The End of Masks: Learning to Smile Again

More than a dozen students in Tokyo practiced their most beautiful smiles during art class on Monday, thanks to the end of sanitary masks.

According to Reuters, students take a mirror in their hands, bring it up to their face and stretch the sides of their mouth upwards with their fingers.

According to Professor Keiko Kawano, this practice is widely requested in Japan, while masks have taken a big place in our lives during the pandemic.

Images courtesy of Reuters

Himawari Yoshida, a twenty-year-old student, says this is a very important course for her to work on her smile before entering the job market.

“During the infection I didn’t use my facial muscles much, so it was a good exercise,” she says.

“Smile Education”, Ms. Cavanaugh’s company has seen demand more than quadruple since last year.

Images courtesy of Reuters

In Japan, masks were very popular before the pandemic. People wore them during flu season or students to avoid getting sick during exams.

The ‘Hollywood Smile Technique’ invented by Ms Cavanaugh involves creating ‘crescent eyes’, ’round cheeks’ and the edges of the mouth.

The coach believes that residents of Japan are less likely to smile because of the sense of security of being an island nation and a unitary country.