Japanese people spend $55 an hour to practice smiling

Some Japanese children are currently enrolled in lessons with qualified teachers to learn how to grin after being acclimated to masks.
More people are attempting to get acclimated to displaying their faces in public after the government loosened its mask regulations in March, which has led to a rise in demand for smile coaching services in the nation during the past three years since the pandemic began.
Himawari Yoshida, a 20-year-old art student, told Reuters, "I hadn't used my facial muscles much during COVID so it's good exercise."
In order to close this gap and help the Japanese regain their smiles after a protracted period of face-masking, smile coaches like Keiko Kawano are needed.

Kawano stated in the beginning of May to the New York Times, "People have not been trying to smile much or raising their cheeks under a mask." "They're lost now," I said.
Yoshida and other pupils participate in grin classes given by Kawano as part of their school's attempts to get them ready for the workforce.
Kawano, a former radio personality, is the owner of a business named "Egaoiku," which translates to "Smile Company," according to Reuters.
She began by encouraging students at a gym before moving on to coaching staff members of corporate companies, such as IBM Japan, according to the New York Times.
According to Reuters, she charges 7,700 Japanese yen, or $55, for an hour-long individual instruction.
"A typical smile lesson starts with checking your current smile," Kawano said to Insider.
Next, Kawano will demonstrate to her students what she refers to as the "Hollywood smile" and ask them to try to imitate it.
Kawano added, "However, I am aware that the face muscles do not move as anticipated. We'll perform workouts to lengthen and stretch the cheek muscles and contour the mouth beautifully.
According to the New York Times, Kawano also provides one-day training courses for 80,000 Japanese yen for anybody who wish to be a cheerful coach like her.
She admitted to the NYT that despite the COVID-19 pandemic having an impact on her business, she occasionally still had customers. However, after the requirements for the required masks were removed, her business took off.