Thousands of Japanese students have decided to go back to school to learn how to smile.
According to Reuters magazine, many of them claim they forgot how to smile due to the long-term use of masks protecting themselves against the infection of Covid-19 virus.
The article described the situation in one teacher’s classroom where dozens of students were seen holding mirrors and trying to remind themselves how to smile.
Himawari Yoshida, 20, one of the students taking the class as part of her school’s courses to prepare them for the job market, says she needed to work on her smile.
“I hadn’t used my facial muscles much during COVID so it’s good exercise,” she said.
Kawano’s Egaoiku company – literally “Education of Smiles” – has seen a more than four-fold increase in demand from last year, with customers ranging from companies looking for accessible suppliers to local governments aiming to improve the well-being of their residents.
A one-hour lesson costs 7,700 yen ($55), equivalent to 7600 Kenyan shillings.
Even before the pandemic, wearing a mask in Japan was common for many during hay fever season and around exams because of concerns about getting sick at an important life event, the magazine reported.
But while the government may have lifted it’s mask-wearing recommendation in March, many people still haven’t stopped wearing masks every day.
A poll by journalist NHK in May showed 55% of Japanese saying they had worn it as often as two months ago.
Only 8% said they have stopped wearing masks completely.
The teacher in charge of smiling lessons by the name Kawano called the training “Hollywood Style Smiling Technique” saying that many Japanese Citizens do not know how to smile like their counterparts from the West.
Kawano believes l culturally, Japanese people may be less inclined to smile than Westerners because of their sense of security as an island nation and as a united country.
“Culturally, a smile indicates that I am not holding a gun and I am not a threat to you,” he said.
“With the increase in inbound tourists, Japanese people need to communicate with foreigners with more than just their eyes,” he added.
“I think there is a great need for people to smile.”
