Masking and its discontents. Smile again, if you remember how. And remember the kids: To save them from us and vice versa was the idea, and now they have a problem.

Tsk, tsk, it was for a good cause, remember?

They were asked about it.

Even more depressing were the reasons for saying ‘Yes’. 35% said they did want to show their face; 20% that they were still worried about COVID-19. Only 7% said it was due to peer pressure.

They were also asked their

A teacher at a high school in Osaka described the situation during the first month of optional masking.

We put up posters in the classrooms and hallways telling people that we’re not asking them to wear masks in the school, but only about 10% of the students have taken their masks off. Some students even wore masks during a photo shoot. Students were completely masked for all three years of junior-high school. You feel the pressure to conform, and it’s probably difficult for them to suddenly unmask. (emphasis added)

Meanwhile, taking a typical inventive Japanese approach to the problem,

Japanese people are signing up for “smiling lessons” as they get used to taking their masks off in public now that the government has downgraded the threat posed by coronavirus.

Local authorities and companies have been offering classes since last year in anticipation of the rules being relaxed and masks no longer being mandatory, but business is booming since risks associated with the virus were reduced to the same level as the flu on Monday.

“We are extremely busy now because people want to be seen smiling again”, said Miho Kitano, owner of the Smile Expression Muscle Association. “Japanese people have been wearing masks for more than three years now and some say they have almost forgotten how to smile”.

Smile, darn ya, smile.