Japanese mask factory swamped with Trump orders

The director of a Japanese mask factory is excited by the high number of orders for Donald Trump masks but is concerned about the approaching presidency.

The factory boss Takahiro Yagihara can't mask his mixed feelings about United States President-elect Donald Trump.

While concerned by Trump's campaign talk, where he raised the possibility of Japan acquiring nuclear arms, Yagihara has seen a spike in sales of rubber masks of the New York billionaire at his factory in Saitama prefecture.

More than 600 masks which show Trump with a furrowed brow and open mouth were sold in October at the factory, west of Tokyo, with November sales on track to match it and staff left exhausted trying to keep up with demand, Yagihara said.

"I don't think anyone expected Mr Trump to win. Although I feel conflicted about his win," Yagihara told Reuters on Monday.

"Mr Trump's masks sell. But again, Mr Trump's presidency isn't exactly good news for Japan, so I've been conflicted between those two ideas."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described Trump as a "trustworthy leader" after a meeting in New York last week following Trump's election victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton earlier this month.

The move went some way to allay concerns among Japanese leaders about the 70-year-old real estate mogul, who had said he wanted allies like Japan to pay more for keeping US forces on their soil.

Yagihara, whose factory also make masks of Abe, Clinton and US President Barack Obama, said the handmade Trump masks could provide a useful aid at bonenkai, or year-end parties, where employees perform comedy skits.

"I hope Mr Trump's many comments will be used in lighthearted jokes (while wearing the mask)," he said.