Class to help find your smile again

SGGP 06/10/2023 06:58

In one of Keiko Kawano's new classes, more than a dozen Tokyo art school students stare intently into mirrors, their fingers pulling at the corners of their mouths to practice smiling.

Kawano’s services, which teach people to smile, are seeing a surge in demand in Japan, where wearing face masks has become almost commonplace during the pandemic. Kawano is a familiar face on television and social media. She has taught more than 4,000 people to smile over the past six years and helped hundreds of others become smiling experts. Kawano’s Egaoiku Smile Education company has seen demand quadruple from last year, with clients from companies looking for likeable salespeople. A one-on-one one-hour lesson costs 7,700 yen ($55).

Laughter expert Kawano. Photo: Reuters

Before the pandemic, wearing masks in Japan was considered normal, especially during exams, as people worried about illness interfering with important activities. While the government lifted its mask-wearing recommendations in May, many people still wear them every day. A poll by public broadcaster NHK found that 55% of Japanese said they wore masks as a habit. Only 8% said they had stopped wearing them altogether.

Notably, about a quarter of the art school students who attend Kawano’s classes wear masks throughout the lesson. “Young people are used to wearing masks. It makes it easier for women to go out without makeup and for men to hide the fact that they don’t shave,” Kawano said. The former radio host, who started teaching smiles in 2017, has trained 23 others as smile coaches to spread his techniques for creating the perfect smile across Japan.

The Hollywood Smile Technique involves practicing facial muscles to create “crescent eyes, round cheeks” and lip shaping. Students are given a hand mirror to check their progress and smile. Everyone adjusts their facial expressions until they are satisfied with their smile. Students can demonstrate their techniques on a tablet to achieve the required smile score.

Kawano believes that culturally, Japanese people are less inclined to smile than Westerners because of feelings and communication habits. However, with the increase in tourists , Japanese people need to communicate with foreigners through more than just their eyes: “Moving and relaxing facial muscles is the key to having a beautiful smile.” Kawano also said that she wants people to spend more time smiling. “Smiling not only makes a good impression on others, but also makes you feel more positive. I want people to spend time smiling for their physical and mental health.”

“Smiling is essential for communication without a mask,” said Yasuko Watarai, one of the participants. “I want to apply what I learned today to volunteer activities and gatherings.” Himawari Yoshida, 20, who also took the class, said she needed to keep a constant smile on her face while working: “I haven’t used my facial muscles much during the Covid pandemic, so this is good exercise.”

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/lop-hoc-giup-tim-lai-nu-cuoi-post693122.html