Dying Alone: Kodokushi, Japan's epidemic of isolation through the eyes of a 'lonely death' cleaner

[AquaCityBoy]

I still want to travel to akihabara one day.

shyt is like geek heaven.

 

[AuntAnniesPretzels]

Japan seems like a fd up place

From Panties in machine to hentai, to nikkas looking like girls to worshipping cac culture even though they dropped two atomic bombs on ya ass. To guys with virtual girlfriends, high suicide rates.

You can say that about a lot of countries if you’re unfamiliar with their culture and buy into media sensation

America = mass shootings, trump, obesity, guns everywhere, etc

Now all those things are fukked up but to us it’s normal at this point

Reminds me of the Hikokomori in Japan, people who are recluse from society and stay inside all day.

Edit: They need to touch on why these people have a distant, weak relationship to their families.

shyt lowkey got me afraid of becoming old smh.

they work ridiculously long hours and have small living spaces so many don’t have time to keep their loved ones company or the space to house them with them

 

[SheWantTheD]

You can say that about a lot of countries if you’re unfamiliar with their culture and buy into media sensation

America = mass shootings, trump, obesity, guns everywhere, etc

Now all those things are fukked up but to us it’s normal at this point


they work ridiculously long hours and have small living spaces so many don’t have time to keep their loved ones company or the space to house them with them

They do but the first son still usually lives with the parents.

As you can see the cleaner man in the video stated his older brother is taking care of and watching after their parents.

 

[ELESDEE616]

It is. That’s why I had to cut my teaching stint short and get outta there. I already have depressive tendencies, but I got extremely depressed when I was over there. You’re truly alone, even if you have friends.

There’s this cultural thing called “tatemae and honne”. Your tatemae is your public face, and your honne is your private face/personality. They are taught to always put on a front for other people (more than Americans). You never know what a Japanese is truly thinking. My coworkers never had a cross word with me, and smiled with me every day, yet would turn around and snitch on me for dumb shyt.

They also have a saying that says “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down”. In other words, don’t rock the boat or try to challenge the status quo. I’ve found this to be true especially in the context of work. Jobs are so abusive in Japan, and you’re expected to just go along with that shyt. You are expected to do all kinds of paid overtime, and do so with a smile. There’s a word in Japan called “karoshi” which means death from overwork.

When people ask me if I would recommend Japan, I say yea go and visit, but don’t go there to live.

Exactly. I've lived there 9 months and though I enjoyed my time there when people ask me why I'd rather stay in America than Japan I always say it's the fakeness of the culture that pisses me off to much to live there.


I believe in individual expression and the conformity of Japanese culture wears on you.


Dont get me wrong, great place to visit and I'm going back for the Olympics but it really is peak capitalism combined with confucian utilitarianism.

 

[TinFoilSnapBack]

Exactly. I've lived there 9 months and though I enjoyed my time there when people ask me why I'd rather stay in America than Japan I always say it's the fakeness of the culture that pisses me off to much to live there.


I believe in individual expression and the conformity of Japanese culture wears on you.


Dont get me wrong, great place to visit and I'm going back for the Olympics but it really is peak capitalism combined with confusion utilitarianism.

All facts.

Repped.

 

[loyola llothta]

Japan is at its peak they have nothing to build on

America destroy them and Pierce through they pride like a shooting star in the sky. Turn them to another satellite state

 

[you're NOT "n!ggas"]

Don't a lot of people there live to be 100+ tho? They can't be THAT lonely, people dying alone is different