!["Japan-Taiwan Friendship Masks" under the Taiwanese flag (Facebook, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association photo).](https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/2021%2F08%2F24%2F122e6ae37cee4cbba843dbc1a02ed11b.jpg ""Japan-Taiwan Friendship Masks" under the Taiwanese flag (Facebook, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association photo).")
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association donated “friendship masks” for the traditional Taiwanese ritual commemorating the spirits of the deceased during the annual Ghost Month, reports said Tuesday (Aug. 24).
Japan’s de facto embassy in Taipei also offered the usual food products such as biscuits, instant noodles, and fruits for the “Zhongyuan Pudu” event, but the table also featured joss paper in the shape of Japanese yen, New Taiwan dollars, and U.S. dollars, the Liberty Times reported.
The representative office said the “Japan-Taiwan Friendship Masks” should be worn in both the over and underworlds to prevent virus infections and make the COVID-19 pandemic a thing of the past.
The ceremony took place at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association on Monday (Aug. 23). During the weekend, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) also conducted similar offerings.
