It’s come to this

In Japan, people who are just being freed from COVID mask-wearing mandates feel they’ve lost their ability to do a simple thing: smile. Sky News reported that 20-year-old Himawari Yoshida has enlisted the help of a “smile instructor,” Keiko Kawano. “I hadn’t used my facial muscles much during COVID,” Yoshida said. One-on-one sessions cost about $55. Kawano has students stretch the sides of their mouths and hold up a mirror to smile into. “Culturally, a smile signifies that I’m not holding a gun, and I’m not a threat to you,” Kawano said.