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Due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Japan, surgical mask sales have skyrocketed and have become near-impossible to obtain, for many.

Fights break out over masks

Besides looming Covid-19 fears, the demand for masks in Japan is typically high in the current season, for colds and allergies in early spring.

At least two fights have broken out over the elusive commodity in Yokohama's Isezakicho neighbourhood, according to Soranews24.

One of the fist fights apparently took place on Feb. 25, where people were queuing for new shipments of surgical masks from Matsumoto Kiyoshi, a popular drug store chain in Japan.

A Twitter user shared a video of the altercation, explaining that a fight broke out in front of the store even before it opened.

開店前からマスク買うために並んで喧嘩になった人たち、、、
コロナ予防のマスクのために人を殴るのはどうなのかと考えてしまいます🤔

※店員さんかわいそうなので110番に通報はしましたよ笑 pic.twitter.com/nQwHfiwjdL

— ニール@相互フォロー (@tokage_to_kuma) February 25, 2020

The Twitter user said that he felt bad for the store clerk, so he called the police.

Another fight took place in the same vicinity, where four people ended up in a brawl.

The Twitter user who took the video explained that the fight occurred near a Matsumoto Kiyoshi store as well, although the user wasn't completely sure of the details.

#拡散お願いします

詳しい詳細は全然分からないけど、
とあるマツキヨ？にマスクが少数
入荷されたらしくて、最後の数点を
巡って取り合いになり、殴ったりと
喧嘩に発展してる状況らしいです😷
皆さんも気をつけてくださいね、、#コロナウィルス #マスク売り切れ #マスク不足 #マツキヨ #拡散希望 pic.twitter.com/HPRuQopMHu

— 🕊あ っ ぷ る (@Apple_JpN__) February 25, 2020

However, the user said that it was due to the limited supply of masks, and warned others to be careful.

Twitter users speculate nationalities of brawlers

While Isezakicho shopping district is often considered the red-light district of Yokohama, several Twitter users were still shocked to see fights break out over masks.

Some ridiculed that they were ironically coming into close contact while trying to buy surgical masks for preventive reasons against Covid-19.

However, a large number of users speculated that those involved in the fight could've been Chinese, as a large proportion of residents in Isezaki district were foreigners, Soranews24 reported.

Translation:

"Ah, it's Isezakicho. There are quite a lot of Chinese people there. The safety isn't too good there either."

Translation:

"(PRC flag) people are fighting to buy masks at Japanese drug stores to resell at high prices elsewhere."

The Twitter user who captured the second video alleged that the four-way fight was between a Chinese couple, a Japanese, and a Filipino.

https://twitter.com/Apple_JpN__/status/1232607603567419392

Soranews24 added that such occurrences were uncommon in Japan, considering that people residing in Japan periodically deal with emergencies due to natural disasters.

Top image via @Apple_JpN__/Twitter, Torjrtrx/Shutterstock