so glasses don't fog up, multiple layers, pleated ones you can adjust to fit... W-w-w-wow, masks have evolved this much?! On top of that, fashion has entered the picture too — colored masks and patterned ones have started appearing. Lately it seems like calm monotone colors are popular? Black and white are probably the mainstream in Japan, right? Still, I never would have imagined masks would become this diverse. Speaking of masks, Vietnam comes to mind. Even before COVID, I used to visit Vietnam now and then. In Vietnam, everyone who rides a motorbike wears a mask. It's partly to protect against exhaust fumes, and partly to prevent sunburn. Because Ho Chi Minh City has a flashy, fashion-loving vibe, there's also a huge variety of patterned and character-print masks.

⚫️ A small size for kids — the yellow Doraemon! Thinking "aw, it's so cute, but kind of flashy," I once brought it back as a souvenir to Japan. It was a huge hit with the kids. It really is cute, after all. Back then it stood out quite a bit if you used it in Japan, and since it's made of cloth, it was warm in winter but had the downside of getting stuffy and sweaty.

Even so, I found myself enjoying the differences in mask culture not so much as a matter of evolution, but as a matter of "cultural differences." Now then, after going through the COVID-19 pandemic, how have masks been evolving in Vietnam, a country experiencing remarkable growth? During this time, what I found at the supermarket was this shelf.

A non-woven, three-dimensional mask. White, and just right for disposable use. So far, pretty ordinary. But what really gave off that Vietnamese vibe was that it was scented. A faint fragrance. Peppermint — that one's easy to imagine. It feels reliable and expected. But what really scores high on the Vietnam scale is lemongrass and lime. The ultimate in freshness~. And then there's buoi peel (that's pomelo, similar to grapefruit). Around here, it's well known that the peel has a soothing effect, and it even gives off a bit of a luxurious feel. There was even the scent of a familiar fruit — guava.

【🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City: Price Info – Scented Face Masks, as of February 2026】 A pack of 10 costs around 24,000 VND — about 145 yen in Japanese money. This time it was on an even bigger special offer at 17,800 VND — about 110 yen. Wow, that's cheap! I got mint ones for my husband's business trip, and a few for myself as well. In the end, I thought they'd make great souvenirs too, so I ended up buying every single scent. I'll try it right away. As I pop open the bag, a soft fragrance drifts out. Putting on the lemongrass & lime one... ahh, it feels so good. Where will the evolution of masks head next? In Vietnam, mask culture was already close to everyday life, and after going through COVID, things have become more creative — designs with a sense of style, and ones that highlight embroidery that was originally part of the culture. It can even make for a nice little gift. I never really thought of "masks as a gift," but in Japan, keeping them on hand for disasters does make sense. After going through a global virus, both the economy and our values have changed. I've come to think that changes of the times unexpectedly show up clearly in familiar places just like this. Migration Life Ranking