While unfortunate, I seem to recall that asking employees to smile isn't without precedent in Asia, e.g. https://www.dw.com/en/smiling-is-all-part-of-the-job/a-

While unfortunate, I seem to recall that asking employees to smile isn't without precedent in Asia, e.g. https://www.dw.com/en/smiling-is-all-part-of-the-job/a-16570276 https://www.dw.com/en/smiling-is-all-part-of-the-job/a-16570.... There is even a suggestion from a research psychiatrist in Japan for recognition of a new disorder "in which subjects develop depression and physical illness as a result of prolonged, unnatural smiling."; see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smile_mask_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smile_mask_syndrome It should also be noted by those inclined to bash China in this thread that Canon is a Japanese corporation. Given the above, it may be a initiative from the parent corporation.