A law professor sued the government Monday, demanding it reveal the unit price of washable cloth masks, dubbed "Abenomasks," that were distributed for free to all households in Japan amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how many were ordered from each contractor.
In the suit filed with the Osaka District Court, Hiroshi Kamiwaki of Kobe Gakuin University claimed it was unreasonable for the government to withhold the information as it prevents discussion of the appropriateness of the policy to distribute the masks, which proved unpopular among the public with some questioning their cost effectiveness.
The initiative by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to try to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus sparked criticism due to the poor quality of the masks and their slow delivery to the public, with many viewing them as symbolic of the government's inadequate response to the pandemic.