As many of you may know I was not raised in a city. In fact, I have spent the majority of my life living in mountains. Furthermore, my cultural background is rooted in the American south. These simple, yet very important facts, may be a huge factor in my lack of understanding as to why there appears to be so many unhappy people living in Tokyo.
I have had my experiences with city life in America. I lived in Norfolk,VA for a summer and spent some decent amount of time in St. Louis, Mo. I even made a trip to NYC and Vegas as well. For several years I was making regular trips to Tokyo to spend time with the love of my life M.K. Although, now a days living in Tokyo is my first experience with daily life in a city. I have been living within the walls of Tokyo for almost a full ten months. I have only left Tokyo once in these past ten months and that was only to go to M.K.`s home city for golden week. Anyway, for ten months I have been learning about city life in Japan of all places. I assume that all cities have similar up and downs. There are days when the heart of a city is bright and full of hope and other days when a city can be a open gate to hell. What really gets me is that I see and come in contact with so many unhappy people in Tokyo.
Sometimes these unhappy people tell me why they are so unhappy with life in Tokyo. Other times they do not say a word to me. I can see their unhappiness in their eyes. The kind of unhappiness I see and hear is not the normal kind of things that most people in Tokyo do not like. These people have a deep unhappiness which cannot be fixed with a few kind words or a long soft hug. The mass unhappiness I see in Tokyo has a much more deeper reason. I am coming to the conclusion that it is a cultural problem which is causing many people to feel so damn unhappy.
From what I have gathered though talking to many Japanese people is that Tokyo is ripe for a major cultural shift in thinking. A lot of Japanese I have talked seem to be in favor of a more libertarian kind of cultural progress. They seem to be fed up with all the tight cultural rules and lack of free will within their society. The common complaint I hear is, `I do not feel that I can fully express myself.` Maybe this feeling of not being able to fully express ones self is the root of the mass unhappiness in Tokyo among Japanese people.
While I am not Japanese and was not raised in their culture I can see and understand the complaint of not being able to fully express ones self. Of course, a person can buy just about anything and anyone for the right price in Tokyo but can a person also buy happiness. It appears that some people in Tokyo believe that they can in fact buy happiness. Maybe they feel that if they buy enough expensive items they can attain some kind of happiness. Also, it appears that there is a focus on power as having the ability to give happiness. There is also the factor of working yourself to the bone which must cause many to feel unhappy.
The cultural values which were ingrained into my head are in direct conflict with such values as greed, power, and not expressing ones self openly and freely. With all the short comings my parents possessed they at least understood that money and power will not give a person happiness. So, as many in Tokyo case the all mighty quest for wealth they also live very empty lives devoid of true happiness.
What can be done to address this often not talked about social ill in Tokyo? I honestly feel that a little love can go a long way. I love Tokyo and all the off beat things it offers. It may take the gaijin living in Tokyo to help many, but not all, Japanese living in the city to relax and understand what is really important in life. We are all human after all. A start for a cure to the unhappiness that many residents in Tokyo experience could be some random love. How about buying a beer at a bar for someone who do not know. Maybe smiling at a person on the train with a grim expression in their face. At least it would a start.
I hold no faith that random acts of kindness will be the cure all for the unhappiness felt by many people, gaijin and Japanese alike, living in Tokyo but it would be a state. Think about it for a minute. I am a greaser from West Virginia and I am willing to give it a go. Hell, it might be fun in the end. At the very least it would put a smile on your face. I enjoy feeling good and smiling and I am sure that most people would also agree. In short if people in Tokyo would spread a little love to each other there might be a few less unhappy people walking around.
4 comments:
It all starts with a little respect for those around you. Just keeping your head down and tuning everyone out, sometimes to the point of knocking into someone without so much as an "excuse me" or even a second glace, just dehumanizes yourself the same way it does everyone around you. Way too many Tokyoites are guilty of this behavior.
("you" is used in the general sense here)
I have seem a lot of people behave this way. I wonder why they do not even put forth the effort to even look at other people. Everyday I see lots of people lost in their own world wearing big headphones totally cutting themselves off from everything around them.
I mean, what has to happen in someones life to cause to them totally give up on other people and their own personal happiness?
I really think that a cultural awaking needs to happen in Tokyo. Maybe it would be good for everybody.
This is a worldwide problem… not limited to Tokyo. Perhaps the product of global commercialism, which brings one to BIG cities. The Bigger = the Colder. It’s hard to stay socially open-rephrase-in order to stay open one needs to have a strong moral/spiritual/mental ground… And that is always under attack by media conditioning, city moral/mass behavior & nourished ‘separatism’. To sum up it’s the lack of love (unconditional love is unprofitable (for all the industries who sell it), thus is not welcome… and probable will never be accepted as ‘natural’ or ‘normal’<-THAT’S KEY! by normal people.) Unless, common merchants decide on a shift back to healthy, thing will stay progressively the same… ,- )~
Also bear in mind you can never judge a book by its cover. I think many people who appear miserable, or almost run you over or smack you with their briefcase or where looks of macabre dread on their faces or bitter loathing, those same people could be going home to families, pushing everything and everyone out of the way because they trudge through a concrete jungle every day just to get some precious moments in their slice of home life.
Just an opinion. There are miserable pricks too of course haha
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