– You don’t need to force a smile under a mask, says Yuriko Eguchi. The 65-year-old, like most other Japanese, has used a mask for the past three years during the corona pandemic. On the increasingly popular smile course, she gets to train the muscles in her face. – When I’m on the train I think: you look grumpy. And a naked face makes you aware of your facial expression, says Eguchi. Movement in 13 muscles is needed to smile. Photo: KIM KYUNG-HOON / Reuters Smile coach Keiko Kawano notices an increase in attendance at the course she has held since 2017. Recently, she has trained 23 new coaches who can further teach the art. – I think there is an increasing need for people to smile, she says. Face masks Masks have been in use in Japan for several decades to protect themselves and their fellow citizens from diseases. In addition to avoiding infection, covering the face has functioned as a shield against the outside world. – Even before the pandemic, I used a mask to hide my face. I was afraid of what others thought of my appearance, says one of the participants to NRC. The one-hour course is currently filled by art students in Tokyo. Photo: KIM KYUNG-HOON / Reuters The widespread use of face masks has led to new words such as kao pantsu and gakkari kao in the Japanese language. The first literally means “face pants”, and points to the fact that not wearing a mask is just as socially unacceptable as not wearing trousers. Gakkari kao means “disappointing face”, and refers to the disappointment when someone takes off their mask and is less attractive than expected. Masks still preferred In March, the authorities in Japan removed most of the mask requirement. Two months later, a survey carried out by the public broadcaster NHK showed that 55 percent of Japanese would still continue to use them, writes Reuters. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko / AP – I haven’t used my facial muscles much during the pandemic, so this is good exercise for my face, says the 20-year-old student Himawari Yoshida. With the help of a tablet, the participants get points for the smile they manage to force. Anything above 80 points is approved. Different types of smiles Smiles have different positions and meanings in different cultures. Nevertheless, it is the same muscles that have to be in motion to show a friendly gesture. The number is 13, which is far fewer than the 47 needed to frown, according to researchers at the University of California. Photo: KIM KYUNG-HOON / Reuters Researchers have identified six different smiles: The Duchenne smile: A real grin, named after the French researcher Duchenne de Boulogne. The name is associated with a type of muscular dystrophy. The flirtatious, coquettish smile: Often the person looks out of the corner of their eye with their head turned. The entertaining smile: The smile after, for example, a good joke, with the head thrown back. The love smile: Often with a tilted head and soft eyes. The interested smile: With raised eyebrows and a slight grin. The embarrassed smile: Sometimes with the eye down. Smiles and smiles – Mouth, cheeks, eyes. It is important to do it in the right order, says coach Kawano. The price for the course is 55 Japanese yen, roughly NOK 400. It is unknown whether the Norwegian method “appelsiiin” will be used on the course. Photo: KIM KYUNG-HOON / Reuters Kawano is convinced that Japanese people are culturally less inclined to smile than Westerners. It must be connected with Japan’s secure position as an island state and a unified kingdom. – Culturally, a smile means that I’m not holding a gun, and that I’m not a threat to you, she says. She adds that with increased tourism, Japanese people have to communicate with foreigners with more than just the eyes.
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Have to take a smile course after years of wearing a mask – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
