I took my first and last trip to NYC in 1975. You just reminded me that our family went up to the observation deck. I don’t recall any lines or crowds. There was a Japanese man on the deck who approached me with his camera and a big smile and wanted me to take his picture. Sure. He was very happy and posed then his face turned to stone. Smile, says I. Nope, stone faced. I took the picture and his huge smile returned as he thanked me.
... very happy and posed then his face turned to stone. Smile, says I. Nope, stone faced.
That’s a cultural thing. When they talk about losing face this is part of it.
Never give your camera to someone else to take your picture, especially if there are naked pictures of your wife already on the camera.
In the U.S., until sometime in the ‘teens or even ‘twenties, people believed that if you smiled in a photo, it made you look stupid. Probably is still the belief of many Japanese.