People in Japan who became so used to wearing face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic are signing up for lessons to teach them how to smile again.
While the coverings were already common in the east Asian country pre-Covid, with many using them to combat seasonal illnesses and hay fever, their use skyrocketed when it became official government guidance to wear them during the worst of the outbreak.
Many people wouldn’t be seen in public without a mask, with the practice becoming near-universal after the virus emerged more than three years ago.
With the government having finally lifted its recommendation to wear masks in March, Himawari Yoshida was among those who realised they had rather forgotten how to go about life without them.
“I hadn’t used my facial muscles much during Covid,” the 20-year-old said. She has now hired the services of a “smile instructor”, saying it’s “good exercise” and will help her prepare to enter Japan’s jobs market. Yoshida and her classmates, mostly young people, are being taught by Keiko Kawano, who in one exercise has them hold up mirrors to their faces, stretching the sides of their mouths with their fingers. Ms Kawano’s company Egaoiku - literally “Smile Education” - has seen a four-fold increase in demand for lessons, including one-on-one sessions that cost Sh7,600.
