Could your organisation benefit from a handsome, weeping boy? In Japan they think so. In an attempt to help employees bond, companies are employing “handsome weeping boys” to facilitate sessions where employees watch sad films about parents losing their children, or individuals having their pets put down, to get employees to cry. When the employees start to cry, the handsome weeping boy will walk around the room wiping their tears.
There are many handsome weeping “boys” for companies to select from, from a gymnast to funeral director. However all, apparently, must be handsome.
Hiroki Terai is the brains behind the beauty. He set up this service to try and get Japanese people to express their emotions. Speaking to BBC journalist Emily Webb, he explained:
“Japanese people are not really good at expressing their emotions. People working at companies don’t express their opinions or feelings too much. I want Japanese people to cry. Not only at home but in the office. If you cry at work [you think] your co-workers will not want to touch you- there’s a really negative image.
“But I know that after you cry you let people see your vulnerability, you can get along even better with people which is good for the company. It creates a better working environment and people get along better.”
Emily Webb’s full article can be found here.