Discoveries

June 13, 2023

Teaching Smiles

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It’s common for the Japanese to wear masks during seasonal outbreaks of flu and hay fever, but the practice became nearly universal when the coronavirus hit Japan.

Last month, a poll found that more than half of the population was still wearing masks, even after the government dropped the face-covering recommendation in March.

So many Japanese got used to wearing masks that some people, such as Himawari Yoshida, forgot what life was like without them.

“I hadn’t used my facial muscles much during COVID,” the 20-year-old told Sky News.

Now, Yoshida and many young people are employing the services of “smile instructors” to retrain those muscles.

Instructor Keiko Kawano is helping her students revive that beaming face through a variety of exercises, such as holding up mirrors to their faces and stretching the sides of their mouths with their fingers.

Her company Egaoiku – literally “Smile Education” – has seen a major increase in demand for lessons, including one-on-one sessions that can cost around $55.

For Yoshida, the smiling lessons are “good exercises” that she hopes will help her prepare for Japan’s jobs market.

Meanwhile, Kawano noted that the growing demand for smile coaching comes as many Japanese businesses prepare for the return of tourists to the islands.

“Culturally, a smile signifies that I’m not holding a gun, and I’m not a threat to you,” the smile coach added.

This story originally appeared in the June 13, 2023 newsletter, Direction: Hopelessness.