Laugh a day for health benefits: Japan passes bill to reduce risk of heart disease

Japan’s Yamagata prefecture has enacted a unique ordinance encouraging citizens to laugh daily for health benefits, based on Yamagata University research linking laughter to reduce heart disease risk and live a little longer life. The ordinance designates the 8th of each month as “Laughing Day” to promote wellness through humor. However, opposition lawmakers, including the Japanese Communist Party, argue that the law violates human rights and fails to address broader socio-economic issues like job instability and rising living costs.