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| Coach Keiko Kawano teaches students a smile training course at the Sokei School of Arts in Tokyo, Japan. (Source: Reuters) |
In Keiko Kawano's class, more than 10 students from an art school in Tokyo are moving their mouth muscles upwards with their fingers, holding a mirror to monitor their movements. They are practicing how to smile.
Services like Ms. Kawano's, which teach people how to smile, are on the rise in Japan, especially in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era, when most people wear masks.
“When you’re home alone, it’s normal to have no facial expression. And so, not moving your facial features becomes a habit. I think there were many such cases during the Covid-19 pandemic. Attending classes means you meet more people, you have more opportunities to socialize, so your life becomes more colorful and you’re happier. A smiling face means happiness, that’s the concept,” said Keiko Kawano, according to Reuters .
Ms. Kawano also said that young people may have become accustomed to wearing masks, as women may find it easier to go out without makeup and men can hide the fact that they haven't shaved.
Student Himawari Yoshida (20 years old), who is attending a class to prepare for the job market, said she needs to cultivate her smile: "I haven't used my facial muscles much during the Covid-19 period, so attending the class is good exercise."
The company where Ms. Kawano works, Egaoiku, which means "smile education ," offers online and in-person courses on how to project the perfect smile. Clients are typically students, private company employees, and local government officials. Since the Japanese government downgraded the risk level of Covid-19 to that of seasonal flu, the number of students enrolling in the courses has skyrocketed. The company currently has around 3,000 clients across Tokyo, and a one-on-one, one-hour class costs 11,000 yen (approximately 1.9 million VND).
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| Classes that teach people to laugh are gaining attention in Japan in the post-Covid-19 era. (Source: Reuters) |
The "Hollywood-Style Smile Technique," patented by Egaoiku, includes: the "crescent moon smile," the "dimpled smile," and the perfect smile—shaping the mouth to reveal exactly eight teeth. Students in the class can rate their smiles on a scale of 100 using special facial recognition software.
Although the Japanese government lifted its mask-wearing recommendation in March 2023, many people continued to wear masks. A May poll by NHK television showed that 55% of Japanese people said they still wore masks regularly, just as they had two months prior, while only 8% said they had stopped wearing them.
Wearing masks was commonplace in Japan even before the pandemic. People wore masks during allergy season, and students often wore them during school exams. Wearing masks for almost three years during Covid-19 affected the ability to smile in public.
In Japanese culture, smiling and nonverbal communication through facial expressions are very important. Smiling is considered part of politeness and creates a comfortable feeling in daily interactions. However, when people have to cover their faces to comply with restrictions, such as wearing masks, smiling becomes difficult.
This can create a sense of distance and difficulty in communication because it's impossible to see each other's facial expressions. Happy expressions or agreement through smiles become unclear. This can create a communication environment that lacks intimacy and makes it difficult to convey emotions.
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