Well, the Japanese have always accepted wearing masks as a form of beating sickness. The west for some reason think of the mask politically in terms of their "freedom". Going into hysterics about the injustice of having to wear them.
For the Japanese the thought of spreading something they cannot know they have far more outweighs any thoughts of entitlement. I guess that is what we have here in the west "entitlement".
And yes you would live a healthier physical life if you lived there but not sure mentally since they really take following the rules to the T.