There are not a lot of smiles in daily life in Japan. On my commute from home to work and back I see probably about two smiles on average. That isn’t very much considering how many people I pass during my commute. What’s with all the grumpy faces?
Whether it is the samurai spirit, or just the grim reality of overworking every day of your life, I’ve previously observed the lack of mirth. The exception is once the alcohol starts flowing after work is over, and occasionally during the weekends when there is no work in sight. Otherwise, hide your smiles and be serious!
I’m doing my best to keep the frowns at bay, but how long will I last surrounded by 127 million people who don’t smile during the day? Luckily at home Kuniko and I are always joking around, and I do my best during my classes to get the smiles coming. It’ll be interesting to see if I can keep it going ten years from now…
Anyway, put a smile in your day and enjoy it – there are entire countries out there where a smile (at work) is a rare thing.
