play music and protect against COVID-19 with this face mask designed by shimamura

japanese music company shimamura is launching a fabric face mask developed specially for wind instrument players. designed for a ‘new normal’, the reusable mask allows wearers to continue to enjoy playing music while preventing the spread of COVID-19. 

all images courtesy of shimamura

unlike pianos, violins, or guitars, wind instruments can’t be played while wearing a face mask (for obvious reasons). brass and woodwind instruments, which rely on the players’ breath, pose a significant risk in spreading potentially infectious droplets. this is where shimamura’s antibacterial deodorant mask comes in. developed for brass and woodwind instruments (excluding types of flutes), the mouthpiece or reed can be held through the opening on the front of the mask. 

a special cloth containing silica is used on the inside of the mask to deodorize it while at the same time adjusting the humidity to a suitable level, so you can enjoy playing in a comfortable environment. in addition, the entire mask uses threads with silver ions, that have an excellent antibacterial effect and suppress the growth of various bacteria. when not playing, it can also be used as a normal mask by closing the opening with the protective cloth attached inside. it can also be used repeatedly by hand washing and drying. launching on august 18, 2020, the masks will be available in himamura musical instrument stores across japan and online.

project info:

name: antibacterial deodorant solid mask for wind instruments

supported instruments: all wind instruments except flute and piccolo

fabric: polyester antibacterial fabric (polyurethane, cotton, silica gel)

design: shimamura