Straight politeness is not always enough to satisfy customers, Kadokawa said. ``You can often feel awkward when you see store clerks kowtowing just like soldiers.''

But smiling is a ``socialisingskill'' and this is what Japanese lack, he said. Chomping down on a chopstick, for example, shows ``how stiff your face is.'' Kadokawa is battling the traditional virtues which taught Japanese people to hide their emotions.

``Do not reveal your teeth even when you laugh that was the mistaken lesson I got at a `kendo' (martial arts) club in my school days,'' Kadokawa said. ``It's impossible, isn't it?''

Now Tokyo's Kita Ward local government has even introduced a smiling lecture as part of the training program for its officials.

Akira Sato, from the public relations division, was among of 169 officials who have attended a lecture by Kadokawa as representatives of the 3,100 employees of the ward. ``I can't explain why ... but I'm not good at smiling,'' he said, adding however that he wanted a friendly face. Some people come to ``smile class'' to rein in their excessive cheerfulness, which can be a problem in a culture which puts great emphasis on being polite. Kazuko Tomizawa, from the local governmentaudit division, said she had been ``laughing through my life rather than smiling.''

Kadokawa, who has several long-term corporate consultant contracts, frankly admits his ``smiling business is bringing in money now.'' But he says he also just enjoys teaching. Lecturing before an audience, Kado-kawa can look like a cult guru. ``What I am doing has nothing to do with the religious world but I often find myself standing somewhere very close to religion,'' he confessed.