As a result of the pandemic, people in Japan may have forgotten how to smile, as indicated by "smile practise seminars" that have popped up and have gained hold across the country
Gen Z students in Japan are taking classes from professional instructors to learn how to smile after being accustomed to wearing masks, Reuters reported.
The demand for smile coaching services in the country has surged as more people try to get used to exposing their faces in public after the government relaxed its mask requirements in March.
Having spent so long behind masks, several Japanese people are reportedly attending workshops and seminars on how to smile in the new, mask-free era.
One of the country’s popular smile coaches is Keiko Kawano, who runs a company Smile Education, in Japan.
"People haven't raised their cheeks or tried to smile much," Kawano told The New York Times. "Now they're at a loss. People work out their bodily muscles, but not their faces."
Kawano teaches her Gen Z students her signature "Hollywood Style Smiling Technique," which incorporates "crescent eyes" and "round cheeks."
Himawari Yoshida, a 20-year-old art student in Tokyo, reportedly attends Kawano’s class along with a dozen students as part of her school’s efforts to prepare them for the working world.
“I hadn’t used my facial muscles much during COVID so it’s good exercise,” Yoshida told Reuters.
Kawano’s clients also include companies and local governments looking to improve their employees’ public appearances and well-being.
She offers hour-long one-on-one sessions that cost 7,700 yen (approximately $55). As for those who want to become a professional coach like her, she also holds one-day training workshops for 80,000 yen (approximately $573).
