That is, if you can get your hands on it.

The “new normal” brought about by the pandemic has also come with a new demand for things we never needed before. Now that we are all wearing masks, for example, we also need ways to safely store and carry them, and that’s where this “Polypropylene Wet Tissues Case” from minimalist home goods store Mujirushi Ryohin comes in.

It’s technically a case for wet wipes, probably intended for baby wipes or maybe even antibacterial wipes, but as it turns out, it’s exactly the right size for storing disposable masks. This is a pandemic life hack that has been known by many in Japan since the start of the pandemic, which has resulted in this little case being extremely hard to find. In fact, the wife of one of our Japanese-language reporters has actually been trying to buy one for about a year now!

Of course, knowing that not all life hacks are actually good, we had to get our hands on one to test it out. It took some scouting around, but we were finally able to find one at a Muji that’s a little far from where we live. It set us back just 490 yen (US$4.44) (plus the cost of transportation).

At home, we immediately took a pile of disposable masks out of their original packaging and plonked them right in there. They fit perfectly! Neither too tight nor too spacious.

We did wonder if maybe we put too many in as we placed the top portion of the box back on. But when we went to retrieve a mask from the box, it slipped out just as easily as a tissue from a tissue box!

Seriously, it was like a dream. So smooth! So satisfying! As satisfying as finally reaching a niggling itch on your back. Of course, you could just as easily pull a mask from its box and save yourself the 490 yen, but then you wouldn’t get the satisfaction of a perfect fit and perfect dispense.

Besides, the box comes with a lid that can keep dust and other pollutants out, which is something you really want for your face masks. And of course, we can’t forget that this box is a nice, stylish interior decoration item, as opposed to a flimsy cardboard box.

All these little qualities build up to make the Polypropylene Wet Tissue Case, used as a mask dispenser, an extremely satisfying product, well worth the 490 yen it costs. That is, of course, if you can find it.

▼ The straps can get caught on the inside on the way out, so take care not to pull too hard.

Right now Muji is having its special member’s appreciation event, Muji Ryohin Shukan, so you might find it even harder than usual to find the Wet Tissue Case until the event ends on April 5. But if you want one, we recommend keeping a regular eye on the stock of the online shop and buying it as soon as it goes in stock, or you can always keep scouring the local Muji shops around you. But whether you buy in-store or online, don’t forget to add their aromatherapy mask stickers to your cart, too!

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