Japanese Seek Teachers to Learn Smiling… What’s the Story?
Courses are organized in Japan to train people on how to smile, targeting those who have become accustomed to wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After about 3 years of wearing masks due to the spread of COVID-19, the Japanese government decided in March to allow its citizens to stop wearing masks. However, some individuals like Himawari Yoshida received the decision with some fear because they had become accustomed to life with masks.
Yoshida was quoted by Sky News as saying, ‘I didn’t use my facial muscles much during the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan.’
She has started seeking the services of a so-called ‘smile coach,’ who rehabilitates individuals to be able to show smiles on their faces again.
Kiko Kawano oversees the training of Yoshida and many other young people on smiling through various techniques, including using mirrors to show their faces and gently tapping the sides of their mouths with fingers.
Kawano’s company, known as ‘Smile Education,’ has witnessed a significant increase in demand for lessons, quadrupling the average rate. Each session costs £44.
Kawano attributed this increase in demand for her lessons to the easing of COVID-related restrictions and the desire of young people to return to their normal lives before the pandemic. Additionally, many of them are searching for jobs that require smiling, according to her.
