Preparing for life after the COVID-19 pandemic has been a topic on the minds of many people around the world. With mask mandates and social distancing measures being the norm for the past three years, people have had to adapt to a new way of living. As the world starts to return to some sense of normalcy, many are beginning to think about the changes that will come with it, including the removal of masks in public spaces. In Japan, a group of 37 people, including the elderly, recently took a lesson in smiling to help prepare for this transition. The smiling lesson was held in the Akabane district in Tokyo’s Kita Ward on May 7, one day before the reclassification of COVID-19 to a less-severe category that includes the seasonal flu. The instructor for the lesson was Keiko Kawano, a 49-year-old smile trainer. According to Kawano, people have had fewer opportunities to smile due to mask-wearing becoming the norm, and many people have developed a complex about their smiles as a result. ...

On its 40th anniversary, Tokyo Disneyland celebrated its milestone by welcoming visitors with colorful celebrations featuring Mickey Mouse and other iconic characters. The theme park, located just east of Tokyo, opened its doors in 1983, welcoming 20,000 people on its first day, according to Oriental Land Co., the operator of Disneyland. Since then, the theme park has expanded continuously, adding popular attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. The construction of nearby JR Maihama Station and several hotels in the area also encouraged steady growth before the opening of neighboring theme park Tokyo DisneySea in 2001.   As of March last year, the total number of visitors to the two parks had surpassed 800 million, according to the company. Over time, the theme parks have produced die-hard fans who make several trips a year to enjoy seasonal parades and purchase limited-edition goods for big events, such as Halloween and Christmas. The parks have also come ...