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Even before the pandemic, Japanese city-dwellers were comfortable wearing masks in public.

But with pandemic measures now a thing of the past, some Japanese people have become so unfamiliar with exposing their whole faces that they need smiling classes.

Classes on how to smile

It might sound a little far-fetched, but these how-to-smile classes have exploded in popularity recently.

One such school is egaoiku (trans: Smile Education). Founded in 2019, They believe that smiling contributes to a person’s wellbeing and success.

According to their website, smiling helps reduce aging effects not only for the face, but the whole body.

In addition, the company emphasises the importance of smiling in today’s world, which demands a variety of social interactions in both professional and personal capacities.

Their students include high-schoolers, university students, and jobseekers. They also have a special programme for kindergartens and their caretakers.

The Perfect Smile

The company uses an app that rates smiles out of a hundred points, based on what's known as the "Hollywood smile".

Here are some of the criteria they use to score your smile:

1. Crescent-shaped eyes
2. Round cheeks
3. Showing only the upper eight teeth

Learning to smile, according to egaoiku, is like training any other muscle.

In their classes, they teach students muscle exercises to pull off the perfect smile.

What’s more, they don’t just teach people how to smile – they also teach you how to teach others!

The school provides certification training, with three grades, for those interested in putting the perfect smile onto other people’s faces. Talk about spreading joy.

Prices

The prices aren’t cheap though. A one-on-one lesson can cost S$74, while a Grade 1 certification can cost most than S$300.

It might not be a million dollar smile, but it's a start.

All photos from egaoiku's website