“Tears Teacher” (2020) by Noemie Nakai

A teacher travels across Japan to encourage adults to cry more.

‘Tears Teacher’ is a conventional documentary film about an unusual topic. Hidefumi Yoshida, a tears therapist, teaches adults that crying in an essential ingredient for a healthy life.

There is no doubt that stress and isolation have increased since the beginning of the pandemic. Societal conventions like ‘crying equals weakness’ and ‘men don’t cry’ don’t serve us anymore. Yoshida talks about a friend who died due to overworking, and he wonders if he could have saved his life by forcing him to cry. He talks about men in their 40’s, stressed and exhausted, who don’t allow themselves to cry. He runs a café where people can come in to cry. He wants it to be open round the clock – a safe space for people to be vulnerable, at any time of the day or night. He plans to teach his future children how crying is a good thing. Looking at society through Yoshida’s unique perspective transcends the film into a portrait of our times.

The film is filled with truth bombs and life lessons. Watch it and spread the word – crying is healthy for all of us!