The old adage that "laughter is the best medicine" is taking on a whole new dimension in a prefecture in Japan.
The local government in the Yamagata prefecture has passed a law nudging residents to laugh at least once a day. Honestly. No joke.
The first-of-its-kind ordinance is inspired by research from Yamagata University School of Medicine that there is strong evidence that laughing has several health advantages, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and boosting longevity. Laughter is also believed to boost immunity and lowers stress.
According to Firstpost, the laughter rule states that Yamagata citizens “will deepen their understanding of the beneficial health effects of laughter and make efforts to shape mental and physical health through means such as laughing once a day.”
Additionally, businesses are urged to create more cheerful atmospheres (i.e. an “environment filled with laughter”), and every eighth of the month is officially designated as “a day of laughter.”
All that said, no one will be locked behind bars for having an off day: The rule doesn’t force laughter but rather aims to steer residents in a more lighthearted direction.