In Case You Haven't Heard…

An increasing number of schools and companies in Japan are encouraging their students and employees to cry as a way of relieving stress and improving mental health, The Japan Times reported Oct. 13. Tears of sadness and happiness are believed to reduce stress, as the act of crying relaxes autonomic nerves by stimulating parasympathetic nerve activity, according to experts. “Crying is an act of self‐defense against accumulating stresses,” says Junko Umihara, professor at Nippon Medical School. For five‐and‐a‐half years, former high school teacher Hidefumi Yoshida, 43, who calls himself a “namida sensei” (“tears teacher”), has organized activities and lectured at schools and companies across the country to help people discover the benefits of crying. According to Yoshida, it's important to create opportunities to cry by watching tearjerking movies, listening to emotive music or reading inspiring books. “The act of crying is more effective than laughing or sleeping in reducing stress,” Yoshida said.