This used to be every Christmas growing up. My grandparents had 12 kids, and one of my aunts left home at 16. Every year during the holidays she'd get drunk and cry about how my grandparents didn't come get her.
@@epbrown01 back in the days they just had a bunch of kids. One of my grandma’s siblings passed away very early. In poorer countries they still have a bunch of children and they have the mindset that’s ages old in thinking more kids to work and bring money so they aren’t thought of as children but just objects to bring income. So most of the females who get sent to the city to do bar girl work generally don’t want to go home to see their parents because all their parents will do is ask money from them. Backwards societies
@@tainanking you are correct. This mindset is still around in modern society especially in third world countries. The parent literally treat their kids as retirement investments when they got older. They literally want kids cuz of money not because they actually want kids.
@@seankhieotue-in7193 I can't ever understand that kind of love. But in essence a lot of the girls get trapped in that lifestyle and still continue to do it under their own mindset. Lots of them aren't "sold" either. They just think it's easier money in general. So it's messed up every step of the way
Mental health is one of the most ignored aspects of Japanese society. I had to stay at a place like this in Osaka a few times and the feeling of being surrounded by people but being all alone was real.
@@Calilou52 I think that is so far from my personal experience. I've been approached so many times by random people either asking me questions or out of pure curiousity. Depends on the situation but for the many times I've been there this has happened every single time almost daily. Maybe its different for a Japanese in Japan though.
Totally agree and what’s even more cruel is now my neighbours know I’m totally isolated they tend to bully me and it hurts especially when you have no one to turn to...❤️☮️
Watching her smile but her voice faltering and her breath catching was heart breaking. I wanted to say, baby girl, I’m 36 and also have little dreams or belief in them. I do not have an attachment to being alive but two things keep me going. I wake with interest every morning, wondering what new thing I’ll learn and finding new ways to be myself. We are all unique, no one can ever be each other, so just being alive and being yourself has innate meaning and beauty.
so much of that rang true for me, i got a tear to my eye. I didn't think i'd live to be 30, and here I am 35. I had a great life, but never had long term plans or goals, never really wanted to accomplish anything, just wanted to take life in while I had it. Now I am directionless, I don't really care what happens to me, i have no goals or dreams, despite thinking about what I should try to accomplish all the time.
She has had a horrible up bringing. Emptiness is what she is going through. Just to get some Human feeling she wants to works as a masseuse. She will get further into her lack of self worth.
@Pata Physics This is incredibly sad, she needs human contact as an equal. Not as an object!! Her long term prospects need to be re-evaluated, as she will sink down into the horrible underworld.
I am Japanese and I live 30 minutes away from the place. I never notice or pay attention to these sad people since their life is covered to our dailylife way too naturally. Thank you for sharing this video. I still do not know what I can do, but it definitely opened my eyes.
Saki, it will be super neat, if you can just help out all of us here st the coments, mostly to know if she is ok, Im telling you, most of the coments are heading the same question "what happend to her" do you think is there any chance for you to give information of her? knowing that your near there, tks
indeed it would be really good if you could meet them and see how they are because it's really sad to see people who are in this kind of situation it breaks your heart! help your brothers and sisters please
It keeps it real just like the reality of everyone having depression, humans have always wanted more, such as this for example. Btw I’m talking about the video
It's all a matter of perspective. Here I am thinking how cool that would be, its basically the cheapest rent you could get anywhere. Of course I don't plan on living inside all day, but with a combination of a job, sunlight, and plenty of physical activity I would love to save all my money and sleep on that floor lmao!
@@speedytypermananswers5551 I've personally never met/seen a 50 year old Japanese gamer, Now this is just me so they're might be some but I've never heard of it.
@@CS-ui4qj Not at all. It's totally possible to have great connections and a circle of close people in a large city. Sure you aren't connected to everyone like you might be in a sparsely populated area so I can see that kind of feeling, but you don't have to be alone.
one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. No unnecessary introduction dialogue, no hyperbole, just the actual raw statements from individuals with full emotion. This hit hard, especially for those of us watching it at 3 am. There is something so relatable, and real about their experiences...that became more apparent since the dawn of the smartphone age. We are all isolated, looking for personal connections, distributing our humanity in doses through the filter of a smart phone, and it's driving us all kind of mad....the internet of things is robing us of our humanity, we all waver between desiring company but end up craving isolating due to our loss of ability to handle a normal human conversation all because of the rectangle brick we use to do such communication. anyways...thats my rant lol....great video!
I think thats a Japanese social culture thing, like its socially unacceptable to show their emotions or feelings, even if they're talking about it. Seen a program a while back where they said something like this.
Yeah, I was thinking that too, a fragile girl left like that to cope for herself in that horrible, cold environment. What she needs is a friend, family, someone who cares...
I want to meet her, I saw this video years ago and I always watch it again, I even download the video and crop it only in the Hitomi section. This year I am going to open my company and next year I am going to register it in Japan and in the midst of this context, beyond all the things I have to do, I will go look for it. I just hope he's alive and hasn't committed suicide.
@@SukoneTeiVocaloid89Please keep us updated. I think there’s enough interest to possibly raise funds to employ a Tokyo based private detective to find her. Of course, it would be her choice to be interviewed before a camera. Perhaps some of the funds could provide a speaker fee but we would want to be as sure as possible the detective finds the correct woman. Hopefully she’s still alive.
@@sgr_sgr The proposal you mention is very good, I personally am preparing to meet the necessary requirements to create my company. In fact, I have already started with some steps in terms of legal and intellectual property. but the idea is to move to Japan for several specific reasons on a personal level and one of those reasons is to be able to find Hitomi and give you information about the situation. But the question is how could I meet her and establish communication with her to explain to her that there are many people in the West who care about her, that is something I want to do soon. .
@@SukoneTeiVocaloid89 In my humble opinion I do think a crowd funded private investigator might very well provide the best probability of finding her & even then the investigation would likely be a slow, methodical & gargantuan task, fraught with frustration & uncertainty. I wish you the very best with it.
@@SukoneTeiVocaloid89Man , I really missing her, Don't know what would be happened to her, is she alive or not? The thing is that we our society failed at giving Systems that atleast help such people who are not able to do much better because of their siblings dreams and many struggles lying behind , I can see the pain behind her voice! Really heart breaking 💔 made me cry for a moment!
That’s just how people do. Especially when you encounter those who are half-homeless. Philosophy is bound to appear. Loneliness has been a particular issue in Japanese cities for years but depression from loneliness is an affliction all over the world these days.
@@manny9050 i know how you feel. never thought i would live past 20 tbh. My depression and self harming made me feel like i was a tragedy waiting to happen (i still do) Thanks to teraphy and medicine i managed to find a new light and now i actually want to live. however, i dont know what to do with my life, i feel lost too. I can't find my place, but i hope to find it soon, my best wishes to the people in this video and eveyone who is lost too.
magic duckman I always found it fascinating that people never see the pains of life itself. We live in a society that pressures us to live in what I call, a modern enslavement. You go to school to get a job, get a job to make money, and make money to live. If fallen short in any of those three, then you’re nothing. You’re a waste of human oxygen. You’re expendable as far as humankind is concern. When did we get so fucked as a species.
@@manny9050 its always been like that. Sadly it will continue like that. Im not looking for a job that'll make me rich, i just want something i like and its enough to keep me alive.
Living in Japan for 4 years I learned to appreciate and admire Japanese culture with all its weirdness. You would have to live and travel all of Japan to really get the feel of the people. Those that only travel the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka are missing out. The city life can be quite robotic, sinister, and spectacular; the food is amazing and the people are willing to open up if you are suave enough. My summary of Japan is that it is still isolated and its people are still reserved and intimidated by the outside world. I could only handle being there for 4 years to preserve my sanity in the end.
The presentation of this is exceptional. The lack of a narrator or any music made me feel like I was in the Manboo with the interviewees. The low walls meaning that we had to keep our voices down as to not disturb our 'neighbors'.
It's not as though they're starving in some god-forsaken third world country. Nothing is preventing them from going out into the real world and making friends.
I hate this kind of comparison. Some people try to cope with their shitty reality by acknowledging that there are other people in an even worse situation
Imagine you dont want to be alone and yet you want to be by yourself Yeah... truly soul crushing of a generation when the internet keeps us connect and at the same time keeps us also apart more
All cities are like that. I've seen it in London and NY. Homeless everywhere and people just ignoring anyone who's lying on the pavement. But you gotta accept reality and find beauty where you can. Have to learn to adapt and build relationships. There will be a number of people in your life who care about you and who you care about. And the rest ..... 🤷🏻♂️
I don't belive this. I think everyone has some form of kindness in their hearts. However in japan it's just forced to be pushed aside somewhat. In japan nobody leaves a courtesy seat for someone with a disability, in China everyone stands up. Kindness needs to be taught to be shown. I'm friends online with many people around the world. But I taught myself balance. I came out as trans and they all were super supportive and kind. That's why I belive the world is kind at heart. Sure, I've gotten death threats. Sure, I've gotten bullied. But those people are people that have their own journey to make.
@@itisannona I'm indifferent to most people too and the kindness in my heart just acts when there's something I consider more important than a human life is at risk, for example trying to help a dog Because a dog life is worth more than a person's life in my eyes
Can really relate to the girl, You see, not having a goal in life is just normal for people. One day, you'll soon realize it. But if you are just letting life drift you away, is horrible. It is like you are just a programmed robot to do the same task, over and over again.. Just like me, I'm 23, I "eat, sleep, work, repeat" I do not know what to do in life, all the money I earned, I give to my parents and young brother, leaving money for me enough to buy me food until next pay day. I do not like hangging out with anybody, friends and co-workers. I find happiness in being alone, but not completely alone.
cant really blame the individual person itsleft of feeling like a robot, after all people are truly programed to do or even what they should think, have you ever stopped and think if your thoughts are really yours? maybe what are you doing its not by your will but from another entity, call it what you want but for me life itself is pure chaos and i enjoy it
You have show compassion in looking after your family but you must show that same compassion to yourself. You, as much as anyone in this world deserve to be loved
this might sound cliche but have you tried religion?, humanity have always turns to some diety in the face of uncertainty as a resort to find some understamding or meaning in life. fulfillment isnt in money houses cars or women, but in your mind. take some advice from a stranger, look into the lore of religions, and maybe youll find something that makes you question yourself, travel with the money you make and see its beauty, read books as its one of the things people regret not doing more of when of when they were younger, and keep a great relationship with your family as they are the only people you can truly with little doubt say that they care about you. i wish you blessings happiness and fulfilment. alsalam alykom.
It's 2020. I hope Hitomi is still alive and has found her happiness, her true calling. My life is nowhere near as rough, so hearing her story just shook me.
There was a follow up article somewhere on a Korean news site about neighboring countries in 2019, this was featured and most of these people in this video have either moved out or gone somewhere else because their room numbers have different people in them. I have no idea where Hitomi is because her room was occupied by a different guy in the video on the article. If I can find it I’ll link it.
She said some of the most gut wrenching truth’s with a chuckle and smile. It must have taken a huge amount of strength to acknowledge the emptiness in her life. I wish i could just hug her and let her know that everything will be alright. I don’t know who she is , where she is now - but if anyone knows, please be her friend. She is literally saying that she doesn’t know the reason for her existence , please be her reason. she deserves to live, she deserves happiness like everyone else. God bless here !!
I want to meet her, I saw this video years ago and I always watch it again, I even download the video and crop it only in the Hitomi section. This year I am going to open my company and next year I am going to register it in Japan and in the midst of this context, beyond all the things I have to do, I will go look for it. I just hope he's alive and hasn't committed suicide.
If you show this to a Syrian kid, he would still appreciate this guy's life. Moral, if you think your life's worse, there's always someone who dreamed your life.
@@devanshsingh3369 that is a sadly twisted misapplication of the sentiment that suggests you should be happy with what you've got . yes , you must be grateful to GOD for your life but that does not preclude that in order to honor what you have you must sit there and not work hard to better yourself .
@@bobsaturday4273 I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to make our life even more better, I'm saying that we should not blame our origin for being unsuccessful in life. It's actually the exact opposite of what you think I'm saying sir.
@Collin Daniel I totally agree, I LOVE my wife and kids, but also LOVE my time alone from them at home...... When they go away for a couple of days and i'm truly left alone I miss them desperately....... After an hour they come back i'm looking for a hiding spot lol...
just goes to show how you can be in a hundred thousand people and still feel all alone. Some are drawn to a life of loneliness, and darkness, and sadness like moths being attracted to the flame..some of us never seem to choose but happiness does come from within like the first gentleman in the video he lives a loney existence but his smile tells me that he is strong enough to handle it unlike the girl who admits to having no dreams at all :(
Seeing someone have the lack of will to live is very heartbreaking. I can’t imagine how people actually live through so much pain to the fact they have lost their meaning in life but still live. I hope they will soon find happiness in their life.
@Dr Rockso "There is no absolute objective meaning in life" doesn't mean that people can live without an aim. Indeed, if the absence of meaning makes you free because that give you the ability to choose one you like. This girl can't do so because she feels empty inside and there is nothing that seems to have the capacity to fill his hearth like something should. This let the feeling to be useless and almost dead and this part is the saddest about her story
It's pain, terror and pure horror all in one, you feel like your chest is about to implode and your head explode. The worst part is that once you've felt it, you never forget it. I've had my demons and survived, but I was lucky, unlike many other people. It doesn't matter how much sympathy you can give, money or support, if a person is broken from trauma it's likely they'll never function properly again.
@Dr Rockso yes there is no inherent meaning to life but that doesn’t mean you can’t create,her goal was to reach twenty after that was done she had no will to do anything so she just drifted along,she also had nothing that made her happy,
This is a video I keep returning to, periodically. I experience chronic, prolonged periods of solitude in social isolation for weeks at a time, due to disability. I like the way both interviewees smile & laugh at times, describing their situation, rather than being dour & grumpy about it. The Manboo seems quiet yet there’s people living around each other. I think I could enjoy living there for maybe 2 or 3 months. I’d probably turn my nights to day & maintain that daily rhythm for the duration of my stay.
@@y2b5 😀👍🏻 Yeah, everything’s so stripped down yet efficient. Meals, snacks, hot/cold drinks, water, a shower & no doubt a toilet & a cabin with a computer. It’s enough!
Japan is often depicted to be a lively place in animes but in reality it's really a place where no matter how bright city light is, it's shadows looms with depression.
All cultures and countries have positive and negatives, none are exempt from this reality. Difference is what's more dominant the positive or negatives.
@@AndreiStoen i guess it comes down to 'created' compared to 'fabricated' i guess one would be something genuine while the other is something instilled and doctrined into you. (but you got a good point, i guess drinking and UA-cam comments aint a good mix for me)
Japan is a real life cyberpunk world to me, many dark things were hidden by it's brightening neon sign. Truly broke my heart seeing someone actually lives like that
@@redgane3115 What is up with you religious fanatics trying to sell your religion around? Islam is not the only religion in the world, neither is it the oldest. Lets get that out of the way first. Second of all, the fact you glorify your religion or any other religion for the matter and try to sell it as MY and YOUR, thinking you are speaking like as if God himself sent you and speaks to you in person on what you should tell people is a cry for help on your Ego. Check your religious Ego, do your research and learn a few things about other religions before you sell your religion as the greatest thing since sliced bread. My and your book, what is this? Religious Communism? And don't call people Animals because they don't follow what you follow. Learn a few things about human decency towards other living things.
@@Sinful-Princess69 if you can give me one contradition in the Quran or a mathematical or scientifical or grammatical error in this miraculous book or something doesnt make sense in islam i will leave it
@@Sinful-Princess69 the truth is too heavy and even if there is all that hate and war against islam its the fastest growing religion people from usa from uk from japan are embracing this religion many scientists become muslims
He isn't lying though he has a good outlook on the world in my opinion. He could be depressed and suicidal. But he knows how important life is. And lives how he wants to on his terms.
Diffused 7 years ago . Make quick research about 99 documentary, the film maker already made an interview in 2015 and didnt have news still . Friendly reminder , they were living illegally as well .
@@MustacheDLuffy prostitution; when you have someone like that saying they're a masseuse, they usually work in a soap land, which is basically a brothel. The girls may not have sex with you per say, but they do everything else.
Truly heartbreaking. I really wish these individuals all the best and hope they find happiness, love, peace and good health. The mental issue is a major problem being ignored in not just Japan but world wide especially big cities. Good documentary.
The loneliness & melancholy are heartbreaking for me to watch. They know their future will be bleak regardless of how much they strive to improve their lives, and this hopelessness would be the leading cause of their mental health decline. Most would not be bothered to find a life partner, knowing they don't have the means to start life as a married couple. So, they resign themselves to a life of indefinite desolation, and still, they can muster a smile when we know deep down, their hearts are full of sadness, knowing they don't have anywhere to go and nothing to look forward to. My heart goes out to them. 😥......I'm crying.
When she said "I wasn't supposed to live long. I wanted to live to reach 20. But since I'm older than that now, I feel a bit lost." it hit me hard. Not that I had the same situation as her with the 'night work' but I have a disease where I was diagnosed to die around 20. I was 15 when my family found out. Life flipped completely upside down. My family started treating me differently and had to walk on eggshells around me. My friends didn't know how to handle such a situation and drifted away. I couldn't make new friends because my entire school found out eventually and it only made people sympathetic and depressed without an easy or normal way to bond. I started acting out and doing dangerous stuff, partially because I was angry and alone, and partially because I felt like nothing mattered anymore. At 18 I ran away from home, honestly because I didn't want to face the impending 2 years of waterworks and awkward social dynamics. I survived on the bare minimum and somehow I reached 21. I was absolutely lost. I thought I would've died by then so I had no career path, no passions or interests, and no goals or dreams. So I kept living a simple life, expecting to drop dead at any point. Last year I went to a doctor for the first time in 8 years and I still had the disease. In fact, the doctor was astounded how I was alive at 26. The clinic asked for my background and I panicked and ran away again. Now I feel like my life is one big fat joke. Something is keeping me alive, on the edge of death, with nothing to live for and even if I wanted to pursue something it's probably too late to have a good start. Sometimes I think about offing myself. No one would know who I am or where I came from. But I suppose I'll just keep doing my thing until I can't anymore. Sorry for the sad story.
I wish you the best. I hope you find something you can pursue. I hope a cure is found for your disease. I hope everything works out so you can reunite with your family and friends. This might not be worth anything from a random person on the internet but if you can accept my hopes as a friend, you are not alone. I believe life has things worth living for and I believe there must be a reason you are alive. Good luck, my friend. 🙏
I'm sorry you had to go through that, I wish to be your friend, a similar situation happened to me but I didn't have a disease but I have autism. I was just seen not heard kind of thing I was just there....co existing being less than human. I eventually got used to it and just became very shy because I didn't know how to talk to people or I acted strange, right now I'm just trying with my relationship and It's the first time I've been truly happy in 10 years I'm going to make the best of it and I wish you the best, come talk to me here when you need me
@@llIlIlllII Yep, people probably wouldn't even want to shake their hands. At least she can wash her clothes, take a shower, and have a nice roof over her head.
Emily B maybe because there’s no documentary about their struggles so you can see and feel just how hard they have it. So I guess you go around hugging everyone you see? Seriously, calm down
Hence the reason why anime end at high school. That’s the last years of actual living before you become a corporate slave or something like this happens. Great place to visit. Not to live.
Sadness and a deep sense of loss is all i get from this documentary. Hope the people we saw will find a motivation to their lives and will be able to step up. The more you let yourself go, the harder it is to get back on track. Sad
neuspeed79 Yes but for me this vid breaks my vision of Japanese culture. I imagined a great culture rich in a multitude of things, not so much sadness in their youth. I guess it' s everywhere in the world and can affect any culture...
Sad. Just sad. He nailed it when he said he was running away from life and ended up there. I hope one day, they'd be free from the shackles they have imagined and created. Life outside, with all its drudgery and imperfections, can still be beautiful.
XvX XvX Ah don't get me wrong please. Facing your deepest fears and problems instead of running away from them and eventually life itself is what I meant. No man is an island but a part of a whole. Our success or failure in life depends largely on our personal relationships with other people. Believe me when I say that there are times I hate people. But then, hating on humanity would mean hating on myself as well, cause I am part of it. And I have had enough self-loathing in my life. Time to luuuuv me, myself and my life. God bless us. 😊💕👍
@XvX XvX The dude said it himself,he couldnt thrive without others. and like it or not, even the most introverted person will degrade when they are that isolated. i know from experience. smiley face when someone give you approval? ironic much
The Japanese they speak is not well translated... There is a lot of pain in the words they are choosing... I live in Japan and walk past these places all the time... To think that people are using them as their only place to call home is depressing indeed.
I'd love to see an in depth breakdown of any particular phrases or terms that failed to be properly translated so that other viewers can appreciate what you're referring to.
Why are there even cyber cafes? I thought that Japan was the technology Mecca of the world? I mean are computers very expensive? Just curious. I love Japanese culture and would Love to visit one day.
@@yra253 when you live in a big city like Tokyo, it's kinda the default mannerism, just seem agreeable and maintain positive body movements and you'll blend in.
@@voyeger4464Just keep em open, You'll see there is a friend in Me. all around the world round. On the street, from where you seek, infront of a mirror is a peek. Make it up the steep peak. Then you'll learn to speak. Errors made pave the way, riding waves up and downs, turning frowns back to smiles. protecting crowns. healing heads. I must do by my will, for real. not that of others say. I'll have to make it my own way. For if i choose ot go the way of "others" say. It may be to my own dismay. Losing a battle, teaches the war. Warship, "worship" taking note and take heed. That all you read. aims to captivate your thought. I'm self taught. Not for naught. I learn through my own flow and to all those that say let go. I'll say NO. Storms make it rough to navigate the sea, sometimes I can't see.
@Proteus Hellene I am sorry , i usually really dislike taking part in much conversation on youtube especially negative ones but WHAT?? That's all i wanted to say.
@Proteus Hellene You do know Japan has a bad mental health issue and that suicide rates are really high? I don't know why you have to interject yourself in Kart's comment with your wrong opinions.
I can relate to Hitomi so much, I love my own space and alone time, I'm an introvert at heart. I can never own a house all to myself, to much space and responsivities for me considering I'm a minimalist as well. I know I don't need or want that much free space, I always have to live with like one or two other people. It's a comforting feeling to know your never actually alone but also nice when you have your own space and no one bothers you.
The fact that she didn't planned to live more than 20 was terrifying. Hope she find peace and happiness in her life. May she get strength to start over and lead a happy life.
Right now, there are people all over the world who are just like you. They're either lonely, they're missing somebody, they're depressed, they're hurt, they're scarred from the past, they're having personal issues no one knows about, they have secrets you wouldn't believe. They wish, they dream and they hope. And right now, they are sitting here reading these words, and I'm writing this for you so you don't feel alone anymore. Always remember, don't be depressed about the past, don't worry about the future, and just focus on today. If today's not so great don't worry! Tomorrow's a new chance. If you are reading this, be sure to share this around to make others feel better. Have a nice day!"
We are not special in any way. Even our problems don't make us special, because there is at least one person in the world that has gone through the same as ourselves... But there's also at least one person in the world that completely understands what you are going through. That gives me some hope.
Japan is like that Funny Guy in Class who acts like he's Enjoying His Life and everything's going well for him while in fact he's suffering from depression.
It's because in Japanese culture you're not allowed to show your suffering to others because it's not good to make others worry so they usually bottle everything inside and are not used to talking about mental health issues... which makes things even worse
By the other hand, Japan also looks like that quiet and introvert guy of the class. Who mostly doesn't express it's feelings openly to others. The example of these are the modern Hikikomori.
What that girl said about how she can hear everyone around her snoring and breathing helps her not feel so alone is surreal. It reminded me of when I went home after basic military training and slept in a room by myself for the first time in months. Took me about a week or two to adjust to it.
The sense of having firewatch and every one around me was a feeling i had never had when i joined. Its strange living with others and vice versa when you've done it for so long.
It's kinda weird how you don't notice sounds until they're gone. With covid-19 lockdowns then going back to work, I never realized how loud it was. Very loud. Plus the gym, I never really paid attention to the sounds but suddenly it got very loud and almost impossible to stay around.
After watching this, I've decided to notice people and smile just to bring a little happiness to those around me. We are all human and deserve to be noticed and appreciated
Good idea. I landed in New York once to meet with some other songwriters, and the first person I met was a homeless guy who had laid out a banquet for anyone to eat, on park benches. It was a street behind a Jewish catering kitchen, so it was all Jewish food. I was walking past with my guitar and back pack, and he said "are you hungry?" I said "who is all this food for?" He said "for you! For anyone who wants it!" So I ate some and we chatted, and he walked the mile or two with me, carrying my guitar, to the hostel I was going to stay at. He made a point of smiling and saying hi to everyone we walked past. Then he left and walked back to the street banquet. I might have even asked him if he says hi to everyone, and his attitude was pretty much like yours - everyone could use a smile and just that little bit of human validation. I went to see him at the underpass where he was living, before I left to return to Australia: he and another guy gave me some more food and I took him to see his first ever show on Broadway - figured it was the least I could do for his gestures and the life lesson. He fell asleep in the theatre but the whole thing was worth it, and I'm sure there was a lesson there too. Of course it's difficult when our own anxiety about out worthlessness gets in the way and it's hard to extend those smiles when everyone wants to turn away. But worth it when we can strengthen ourselves enough to be that example and that love. Check out Amanda Palmer's Ted Talk 'The Art of Asking' if you want to hear a little more esp the part where when she worked busking as a human statue, it may have been the only time those people walking past had any human eye contact all day... Bless ya
Easier said than done. Society breaks most people down after a while. How long you are willing to go ahead with your plan depends a lot on how high you can maintain your morale. Which is why it's best to not isolate and become a full loner. Always have people you can trust around you. At least a handful. We are social creatures after all, even having a dog can help (although that doesn't replace true friendships or companionships).
When I first watched this video I lived in a different country, was working my first job and was only starting to grasp the complexities of adult life. I found this very sad but very eye-opening back then. Nowadays, being a skilled professional, with a life put together, a partner, big house, car and new friends I still find myself coming back to this video. Or rather the video finds its way back to me, just as sad and eye-opening, but it hits different: the protagonists, are still the same, there, frozen in time and space, even after so much time, after so much change in my own life. I really hope time has been kind to them.
"I don't care what happens to me." Survival is the most basic human instinct...when I read those words...I actually started to cry. She's so dispirited and downtrodden....I've been in some very spots in my life, but oh my gosh, I can actually look back and tell myself that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. And even if it was bad, I was still strong enough to want to see myself succeed on the other side.
@@LoveAndSnapple hes a bully.infact he is bullying you to hide his own depression.Btw, are you in a good position now,are you satisfied with yourself now?
Not everything is about you. This video should make you think of others and the alienation engendered by modern, urbanised capitalist societies. It ain't about your "struggles"!
I disagree with this claim. The majority of the most notable philosophers from those periods spanning from the Hellenistic Era to the Renaissance to the 19th and 20th century agree that solitude is one cardinal ingredient in the cuisine of personal growth and character development. "Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul." - Marcus Aurelius, c. AD 170-180 Meditations, bk.4, no.3 (translated by M Staniforth). "He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a wild beast or a god". - Aristotle, Aristotlian Ethics, Scholars Select "To live alone one must be a beast or a god, says Aristotle. Leaving out the third case: one must be both - a philosopher." - Friedrich Nietzsche, Friedrich Nietzsche (1977). “The Portable Nietzsche”, p.290, Penguin “In solitude there grows what anyone brings into it, the inner beast too. Therefore solitude is inadvisable to many.” - Nietzsche, Will to Power "A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, in solitude everyone has to face himself." - Arthur Schopenhauer "The two conditions that lead others to languor - i.e. leisure and solitude - him made sharper." - Cicero, Book III, section 1 - De Officiis - On Duties (44 BC) "Without great solitude, no serious work is possible." - Pablo Picasso "Solitude, the safeguard of mediocrity, is to genius the stern friend." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Culture. - The Conduct of Life (1860) “A bore is someone who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company.” - Oscar Wilde "The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude." - Aldous Huxley "The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself." - Mark Twain There's a fine difference between loneliness and aloneness. Loneliness is one thing, solitude another. If you're unable to grow in solitude than you're in bad company.
Poor Hitomi man her story is heartbreaking :/ i hope she is still alive and well. And finds that comforting balance between being alone and having company. I struggle with that want too i don't like being alone but at the same time i prefer it that way.
when the girl said "I dont have a goals anymore, to find the reasons to live, i let life carry me along" It made me thinks how seriously can a depression makes really look like. It just pure sadness. Imagin wakin up everyday doin the same things, over and over and you just waiting for your end. To all my homies once or up until now, I hope yall doin great. Specially in this time of pandemic where its really been depressing. But still don't let the fire of your dreams get extinguish. And always find a reason to keep it lit. Life is a precious. Life is a full of meaning.
@@calmexit6483 lol bruh you really missed her meaning there. she meant she enjoys being alive the same way you enjoy trips to Disneyland or whatever thing you like to do that you can't do often. Like it's a thing she likes *but that she doesn't get often*. If you read between the lines- or rather just listen to everything else she's saying- you can clearly see with your own danged eyes, my man, that she is very obviously depressed.
@@plaguis1391: you're right; I understand. I meant that it was a very precarious condition - I can imagine that, as you say, actual homelessness is much rougher than that.
Because of the pandemic they closed all cyber cafes and all of who live there are struggling to find a place , some have become homeless , tough times.
I think, you have more potential than you might think. I wish you "close people", wich encourages and motivates you, to better yourself (wich can bring you in a better state, if you do for example a sport, fitness and workouts). What about a hobby to master or what about a better Job to have more money to spend for funny things (with or without people)? What about a good relationship wich someone you love and maybe marry? This is one of my Dreams, to be honest. Maybe you could start and find a dream for yourself? Or search for workouts and improve your Body. Why not. That worked for me. Wish you good luck. 👍🏻
BLaCkKsHeEp that’s actually a lot common in people now a days, not sickness it’s just a ways of thinking or physical disadvantages. I also let life carry me on not smart(no matter how hard I study), not good at talking to others or forming relationships, and I have no talent what so every. There are a lot of others just like me that just goes with the flow and work for something that might be worth wild, telling someone to seek help makes no difference, and be more specific, guide them, they are a lost sheep looking for a shepherd.
Japanese government should focus on this kind of matter in japan i hope they have this kind of program were people learn to talk or learn to meet someone just to boost there self to the point when they gonna see the world is too big not just to live in the box
While the young woman seems to be on hard times I think this quote from the interview speaks volumes "I don't seem to be able to have Dreams, Plans. It's good enough just to be alive. My goal, is to be positive and joyful." This is an extremely intelligent human being who doesn't have a dream, but had a goal. And a very admirable one. I hope she's doing good. I'm gonna remember those words for a long time.
she's also literally living in a cubicle at a web cafe lmao, i'd maybe take her muddled advice with a grain of salt, its good to be positive just not to let life take you wherever
@@tvco2svd please take what I say with a grain of salt. I simply meant her understanding of her situation is admirable. We are shown someone in a horrible situation with a huge amount of self awareness. I agree with what you've said though.
@@RawrasauRX-78 ahh two correct sides of an argument . I too wish to just feel joy and positive , every one of my 18 year old self dreams and ambitions are derived to just simply feel joy as I am right now trying to get into uni. I’ll remember that quote
That part was so soul gripping. I felt my heart drop. It's not just her... There's thousands of them....not just necessarily just in Japan. I really hope she is still with us ❤️❤️❤️. My heart goes out for these people.
It do be like that. Its strange. I have no actual reason for depressions and still cant get rid of them. These people dont even life humane anymore and still find reasons to continue going. Strong people.
Which leads me to believe she is not depressed. It also makes me think of the many people around the world who struggle to survive day by day. The struggle to survive keeps them going even when living in abject poverty. They are happy to get a meal or even a bite to eat for the day. Just hope one day we as humans can one day overcome this seemingly conditional part of our existence as a whole.
its been just shy of 10 years since this was filmed. I wish we could get an update on these people and see where they are now. Do they have their own apartments/houses or are they still in a internet cafe?
i can relate to their struggles. it's so sad to hear the same loneliness is hurting them. I lived in a bathroom for almost 2 years with just my computer to comfort me and I must admit, you really do cling onto the subtle presence of other people. I hope they all got out of that and can comfortably live their own lives now.
@@blackraid1 I lived in a bathroom in a family friends house. I was in a bad way and people attempted to talk me out of there many times. Looking back on it, I really appreciate them sticking through it and tolerating my inability to leave that room. I did end up moving out of there eventually and it was a very hard thing for me to do. I am happy I managed to, today I'll be moving across the country! If you would have told me that 3 years ago I would've looked at you and laughed.
I can feel it too........ If loneliness had a face, it would be her face. So sad. We are so disconnected from each other. I hope you are doing well in life bro. Take care of yourself and your love ones.
@@Kekorast Thanks! I can't complain about anything, I've had hardships, but I've been blessed beyond belief in my life. There's nothing that can replace true love and care from somebody who really cares about you.
03:11 "She works in the night world " = Sex industry. She said she wanted to be a REAL masseuse someday. No wonder she was depressed. I hope she's doing better now.
Ryota Arai She scares me. When she said she wants to be masseuse, she probably meant she want to work in a soapland brothel. That not much better than what she’s doing!
This video left out some interesting information: How much does it cost to live there vs. renting or room-sharing in Tokyo? I take it that those are adult-themed shops, but what does one actually do in the cubicle when living there, just surf the Internet and watch TV? What does the management think of these people? What do they do when they exit the building? This could have been a solid 20 minute short film.
Public bath houses are a thing in Japan. Likely, they had a toothbrush in their pack. You get free towels and washcloths at the local bath house. $1300 a month is about what I paid for a (fairly large) apartment "inaka" (in the mountains west of Tokyo) when I taught English. When I first moved there, I spent quite a bit of time in an internet cafe in the town near where I lived, so have personal experience with such places.
When I was working in Tokyo as an IT whenever I take the train home and when I go to work. I rarely see Japanese smiling. It seems like they are always tired and emotionless. Just going thru the same process everyday. It just felt like even though the trains are packed you still feel like you are alone. It feels weird.
Culturally-speaking, Japanese people typically don't display their emotions in public. That doesn't mean they're emotionless, it just means they aren't sharing their emotional life with you. It can definitely feel weird as a westerner though because we're often used to people being much more publicly emotionally demonstrative.
Alright this isn't about ending up in a cubicle. They are lonely. It would be ok if they had friends and casually go out to spend time with them and came back. Other than that this seems like a good way to save money.
According to the Director of the interview (99.Media) he only spoke with them for around 10 minutes and didn't get a chance to get their contact info. He also wishes they're happy wherever they are. He said this on his documentary as a side note because so many people asked for Hitomi's status. Glad to see people care for her even till this day. Nov 22, 2021 UPDATE: I have a friend who lives in Japan and he helped me on finding information about Hitomi. After lots of calls, begging, and convincing, Hitomi is not living there anymore. Where is she? She's with a friend working at an underground club!
We all get lost at some point, maybe at multiple points in our lives, but we're lucky if we have someone with us to help us through. I hope she finds hers.
I understand what you mean, I really do. Loneliness just makes everything so much worse, even having family around is better than being completely alone
@Mora Africano Camilo Andres Dude, we grow at different rates. We are uniquely different with each other, we face different problems, and we have different opportunities. There's a lot of difference between you and them. Be mindful dude.
@@xDeathMarinex I'm assuming it's because that's the only clothes she has. I don't know her full story but I'm guess when she said her parents essentially kicked her out at 16, she had to sell herself to make sends meet.. 😞 but I hope she had other ways and that's she's doing better since this has been filmed.
You can totally live at those places. While I was living in Japan, I had 30 hours of conference tapes I had to transcribe. I had too many distractions at home so I went to an Internet cafe. They have free soft drinks, coffee, and showers and you can order food over the computer. You can also get a space in a tatami room, so I brought a blanket. For a 12 hour pass, it’s like 2000 yen, or about $18. I stayed there for two and a half days.
They both deserve the happiness and i especially feel sorry for the girl as she had no attention from his parents. Also she was born weak and didn't expect to live till 20. Too sad!!
Japanese culture amazed most people with their advance technologies and heritage sites, but behind those things lots of issues that really need to uncover.
I have watched this video so many times. I watched this while living in Japan and now I am watching it again outside of Japan. Every time I watch this, I can't help but wonder where these people are now. Especially during this pandemic times. I actually have a friend who worked in the night life. She's been improving a lot since then. Every time we talk, she always tell me how much more energetic and happy she feels after talking with me. All I do is.. listen.. Sometimes that's all someone needs. Just someone to talk to and to listen to them.
@@ahmedjagirdar2773 I enjoyed living in Japan but work life balance depends on the job. I didn't have a good experience with jobs in Japan. Best part about Japan is everything is very convenient. And the customer service in every place is excellent. I will actually move back to Japan in a few years after I save up money. If you move there, try your best to learn the language and take part in community activities. You will get to meet lots of people and your experience in Japan will be much better.
@@user-ul5wq3kv4p thanks for the insight. I have heard many great things about Japan but at the same time there's many issues too which we don't see. Especially with finding jobs and it's overworking culture which really worries me.
I really want to know if they are still okay, for those that are interviewed, by the looks of it on google map the place seemed to be still working. I really wish that they can be tracked down (in a good way) and let us know of how have they been, the girl with the fragile health and the webmaster, i really hope they can find a good future in the constantly running world
As a tourist, Japan has been the most beautiful place I've been to and I loved it. The mix of nature and urban areas was my type of thing, and the people there are very kind too. But never have I thought of living there once, because the life seemed so hectic and it just seemed like a dead-end place where everybody seemed to be secluded and miserable. It's really a beautiful place overall, wish people were a lot more open though
@@thatman6916 if only culture between two foreign nations could be more heavily integrated, and be kept with the same level of respect for each other life could honestly be a drastic improvement and a lifetime of life lessons.
I really like how real this documentary has been presented, no soundtrack, just cold & lonely silence. Just like real life
yeah no addition gimmick in the background... this is documentary should be.. no additional commentary like discovery channel
Loop...it's just like real life...
Yup
Why do you need soundtrack, to make this film more scary or sad or what?
It really is a powerful presentation in minimalism.
Left home at 16 and no one came to fetch her back. That's truly heartbreaking.
no it isnt. she LEFT home to make money by being a prosty. ITS CLEAR AS DAY!
This used to be every Christmas growing up. My grandparents had 12 kids, and one of my aunts left home at 16. Every year during the holidays she'd get drunk and cry about how my grandparents didn't come get her.
@@epbrown01 back in the days they just had a bunch of kids. One of my grandma’s siblings passed away very early. In poorer countries they still have a bunch of children and they have the mindset that’s ages old in thinking more kids to work and bring money so they aren’t thought of as children but just objects to bring income. So most of the females who get sent to the city to do bar girl work generally don’t want to go home to see their parents because all their parents will do is ask money from them. Backwards societies
@@tainanking you are correct. This mindset is still around in modern society especially in third world countries. The parent literally treat their kids as retirement investments when they got older. They literally want kids cuz of money not because they actually want kids.
@@seankhieotue-in7193 I can't ever understand that kind of love. But in essence a lot of the girls get trapped in that lifestyle and still continue to do it under their own mindset. Lots of them aren't "sold" either. They just think it's easier money in general. So it's messed up every step of the way
Mental health is one of the most ignored aspects of Japanese society. I had to stay at a place like this in Osaka a few times and the feeling of being surrounded by people but being all alone was real.
Its also just never been a cultural norm in Japan to talk with or even approach strangers
@@Calilou52 I think that is so far from my personal experience. I've been approached so many times by random people either asking me questions or out of pure curiousity. Depends on the situation but for the many times I've been there this has happened every single time almost daily. Maybe its different for a Japanese in Japan though.
Same in any major western city. We only break the barriers down temporarily through drinking culture
Totally agree and what’s even more cruel is now my neighbours know I’m totally isolated they tend to bully me and it hurts especially when you have no one to turn to...❤️☮️
@@JG-nx3jg I’ve had some good conversations with strangers in major cities without drinking.
That woman speaking about her life, about her parents, how she wasn't supposed to live long, how lost she feels was just soul crushing.
I hope she's doing ok and I hope she found her dream.
Watching her smile but her voice faltering and her breath catching was heart breaking. I wanted to say, baby girl, I’m 36 and also have little dreams or belief in them. I do not have an attachment to being alive but two things keep me going. I wake with interest every morning, wondering what new thing I’ll learn and finding new ways to be myself. We are all unique, no one can ever be each other, so just being alive and being yourself has innate meaning and beauty.
@@daphneglasurus7886 I just wanted to reach in an hug her and tell her that it's going to be ok
so much of that rang true for me, i got a tear to my eye. I didn't think i'd live to be 30, and here I am 35. I had a great life, but never had long term plans or goals, never really wanted to accomplish anything, just wanted to take life in while I had it. Now I am directionless, I don't really care what happens to me, i have no goals or dreams, despite thinking about what I should try to accomplish all the time.
People in the comments say that she already commited suicide but im not sure if its true
Every time she chuckled nervously while saying the saddest things, it felt like a stab into my heart.
It's that feeling when you know your life is so fucked up that it's laughable.
She has had a horrible up bringing. Emptiness is what she is going through. Just to get some Human feeling she wants to works as a masseuse. She will get further into her lack of self worth.
@Pata Physics This is incredibly sad, she needs human contact as an equal. Not as an object!! Her long term prospects need to be re-evaluated, as she will sink down into the horrible underworld.
@Pata Physics she died last year. This is not her real name. She committed suicide.
@@billgallagher2450 omg
I am Japanese and I live 30 minutes away from the place. I never notice or pay attention to these sad people since their life is covered to our dailylife way too naturally. Thank you for sharing this video. I still do not know what I can do, but it definitely opened my eyes.
I hope you help them out by vising them.
This video was made 5 years ago. Most likely they may have commit suicide already.
Saki, it will be super neat, if you can just help out all of us here st the coments, mostly to know if she is ok, Im telling you, most of the coments are heading the same question "what happend to her" do you think is there any chance for you to give information of her? knowing that your near there, tks
indeed it would be really good if you could meet them and see how they are because it's really sad to see people who are in this kind of situation it breaks your heart!
help your brothers and sisters please
@@schadenfreude6274 dude what the hell...? I hope your kids are proud of you someday ya
The lack of any background music makes this much more realistic and lifeless.
It keeps it real just like the reality of everyone having depression, humans have always wanted more, such as this for example. Btw I’m talking about the video
Wow really captain obvious
@@rm71991 ur mom
@@rm71991 ur mom
@Bad Guy Good Manner can you be more specific or give some background to that
7 years have passed now...I hope these folks are doing well, and that they are happy wherever they are.
To be real the girl is probably dead right now.
I need an update on her.
@@relax2413 Noo broo, don't say that 😢
Her name is Hitomi Tanaka, I heard she got into acting.
@@ConsensusX 😂😂
Depression can be very serious
It's all a matter of perspective. Here I am thinking how cool that would be, its basically the cheapest rent you could get anywhere. Of course I don't plan on living inside all day, but with a combination of a job, sunlight, and plenty of physical activity I would love to save all my money and sleep on that floor lmao!
@@mortalhordewarrior9285 what are you talking about? Depression is a very serious thing - not cool at all.
I mean. Its overrated.
BA-DA-SH
Social media causes it. Zuckerberg don't use it. Meditates alot. B They know effects
I see u everywhere
The real genius part of not putting background music to this documentary is how you're immediately thrust into the world that they live in.
Little ants working for the queen of the motherland.
This reminds me of the"pods" the elite supposedly wants us to live in
american culture is a deliberately designed and released contagion.
Copy and pasted comment
@@speedytypermananswers5551 I've personally never met/seen a 50 year old Japanese gamer, Now this is just me so they're might be some but I've never heard of it.
One of the saddest things I've ever watched. Living in such a crowded city yet feeling so alone. Disconnected. Truly heartbreaking.
thats how it works ping
I fully agree with you Ping.
Isn’t that every city?
@@CS-ui4qj Not at all. It's totally possible to have great connections and a circle of close people in a large city. Sure you aren't connected to everyone like you might be in a sparsely populated area so I can see that kind of feeling, but you don't have to be alone.
That is my favorite part about city living. No one bothers you. 😎
one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. No unnecessary introduction dialogue, no hyperbole, just the actual raw statements from individuals with full emotion. This hit hard, especially for those of us watching it at 3 am. There is something so relatable, and real about their experiences...that became more apparent since the dawn of the smartphone age. We are all isolated, looking for personal connections, distributing our humanity in doses through the filter of a smart phone, and it's driving us all kind of mad....the internet of things is robing us of our humanity, we all waver between desiring company but end up craving isolating due to our loss of ability to handle a normal human conversation all because of the rectangle brick we use to do such communication. anyways...thats my rant lol....great video!
That woman had terrible parents she seems really sweet and deserves alot better in life. God bless her
Go give her one then
@@mashinom are you that special? Really.
What do you know about their parents ?
@@patricelanauze8301 did you not bloody hear what she said, I take it your probably a bum of a parent or a 15 year old? enlighten me
@@georgepalmer2120 you do believe everything a stranger saying to you?
The shocked part is , everything they said, they said it with a smile.
I think thats a Japanese social culture thing, like its socially unacceptable to show their emotions or feelings, even if they're talking about it. Seen a program a while back where they said something like this.
@@ncshuriken it is just like, they are embarrassing that they are unhappy.
That is what depression looks like.
I do this too, otherwise it’s really hard to control my emotions
In japan it's normal to laugh at misfortune to try and lighten up the situation
I can’t imagine having to leave home at 16. It’s a harsh world out there. That poor girl. I hope her life has gotten better.
Yeah, I was thinking that too, a fragile girl left like that to cope for herself in that horrible, cold environment. What she needs is a friend, family, someone who cares...
Unfortunately she has passed on :(
@@27decimotrio Are you serious? Where did you find this out from? That’s so awful. Poor, poor girl.
@@Lauranna Suicide is very common in Japan. Its very likely she and the others in the video have killed themselves.
@@27decimotrio whaaatttt, can you drop me some link please
16, left home, wasn’t supposed to live past 20 and has no goals. I want to hug her.
I want to meet her, I saw this video years ago and I always watch it again, I even download the video and crop it only in the Hitomi section.
This year I am going to open my company and next year I am going to register it in Japan and in the midst of this context, beyond all the things I have to do, I will go look for it.
I just hope he's alive and hasn't committed suicide.
@@SukoneTeiVocaloid89Please keep us updated. I think there’s enough interest to possibly raise funds to employ a Tokyo based private detective to find her. Of course, it would be her choice to be interviewed before a camera. Perhaps some of the funds could provide a speaker fee but we would want to be as sure as possible the detective finds the correct woman. Hopefully she’s still alive.
@@sgr_sgr The proposal you mention is very good, I personally am preparing to meet the necessary requirements to create my company. In fact, I have already started with some steps in terms of legal and intellectual property.
but the idea is to move to Japan for several specific reasons on a personal level and one of those reasons is to be able to find Hitomi and give you information about the situation.
But the question is how could I meet her and establish communication with her to explain to her that there are many people in the West who care about her, that is something I want to do soon. .
@@SukoneTeiVocaloid89 In my humble opinion I do think a crowd funded private investigator might very well provide the best probability of finding her & even then the investigation would likely be a slow, methodical & gargantuan task, fraught with frustration & uncertainty. I wish you the very best with it.
@@SukoneTeiVocaloid89Man , I really missing her, Don't know what would be happened to her, is she alive or not? The thing is that we our society failed at giving Systems that atleast help such people who are not able to do much better because of their siblings dreams and many struggles lying behind , I can see the pain behind her voice! Really heart breaking 💔 made me cry for a moment!
The girl's story and the way she told it just broke my heart... I hope she's ok
Ong it’s honestly sad especially knowing I can’t do nothing to help
i read in the comments that she has passed from drug overdose. i'm not completely sure tho
@Running Red Fox They don't need Captain Save a Ho though.
@@alfred7850 oh no that's terrible 😰🥺😢😓😞
@@dattack1970 😑
It started as a documentary about cyber cafés, and it ended up being a deep philosophy reflection about loneliness and human purpose.
Japan ultimate underlying crisis at the moment.
That’s just how people do. Especially when you encounter those who are half-homeless. Philosophy is bound to appear. Loneliness has been a particular issue in Japanese cities for years but depression from loneliness is an affliction all over the world these days.
cold truth about big city and society.
'''i wasnt supposed to live long, i wanted to live till 20
since i am older than that now, i feel a bit lost'''
my god...
That cut me really deep because I didn’t want to live past 25.
@@manny9050 i know how you feel.
never thought i would live past 20 tbh. My depression and self harming made me feel like i was a tragedy waiting to happen (i still do)
Thanks to teraphy and medicine i managed to find a new light and now i actually want to live.
however, i dont know what to do with my life, i feel lost too.
I can't find my place, but i hope to find it soon, my best wishes to the people in this video and eveyone who is lost too.
magic duckman I always found it fascinating that people never see the pains of life itself. We live in a society that pressures us to live in what I call, a modern enslavement. You go to school to get a job, get a job to make money, and make money to live. If fallen short in any of those three, then you’re nothing. You’re a waste of human oxygen. You’re expendable as far as humankind is concern. When did we get so fucked as a species.
@@manny9050 its always been like that.
Sadly it will continue like that.
Im not looking for a job that'll make me rich, i just want something i like and its enough to keep me alive.
That was rough too hear,hey,!,
Living in Japan for 4 years I learned to appreciate and admire Japanese culture with all its weirdness. You would have to live and travel all of Japan to really get the feel of the people. Those that only travel the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka are missing out. The city life can be quite robotic, sinister, and spectacular; the food is amazing and the people are willing to open up if you are suave enough. My summary of Japan is that it is still isolated and its people are still reserved and intimidated by the outside world. I could only handle being there for 4 years to preserve my sanity in the end.
The presentation of this is exceptional. The lack of a narrator or any music made me feel like I was in the Manboo with the interviewees. The low walls meaning that we had to keep our voices down as to not disturb our 'neighbors'.
most Japanese speak incredibly softly as it is
Way to make it all about you, you egomaniac
6 years ago. They could be anywhere now... I hope they have found profound happiness in their lives
Yes we need an update
almost 7 now. i hope they're okay.
@Jacky Drywater probably
I hope the girl was able to become a masseuse and the man found something to do with himself
"found something to do with himself"? He has already figured out his life, stop comparing yourself with others
It hurts everytime the girl speaks... She's been through a lot and I hope she can reach her goal and obtain true happiness
She apparently died last year ... Suicide ...
@@Phoeniiks.E source?
@@Phoeniiks.E what is your source why say something like that and not put where got the information from
@@anthoni-yh9ts hes probably right, i saw alot of similar comments :/
she is highly valuable to western man where she can marry a rich guy.
Thank you so much for not including any annoying dramatic music 🙏
You never really know how good you have it till you watch something like this...i'm old retired i started crying watching this......god bless them
It's not as though they're starving in some god-forsaken third world country. Nothing is preventing them from going out into the real world and making friends.
They don't even have it bad.
I hate this kind of comparison. Some people try to cope with their shitty reality by acknowledging that there are other people in an even worse situation
@@Igordrs But is there really a fine line between third world poverty and first world problems?
@@jennysimpson564 You can't be that alienated. I can't possibly believe you have no idea what depression looks like
"People don't care about one another, they only care about themselves, they are indiferrent"
Soul crushing society.
Imagine you dont want to be alone and yet you want to be by yourself
Yeah... truly soul crushing of a generation when the internet keeps us connect and at the same time keeps us also apart more
Modern cities are designed to be atomizing
All cities are like that. I've seen it in London and NY. Homeless everywhere and people just ignoring anyone who's lying on the pavement. But you gotta accept reality and find beauty where you can. Have to learn to adapt and build relationships. There will be a number of people in your life who care about you and who you care about. And the rest ..... 🤷🏻♂️
I don't belive this. I think everyone has some form of kindness in their hearts. However in japan it's just forced to be pushed aside somewhat. In japan nobody leaves a courtesy seat for someone with a disability, in China everyone stands up. Kindness needs to be taught to be shown. I'm friends online with many people around the world. But I taught myself balance. I came out as trans and they all were super supportive and kind. That's why I belive the world is kind at heart.
Sure, I've gotten death threats. Sure, I've gotten bullied. But those people are people that have their own journey to make.
@@itisannona I'm indifferent to most people too and the kindness in my heart just acts when there's something I consider more important than a human life is at risk, for example trying to help a dog
Because a dog life is worth more than a person's life in my eyes
The way that girl talks about herself and life in general breaks my heart
@Carlo Snapdragon , how do you know?
@@karlinhaalvarez615 feeling
bouse ur a mangina
She is extremely pretty (when she doesn't smile). Fix her teeth up and she would become a solid 8/10
@@doyltruddy902 Your comment is so f*cking inappropriate. Go being a clueless idiot somewhere else.
Its been 8 or so years now, so I really, really hope that the situation has changed for the better.
Can really relate to the girl,
You see, not having a goal in life is just normal for people. One day, you'll soon realize it.
But if you are just letting life drift you away, is horrible.
It is like you are just a programmed robot to do the same task, over and over again..
Just like me, I'm 23, I "eat, sleep, work, repeat"
I do not know what to do in life, all the money I earned, I give to my parents and young brother, leaving money for me enough to buy me food until next pay day.
I do not like hangging out with anybody, friends and co-workers.
I find happiness in being alone, but not completely alone.
cant really blame the individual person itsleft of feeling like a robot, after all people are truly programed to do or even what they should think, have you ever stopped and think if your thoughts are really yours? maybe what are you doing its not by your will but from another entity, call it what you want but for me life itself is pure chaos and i enjoy it
I’m sure there are hobbies that you will find fulfilling, but you have to try things to find those hobbies.
You have show compassion in looking after your family but you must show that same compassion to yourself. You, as much as anyone in this world deserve to be loved
I think you have social anxiety.
this might sound cliche but have you tried religion?, humanity have always turns to some diety in the face of uncertainty as a resort to find some understamding or meaning in life. fulfillment isnt in money houses cars or women, but in your mind. take some advice from a stranger, look into the lore of religions, and maybe youll find something that makes you question yourself, travel with the money you make and see its beauty, read books as its one of the things people regret not doing more of when of when they were younger, and keep a great relationship with your family as they are the only people you can truly with little doubt say that they care about you. i wish you blessings happiness and fulfilment. alsalam alykom.
It's 2020. I hope Hitomi is still alive and has found her happiness, her true calling. My life is nowhere near as rough, so hearing her story just shook me.
They should do a followup, but it might be hard to find the people they interviewed.
There was a follow up article somewhere on a Korean news site about neighboring countries in 2019, this was featured and most of these people in this video have either moved out or gone somewhere else because their room numbers have different people in them. I have no idea where Hitomi is because her room was occupied by a different guy in the video on the article. If I can find it I’ll link it.
@@Youngy find the link
Following
Nobody cares💩
She said some of the most gut wrenching truth’s with a chuckle and smile. It must have taken a huge amount of strength to acknowledge the emptiness in her life. I wish i could just hug her and let her know that everything will be alright. I don’t know who she is , where she is now - but if anyone knows, please be her friend. She is literally saying that she doesn’t know the reason for her existence , please be her reason. she deserves to live, she deserves happiness like everyone else. God bless here !!
I want to meet her, I saw this video years ago and I always watch it again, I even download the video and crop it only in the Hitomi section.
This year I am going to open my company and next year I am going to register it in Japan and in the midst of this context, beyond all the things I have to do, I will go look for it.
I just hope he's alive and hasn't committed suicide.
These people are probably undiagnosed clinically depressed. This is a horrible life!
Daryl, you should buy another pair of glasses...
If you show this to a Syrian kid, he would still appreciate this guy's life. Moral, if you think your life's worse, there's always someone who dreamed your life.
@@FreedomAirguns Daryl, you shouldn't buy another pair of glasses...
@@devanshsingh3369 that is a sadly twisted misapplication of the sentiment that suggests you should be happy with what you've got . yes , you must be grateful to GOD for your life but that does not preclude that in order to honor what you have you must sit there and not work hard to better yourself .
@@bobsaturday4273 I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to make our life even more better, I'm saying that we should not blame our origin for being unsuccessful in life. It's actually the exact opposite of what you think I'm saying sir.
The part about wanting to be alone but still having someone there is 100% relatable
Collin Daniel most people that are married have kids, not sure how they can be alone with a family.
@Collin Daniel I totally agree, I LOVE my wife and kids, but also LOVE my time alone from them at home...... When they go away for a couple of days and i'm truly left alone I miss them desperately....... After an hour they come back i'm looking for a hiding spot lol...
just goes to show how you can be in a hundred thousand people and still feel all alone. Some are drawn to a life of loneliness, and darkness, and sadness like moths being attracted to the flame..some of us never seem to choose but happiness does come from within like the first gentleman in the video he lives a loney existence but his smile tells me that he is strong enough to handle it unlike the girl who admits to having no dreams at all :(
Being alone is for sucky losers
@@BarbnGrill so how does it feel then??
Seeing someone have the lack of will to live is very heartbreaking. I can’t imagine how people actually live through so much pain to the fact they have lost their meaning in life but still live. I hope they will soon find happiness in their life.
@Dr Rockso "There is no absolute objective meaning in life" doesn't mean that people can live without an aim. Indeed, if the absence of meaning makes you free because that give you the ability to choose one you like.
This girl can't do so because she feels empty inside and there is nothing that seems to have the capacity to fill his hearth like something should. This let the feeling to be useless and almost dead and this part is the saddest about her story
It's pain, terror and pure horror all in one, you feel like your chest is about to implode and your head explode.
The worst part is that once you've felt it, you never forget it.
I've had my demons and survived, but I was lucky, unlike many other people. It doesn't matter how much sympathy you can give, money or support, if a person is broken from trauma it's likely they'll never function properly again.
@Dr Rockso and that's just your opinion.
@Dr Rockso the meaning of life is to live. You are a fool.
@Dr Rockso yes there is no inherent meaning to life but that doesn’t mean you can’t create,her goal was to reach twenty after that was done she had no will to do anything so she just drifted along,she also had nothing that made her happy,
This is a video I keep returning to, periodically. I experience chronic, prolonged periods of solitude in social isolation for weeks at a time, due to disability. I like the way both interviewees smile & laugh at times, describing their situation, rather than being dour & grumpy about it.
The Manboo seems quiet yet there’s people living around each other. I think I could enjoy living there for maybe 2 or 3 months. I’d probably turn my nights to day & maintain that daily rhythm for the duration of my stay.
I keep returning too.
@@y2b5 😀👍🏻 Yeah, everything’s so stripped down yet efficient. Meals, snacks, hot/cold drinks, water, a shower & no doubt a toilet & a cabin with a computer. It’s enough!
Japan is often depicted to be a lively place in animes but in reality it's really a place where no matter how bright city light is, it's shadows looms with depression.
Heal in D or F?
All cultures and countries have positive and negatives, none are exempt from this reality. Difference is what's more dominant the positive or negatives.
Says the person with fabricated ideas.
@@Ya_Mum1984 define fabricated ideas? All ideas are fabricated. Name a single idia that's not fabricated.
@@AndreiStoen i guess it comes down to 'created' compared to 'fabricated' i guess one would be something genuine while the other is something instilled and doctrined into you. (but you got a good point, i guess drinking and UA-cam comments aint a good mix for me)
Japan is a real life cyberpunk world to me, many dark things were hidden by it's brightening neon sign. Truly broke my heart seeing someone actually lives like that
Just like bideogames!!!!!
@@redgane3115 What is up with you religious fanatics trying to sell your religion around?
Islam is not the only religion in the world, neither is it the oldest. Lets get that out of the way first.
Second of all, the fact you glorify your religion or any other religion for the matter and try to sell it as MY and YOUR, thinking you are speaking like as if God himself sent you and speaks to you in person on what you should tell people is a cry for help on your Ego.
Check your religious Ego, do your research and learn a few things about other religions before you sell your religion as the greatest thing since sliced bread.
My and your book, what is this? Religious Communism?
And don't call people Animals because they don't follow what you follow. Learn a few things about human decency towards other living things.
@@redgane3115
Yes
@@Sinful-Princess69 if you can give me one contradition in the Quran or a mathematical or scientifical or grammatical error in this miraculous book or something doesnt make sense in islam i will leave it
@@Sinful-Princess69 the truth is too heavy and even if there is all that hate and war against islam its the fastest growing religion people from usa from uk from japan are embracing this religion many scientists become muslims
*"It's good enough just to be alive"*
That one hit me right in the feels 😭
@Ultimate Zeno lmao what a dumb comment. Cant even spell right
Ultimate Zeno 57 percent of the population are religious.
@Ultimate Zeno what if their religious and they still chose to live here?
He isn't lying though he has a good outlook on the world in my opinion. He could be depressed and suicidal. But he knows how important life is. And lives how he wants to on his terms.
its so heart-warming... I wish more ppl will understand the meaning of living is living itself.
This was 7 years ago. I hope they found some peace or something that brings them joy.
Diffused 7 years ago .
Make quick research about 99 documentary, the film maker already made an interview in 2015 and didnt have news still .
Friendly reminder , they were living illegally as well .
I hope so too
wow, that girl just needs a hug and a friend. it's like she was disappointed she didn't die. poor girl, no one deserves to feel that way
narwhalcastle damnn no chill bruh
@@vivekrao13what did he say
@@vivekrao13what did he say
"My goal... is to be positive and joyful."
Lovely girl
I just wonder how is the situation going on there with the virus...
yeah lovely... and dead...
@@andreimunteanu750 You're a pathetic person
Maybe those storylines are made up and people are payed actors
@@whyintheworldamiallowedsuc400 why is that ? i just stated a fact , she is literally dead , and you can't blame me for stating the truth
saddest part about the girl is that she's been doing what shes doing since she was 16.
Which is what?
@@MustacheDLuffy prostitution; when you have someone like that saying they're a masseuse, they usually work in a soap land, which is basically a brothel. The girls may not have sex with you per say, but they do everything else.
@@MustacheDLuffy rub 'n tug
:(
She can think about what she want to do
Truly heartbreaking. I really wish these individuals all the best and hope they find happiness, love, peace and good health. The mental issue is a major problem being ignored in not just Japan but world wide especially big cities. Good documentary.
The loneliness & melancholy are heartbreaking for me to watch.
They know their future will be bleak regardless of how much they strive to improve their lives, and this hopelessness would be the leading cause of their mental health decline.
Most would not be bothered to find a life partner, knowing they don't have the means to start life as a married couple. So, they resign themselves to a life of indefinite desolation, and still, they can muster a smile when we know deep down, their hearts are full of sadness, knowing they don't have anywhere to go and nothing to look forward to.
My heart goes out to them. 😥......I'm crying.
When she said "I wasn't supposed to live long. I wanted to live to reach 20. But since I'm older than that now, I feel a bit lost." it hit me hard. Not that I had the same situation as her with the 'night work' but I have a disease where I was diagnosed to die around 20. I was 15 when my family found out. Life flipped completely upside down. My family started treating me differently and had to walk on eggshells around me. My friends didn't know how to handle such a situation and drifted away. I couldn't make new friends because my entire school found out eventually and it only made people sympathetic and depressed without an easy or normal way to bond. I started acting out and doing dangerous stuff, partially because I was angry and alone, and partially because I felt like nothing mattered anymore. At 18 I ran away from home, honestly because I didn't want to face the impending 2 years of waterworks and awkward social dynamics. I survived on the bare minimum and somehow I reached 21. I was absolutely lost. I thought I would've died by then so I had no career path, no passions or interests, and no goals or dreams. So I kept living a simple life, expecting to drop dead at any point. Last year I went to a doctor for the first time in 8 years and I still had the disease. In fact, the doctor was astounded how I was alive at 26. The clinic asked for my background and I panicked and ran away again. Now I feel like my life is one big fat joke. Something is keeping me alive, on the edge of death, with nothing to live for and even if I wanted to pursue something it's probably too late to have a good start. Sometimes I think about offing myself. No one would know who I am or where I came from. But I suppose I'll just keep doing my thing until I can't anymore. Sorry for the sad story.
I wish you the best. I hope you find something you can pursue. I hope a cure is found for your disease. I hope everything works out so you can reunite with your family and friends. This might not be worth anything from a random person on the internet but if you can accept my hopes as a friend, you are not alone. I believe life has things worth living for and I believe there must be a reason you are alive. Good luck, my friend. 🙏
🙏🌄🙏
are you still around?
No its hard as hell.. But hang in there.🌹🌹
I'm sorry you had to go through that, I wish to be your friend, a similar situation happened to me but I didn't have a disease but I have autism. I was just seen not heard kind of thing I was just there....co existing being less than human. I eventually got used to it and just became very shy because I didn't know how to talk to people or I acted strange, right now I'm just trying with my relationship and It's the first time I've been truly happy in 10 years I'm going to make the best of it and I wish you the best, come talk to me here when you need me
Just wanna give her a hug. Rarely seen anyone so much deserving of one.
Yeah same here
What do you even mean, man... a lot of people deserve one. You pass them by every day and don't think twice about it.
@@llIlIlllII Yep, people probably wouldn't even want to shake their hands. At least she can wash her clothes, take a shower, and have a nice roof over her head.
Emily B maybe because there’s no documentary about their struggles so you can see and feel just how hard they have it. So I guess you go around hugging everyone you see? Seriously, calm down
I had the same feeling. Poor sad soul needing some love.
Hence the reason why anime end at high school. That’s the last years of actual living before you become a corporate slave or something like this happens. Great place to visit. Not to live.
You should try the countryside, it's better there.
no way man, I saw goku grow up to be a pretty cool guy and start a family of his own. Way past high school age, i think
@@DonPancho1 😂😂😂
@@DonPancho1
I think Goku is never went to Highschool... nvm
Yup thats it. The Japanese believe in youth that its the most important/best time in life. They are pretty obsessed with it.
Sadness and a deep sense of loss is all i get from this documentary. Hope the people we saw will find a motivation to their lives and will be able to step up. The more you let yourself go, the harder it is to get back on track. Sad
I have no clue how I ended up watching this video but I couldn’t stop watching it either...
neuspeed79 weird how we can become so attracted by sadness...!
@@gillescordier8033 Must be because sadness is relatable to us all.
neuspeed79 Yes but for me this vid breaks my vision of Japanese culture. I imagined a great culture rich in a multitude of things, not so much sadness in their youth. I guess it' s everywhere in the world and can affect any culture...
I feel the same way. Going with the flow in the society is something everybody want to escape but could not.
WTH
Sad. Just sad. He nailed it when he said he was running away from life and ended up there. I hope one day, they'd be free from the shackles they have imagined and created. Life outside, with all its drudgery and imperfections, can still be beautiful.
XvX XvX Ah don't get me wrong please. Facing your deepest fears and problems instead of running away from them and eventually life itself is what I meant. No man is an island but a part of a whole. Our success or failure in life depends largely on our personal relationships with other people. Believe me when I say that there are times I hate people. But then, hating on humanity would mean hating on myself as well, cause I am part of it. And I have had enough self-loathing in my life. Time to luuuuv me, myself and my life. God bless us. 😊💕👍
@@alwaysimitatedneverduplica4527 youre one of the few people that actually get the point.
Nope they won't
@XvX XvX Absolutely. Very well said. Couldn't agree more.
@XvX XvX The dude said it himself,he couldnt thrive without others. and like it or not, even the most introverted person will degrade when they are that isolated. i know from experience. smiley face when someone give you approval? ironic much
The Japanese they speak is not well translated... There is a lot of pain in the words they are choosing...
I live in Japan and walk past these places all the time... To think that people are using them as their only place to call home is depressing indeed.
I agree. As an english speaker who lived in Japan for 10 years, some of the translation does not convey the full meaning and emotion in the dialogue
can you translate some?
I'd love to see an in depth breakdown of any particular phrases or terms that failed to be properly translated so that other viewers can appreciate what you're referring to.
Why are there even cyber cafes? I thought that Japan was the technology Mecca of the world? I mean are computers very expensive? Just curious. I love Japanese culture and would
Love to visit one day.
Yes, a couple of examples would be wonderful.
This is, more and more, the future that our modern corporate technocracy wants for the rest of the world, and it's already well on it's way.
Maybe, but is only working, because people eat it up. This is more grassroots, than most people think. Incentives create outcomes.
There is so much sadness in Hitomi's voice. I felt like crying.
The way she holds her phone and cigaret. You can see har hands shaking. It is sad.
@@bighairymeow9664 i couldnt tell if that was her but regardless i saw that and it made me so sad. whatever is causing that shake, its not good :(
She is a very strong woman.
She was able to put a smile on her face despite being very sad
It’s just a smoker voice
@@yra253 when you live in a big city like Tokyo, it's kinda the default mannerism, just seem agreeable and maintain positive body movements and you'll blend in.
"I let life carry me along"
This sentence penetrated my heart
"go with the flow" I don't think so, sometimes where it goes I dont' wanna go, so I'll learn to row. Swim, anything but be swept away by the current.
@@DS-ld8ns you opened my eyes with your comment. I would love to connect with you. How do we become friends?
@@voyeger4464Just keep em open, You'll see there is a friend in Me. all around the world round. On the street, from where you seek, infront of a mirror is a peek. Make it up the steep peak. Then you'll learn to speak.
Errors made pave the way, riding waves up and downs, turning frowns back to smiles. protecting crowns.
healing heads.
I must do by my will, for real. not that of others say. I'll have to make it my own way. For if i choose ot go the way of "others" say. It may be to my own dismay.
Losing a battle, teaches the war.
Warship, "worship" taking note and take heed. That all you read. aims to captivate your thought.
I'm self taught. Not for naught. I learn through my own flow and to all those that say let go. I'll say NO.
Storms make it rough to navigate the sea, sometimes I can't see.
@@DS-ld8ns 🤣
Dead fish swim with the current
They sound so calm but their words are so sad... The girl sounds like she has a pretty bad depression.
@Proteus Hellene, considering WHAT she says it's pretty bad. Just because she looks feminine (what even..?) or sound calm doesn't mean a lot.
@Proteus Hellene I am sorry , i usually really dislike taking part in much conversation on youtube especially negative ones but WHAT?? That's all i wanted to say.
@Proteus Hellene You do know Japan has a bad mental health issue and that suicide rates are really high? I don't know why you have to interject yourself in Kart's comment with your wrong opinions.
@Proteus Hellene : You have some VERY strange ideas re depressives and manic-depressives. None of them are accurate. They're just bizarre.
@Proteus Hellene : I'm a psychiatrist. And, you're a fool.
I can relate to Hitomi so much, I love my own space and alone time, I'm an introvert at heart. I can never own a house all to myself, to much space and responsivities for me considering I'm a minimalist as well. I know I don't need or want that much free space, I always have to live with like one or two other people. It's a comforting feeling to know your never actually alone but also nice when you have your own space and no one bothers you.
The fact that she didn't planned to live more than 20 was terrifying. Hope she find peace and happiness in her life. May she get strength to start over and lead a happy life.
She said she had a fragile health
@@huh239M Suicide
@@philithegamer8265 no, watch the video again
It would be 27 if she is still alive, but we know the truth would be.
@@huh239M Yeah but i think he means willpower like not realistically
Right now, there are people all over the world who are just like you. They're either lonely, they're missing somebody, they're depressed, they're hurt, they're scarred from the past, they're having personal issues no one knows about, they have secrets you wouldn't believe. They wish, they dream and they hope. And right now, they are sitting here reading these words, and I'm writing this for you so you don't feel alone anymore. Always remember, don't be depressed about the past, don't worry about the future, and just focus on today. If today's not so great don't worry! Tomorrow's a new chance. If you are reading this, be sure to share this around to make others feel better. Have a nice day!"
Thank you for this man. Everyday is a struggle, but you made it easy. I appreciate this so much! God bless you 🙏🏽
@@jorgelara659 God bless you too man.
@ItsYaBoi ErrSkinnYP3n15 Take your time bro.
We are not special in any way. Even our problems don't make us special, because there is at least one person in the world that has gone through the same as ourselves...
But there's also at least one person in the world that completely understands what you are going through.
That gives me some hope.
thank you man
I have respect to these people. Because they are brutally honest.
True bro
feel sad about the girl :(
This was a powerful look into the lives of others. Thank you for this eyeopener! Made my heart sink for them in many ways.
Japan is like that Funny Guy in Class who acts like he's Enjoying His Life and everything's going well for him while in fact he's suffering from depression.
Japan?
@@hexmymind this video is about japan, are you blind or you can't read the title?
It's because in Japanese culture you're not allowed to show your suffering to others because it's not good to make others worry so they usually bottle everything inside and are not used to talking about mental health issues... which makes things even worse
By the other hand, Japan also looks like that quiet and introvert guy of the class. Who mostly doesn't express it's feelings openly to others.
The example of these are the modern Hikikomori.
The fact that the funniest guy in our friend group refuses to show us to his house no matter what tells a lot.
What that girl said about how she can hear everyone around her snoring and breathing helps her not feel so alone is surreal. It reminded me of when I went home after basic military training and slept in a room by myself for the first time in months. Took me about a week or two to adjust to it.
Lord Cregan Stark how was being on a sub I’d be paranoid a leak would happen or sum quick
Thank you both for your service! (Jeff and Stark) Glad you made it home safe. ✌️
The sense of having firewatch and every one around me was a feeling i had never had when i joined. Its strange living with others and vice versa when you've done it for so long.
It's kinda weird how you don't notice sounds until they're gone. With covid-19 lockdowns then going back to work, I never realized how loud it was. Very loud. Plus the gym, I never really paid attention to the sounds but suddenly it got very loud and almost impossible to stay around.
thats how a dog feels when you leave for 10 mins.
After watching this, I've decided to notice people and smile just to bring a little happiness to those around me. We are all human and deserve to be noticed and appreciated
Good idea. I landed in New York once to meet with some other songwriters, and the first person I met was a homeless guy who had laid out a banquet for anyone to eat, on park benches. It was a street behind a Jewish catering kitchen, so it was all Jewish food. I was walking past with my guitar and back pack, and he said "are you hungry?" I said "who is all this food for?" He said "for you! For anyone who wants it!"
So I ate some and we chatted, and he walked the mile or two with me, carrying my guitar, to the hostel I was going to stay at. He made a point of smiling and saying hi to everyone we walked past. Then he left and walked back to the street banquet.
I might have even asked him if he says hi to everyone, and his attitude was pretty much like yours - everyone could use a smile and just that little bit of human validation.
I went to see him at the underpass where he was living, before I left to return to Australia: he and another guy gave me some more food and I took him to see his first ever show on Broadway - figured it was the least I could do for his gestures and the life lesson. He fell asleep in the theatre but the whole thing was worth it, and I'm sure there was a lesson there too.
Of course it's difficult when our own anxiety about out worthlessness gets in the way and it's hard to extend those smiles when everyone wants to turn away. But worth it when we can strengthen ourselves enough to be that example and that love.
Check out Amanda Palmer's Ted Talk 'The Art of Asking' if you want to hear a little more esp the part where when she worked busking as a human statue, it may have been the only time those people walking past had any human eye contact all day...
Bless ya
:)
I do that in Germany, but germans think youre crazy when you smile for no reason.
Yeah like a psychopath smiling without a reason
Easier said than done. Society breaks most people down after a while. How long you are willing to go ahead with your plan depends a lot on how high you can maintain your morale.
Which is why it's best to not isolate and become a full loner. Always have people you can trust around you. At least a handful. We are social creatures after all, even having a dog can help (although that doesn't replace true friendships or companionships).
When I first watched this video I lived in a different country, was working my first job and was only starting to grasp the complexities of adult life. I found this very sad but very eye-opening back then. Nowadays, being a skilled professional, with a life put together, a partner, big house, car and new friends I still find myself coming back to this video. Or rather the video finds its way back to me, just as sad and eye-opening, but it hits different: the protagonists, are still the same, there, frozen in time and space, even after so much time, after so much change in my own life. I really hope time has been kind to them.
"I don't care what happens to me." Survival is the most basic human instinct...when I read those words...I actually started to cry. She's so dispirited and downtrodden....I've been in some very spots in my life, but oh my gosh, I can actually look back and tell myself that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. And even if it was bad, I was still strong enough to want to see myself succeed on the other side.
@Kody Choates Did you read all the way to the end? Your comment doesn’t make any sense.
@@LoveAndSnapple hes a bully.infact he is bullying you to hide his own depression.Btw, are you in a good position now,are you satisfied with yourself now?
@@istiaquemahmudsiam3719 We got a psychoanalyst here!
@Kody Choates keep acting tough on the internet big boy, I'm sure there's a pay off just waiting somewhere
Not everything is about you. This video should make you think of others and the alienation engendered by modern, urbanised capitalist societies. It ain't about your "struggles"!
"You can't grow by yourself. You can't thrive."
Man I felt that
I disagree with this claim. The majority of the most notable philosophers from those periods spanning from the Hellenistic Era to the Renaissance to the 19th and 20th century agree that solitude is one cardinal ingredient in the cuisine of personal growth and character development.
"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul." - Marcus Aurelius, c. AD 170-180 Meditations, bk.4, no.3 (translated by M Staniforth).
"He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a wild beast or a god". - Aristotle, Aristotlian Ethics, Scholars Select
"To live alone one must be a beast or a god, says Aristotle. Leaving out the third case: one must be both - a philosopher." - Friedrich Nietzsche, Friedrich Nietzsche (1977). “The Portable Nietzsche”, p.290, Penguin
“In solitude there grows what anyone brings into it, the inner beast too. Therefore solitude is inadvisable to many.” - Nietzsche, Will to Power
"A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, in solitude everyone has to face himself." - Arthur Schopenhauer
"The two conditions that lead others to languor - i.e. leisure and solitude - him made sharper." - Cicero, Book III, section 1 - De Officiis - On Duties (44 BC)
"Without great solitude, no serious work is possible." - Pablo Picasso
"Solitude, the safeguard of mediocrity, is to genius the stern friend." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Culture. - The Conduct of Life (1860)
“A bore is someone who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company.” - Oscar Wilde
"The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude." - Aldous Huxley
"The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself." - Mark Twain
There's a fine difference between loneliness and aloneness. Loneliness is one thing, solitude another. If you're unable to grow in solitude than you're in bad company.
@@oogway73 good food for thought
I think Naruto said something like that once
@@cainagnascimento YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!
Depends on the person.
This video made me understand how lucky I am to have a family that makes me feel complete.
Poor Hitomi man her story is heartbreaking :/ i hope she is still alive and well. And finds that comforting balance between being alone and having company. I struggle with that want too i don't like being alone but at the same time i prefer it that way.
when the girl said "I dont have a goals anymore, to find the reasons to live, i let life carry me along"
It made me thinks how seriously can a depression makes really look like. It just pure sadness. Imagin wakin up everyday doin the same things, over and over and you just waiting for your end.
To all my homies once or up until now, I hope yall doin great. Specially in this time of pandemic where its really been depressing. But still don't let the fire of your dreams get extinguish. And always find a reason to keep it lit. Life is a precious. Life is a full of meaning.
You too bro, stay strong 💯
Cmt like yours sure light up someone and that someone is me too
Same goes for you too my boi👍
She said that herself if you were listening closely. “I enjoy being alive.”
Or at least that was her baseline.
@@calmexit6483 lol bruh you really missed her meaning there. she meant she enjoys being alive the same way you enjoy trips to Disneyland or whatever thing you like to do that you can't do often. Like it's a thing she likes *but that she doesn't get often*. If you read between the lines- or rather just listen to everything else she's saying- you can clearly see with your own danged eyes, my man, that she is very obviously depressed.
Depression wtf ? Not every sad moment or problem in life is depression
It's like being in a grave surrounded by other graves, except you're "alive" in this one.
This is the realest comment I’ve seen
Yea you keep falling that it's hard to change
Not everyone who goes there are like these people in this video...
I find it the as the REAL definition of FREEDOM
That's the all idea behind cities. Electricity = light in the w/tomb.
Basically, it's a slightly upgraded form of homelessness.
Edit: as it's been noted in the comments, actual homelessness is way worse than this.
slightly upgraded is sleeping with 4 walls and a tin roof.. This is like a 4 star hotel comparatively. ( but i guess they gotta pay somewhat)
It's one in between, people who didn't exactly hit rock bottom but got nowhere to go, a place where people just drift until they can't anymore.
You've clearly never been homeless. This is a MASSIVE upgrade
@@plaguis1391: you're right; I understand. I meant that it was a very precarious condition - I can imagine that, as you say, actual homelessness is much rougher than that.
about 20 of them can get together and rent a house, helping each other out. It would work.
Hitomi's story is truly heartbreaking. I hope she finds happiness and can be around people who love her someday.
It's been 4 years. I hope they're all doing fine.
I heard the guy commit suicide . I really not sure about this.
Because of the pandemic they closed all cyber cafes and all of who live there are struggling to find a place , some have become homeless , tough times.
:(
5 years now
@@odairshinyashimozono2057 where have you heard it?
"I don't have a goal. In order to live, I just let life carry me along"... I 100% feel that.
that's depression. you need to seek help.
I think, you have more potential than you might think. I wish you "close people", wich encourages and motivates you, to better yourself (wich can bring you in a better state, if you do for example a sport, fitness and workouts). What about a hobby to master or what about a better Job to have more money to spend for funny things (with or without people)? What about a good relationship wich someone you love and maybe marry? This is one of my Dreams, to be honest. Maybe you could start and find a dream for yourself? Or search for workouts and improve your Body. Why not. That worked for me. Wish you good luck. 👍🏻
BLaCkKsHeEp that’s actually a lot common in people now a days, not sickness it’s just a ways of thinking or physical disadvantages. I also let life carry me on not smart(no matter how hard I study), not good at talking to others or forming relationships, and I have no talent what so every. There are a lot of others just like me that just goes with the flow and work for something that might be worth wild, telling someone to seek help makes no difference, and be more specific, guide them, they are a lost sheep looking for a shepherd.
ビー hey, keep trying, everyone has purpose on this world. Find your own flow in life
ganbatte kudasai, shinpai ........
The one girl without any dreams made me feel genuinely bad for her. To feel so lost at such a young age.
Her parents have a BIG impact in the way how she thinks about herself, especially if they truly did not show her any love and attention.
She's japanese. Lollll
@@ponyhelena2300 what does her ethnicity have to do with anything?
I really wish they follow up on her, hope she’s doing ok…
@@fiel81 japanese as "victim"
Lmao fortunate
Japanese government should focus on this kind of matter in japan i hope they have this kind of program were people learn to talk or learn to meet someone just to boost there self to the point when they gonna see the world is too big not just to live in the box
exactly, people in japan always feels so isolated from the pressure at work and in life, they often forget to give love to each other.
While the young woman seems to be on hard times I think this quote from the interview speaks volumes
"I don't seem to be able to have Dreams, Plans. It's good enough just to be alive. My goal, is to be positive and joyful."
This is an extremely intelligent human being who doesn't have a dream, but had a goal. And a very admirable one. I hope she's doing good. I'm gonna remember those words for a long time.
she's also literally living in a cubicle at a web cafe lmao, i'd maybe take her muddled advice with a grain of salt, its good to be positive just not to let life take you wherever
@@tvco2svd please take what I say with a grain of salt. I simply meant her understanding of her situation is admirable. We are shown someone in a horrible situation with a huge amount of self awareness. I agree with what you've said though.
@@RawrasauRX-78 ahh two correct sides of an argument . I too wish to just feel joy and positive , every one of my 18 year old self dreams and ambitions are derived to just simply feel joy as I am right now trying to get into uni. I’ll remember that quote
That part was so soul gripping. I felt my heart drop. It's not just her... There's thousands of them....not just necessarily just in Japan. I really hope she is still with us ❤️❤️❤️. My heart goes out for these people.
from what I understand this young woman has since passed away. Can this be confirmed?
If so, RIP.
6:25:"It's good enough just to be alive."
This line hit me harder than a freaking truck
It do be like that. Its strange. I have no actual reason for depressions and still cant get rid of them. These people dont even life humane anymore and still find reasons to continue going. Strong people.
Hmmm
@@peterlustig6888 please seek help their is no shame in it, depression can hit everyone, even those with a seemingly good life
Which leads me to believe she is not depressed. It also makes me think of the many people around the world who struggle to survive day by day. The struggle to survive keeps them going even when living in abject poverty. They are happy to get a meal or even a bite to eat for the day. Just hope one day we as humans can one day overcome this seemingly conditional part of our existence as a whole.
You've unlocked isekai.
I think about her a lot. I hope she found peace and love.
😥😥😥😥
Same bro. Every once in a while, I remember her.
@@lordofsnowrabbits why?
@@Long-Horse do you need a reason to have empathy for humans? Not only her.
@Lord Of Snow Rabbits no I was just asking, no need to be such a fanny.
its been just shy of 10 years since this was filmed. I wish we could get an update on these people and see where they are now. Do they have their own apartments/houses or are they still in a internet cafe?
i can relate to their struggles. it's so sad to hear the same loneliness is hurting them. I lived in a bathroom for almost 2 years with just my computer to comfort me and I must admit, you really do cling onto the subtle presence of other people. I hope they all got out of that and can comfortably live their own lives now.
wait what , how did you live in a bathroom ? whos bathroom? public ? nobody say anything to you ? so many questions
@@blackraid1 I lived in a bathroom in a family friends house. I was in a bad way and people attempted to talk me out of there many times. Looking back on it, I really appreciate them sticking through it and tolerating my inability to leave that room. I did end up moving out of there eventually and it was a very hard thing for me to do. I am happy I managed to, today I'll be moving across the country! If you would have told me that 3 years ago I would've looked at you and laughed.
@@sunnydazer Good job, Tomo. I hope 2023 is great to you.
So you eat , work sleep near a commode without walls to separate it
@@educatorofneedy5756 Not anymore, thankfully!
That girl's testimony broke my heart in a million pieces.
I can feel it too........
If loneliness had a face, it would be her face.
So sad. We are so disconnected from each other.
I hope you are doing well in life bro. Take care of yourself and your love ones.
Yeah, hope she is doing better now that she is in her late 20s
@@Kekorast Thanks! I can't complain about anything, I've had hardships, but I've been blessed beyond belief in my life. There's nothing that can replace true love and care from somebody who really cares about you.
Pope girl! I feel sorry for her.
@@mahiramalikful she’s dead now😔
03:11 "She works in the night world " = Sex industry.
She said she wanted to be a REAL masseuse someday.
No wonder she was depressed. I hope she's doing better now.
Ryota Arai She scares me. When she said she wants to be masseuse, she probably meant she want to work in a soapland brothel. That not much better than what she’s doing!
@@geraldshields9035 at least she had something that she wanna do on her life. so much better than lines no goals in her life
actually yes, she is lot better now.. she works as massage therapist or something like that.. but still a lot of changed positively
@@azirulazhar7577 really?? I saw a bunch of people saying she passed from drug abuse or sumn. I really wanna believe she got better though😔😔
I hope that everyone who is going through this would be having a better life and be happy so soon. :)
i watch this back 7y ago, and now i watch again, what a life in japan.
This video left out some interesting information: How much does it cost to live there vs. renting or room-sharing in Tokyo? I take it that those are adult-themed shops, but what does one actually do in the cubicle when living there, just surf the Internet and watch TV? What does the management think of these people? What do they do when they exit the building? This could have been a solid 20 minute short film.
100 yen for 30 minutes
I was thinking the same. Is there a bathroom?
Yes it is lacking a lot of information that should've been included.
As The Devil's Advocate said, the rent is 100 yen for 30 mins (100 yen roughly = 0,9 USD). So it's 43 dollars/day and 1300/month.
Public bath houses are a thing in Japan. Likely, they had a toothbrush in their pack. You get free towels and washcloths at the local bath house. $1300 a month is about what I paid for a (fairly large) apartment "inaka" (in the mountains west of Tokyo) when I taught English. When I first moved there, I spent quite a bit of time in an internet cafe in the town near where I lived, so have personal experience with such places.
When I was working in Tokyo as an IT whenever I take the train home and when I go to work. I rarely see Japanese smiling. It seems like they are always tired and emotionless. Just going thru the same process everyday. It just felt like even though the trains are packed you still feel like you are alone. It feels weird.
well arent the japanese trained from the early age to be robots ? obey the rules, dont think for yourself, be a drone and then die.
Culturally-speaking, Japanese people typically don't display their emotions in public. That doesn't mean they're emotionless, it just means they aren't sharing their emotional life with you. It can definitely feel weird as a westerner though because we're often used to people being much more publicly emotionally demonstrative.
@Elle what does the hair gotta do with it
@Elle 🤔🤦🏼♀️
@Elle my pubes are straight
This hits really hard at 3am. I have kids, and I would not want them to end up living in a cubicle like this. Truly breaks my heart.
Just the thought that you don't want them to end up like this is the first step to making their lives better. You got this, Banana Joe.
Alright this isn't about ending up in a cubicle. They are lonely. It would be ok if they had friends and casually go out to spend time with them and came back. Other than that this seems like a good way to save money.
My thoughts exactly Banana Joe.
@@yasam3780 it's not that easy, if they had money they would have rented an apartment. The fact is that property prices are quite expensive in Japan
You can't want more for your kids than what they might want for themselves.
As Japanese-American, it was so sad to see people living without hopes and dreams. I hope the young lady is doing well.
One of the most heart wrenching documentaries I’ve ever seen.
According to the Director of the interview (99.Media) he only spoke with them for around 10 minutes and didn't get a chance to get their contact info. He also wishes they're happy wherever they are. He said this on his documentary as a side note because so many people asked for Hitomi's status. Glad to see people care for her even till this day.
Nov 22, 2021 UPDATE: I have a friend who lives in Japan and he helped me on finding information about Hitomi. After lots of calls, begging, and convincing, Hitomi is not living there anymore. Where is she? She's with a friend working at an underground club!
I would pay for her to go to masseuse school :( I hope she is okay
@@pastortroy4life She passed away
@@asura2877 wait what
@@oksomynameisjeff4212 dont worry theres no proof yet
@@pastortroy4life no you wouldn't.
We all get lost at some point, maybe at multiple points in our lives, but we're lucky if we have someone with us to help us through. I hope she finds hers.
i feel the same way...not sure if I want to be wwe superstar for the rest of my life but I am glad I have my yard
I understand what you mean, I really do.
Loneliness just makes everything so much worse, even having family around is better than being completely alone
If you get lost, seek religion, it helps and it works like medicine.
16, currently lost but reason different. Too many goals, too many concerns, too many stress.
@Mora Africano Camilo Andres
Dude, we grow at different rates. We are uniquely different with each other, we face different problems, and we have different opportunities. There's a lot of difference between you and them. Be mindful dude.
I hope Hitomi is happy in her life now 🥺❤️🫶🏻 the poor woman she seems so sad
Yeah Man I hope so 🙏
If Hitomi is still alive, she'll be 29 years old this year. I wonder if she's doing well
I hope so, but looking at her, she is dead inside.
Oh this was years ago
Yeah I'm wondering also
Let’s all hope for the best…
Don't know how true it is, but people elsewhere in the comments are saying she uh, "self-deleted". Apparently about a year after this video came out.
That girl broke my heart just now. .
@@xDeathMarinex I'm assuming it's because that's the only clothes she has. I don't know her full story but I'm guess when she said her parents essentially kicked her out at 16, she had to sell herself to make sends meet.. 😞 but I hope she had other ways and that's she's doing better since this has been filmed.
Said she wasnt suppose to live that long. Soul crushing
xDeathMarinex yup me too hahaha
@@azmirali2942 me too!
Same...she has so much sadness in her words
You can totally live at those places. While I was living in Japan, I had 30 hours of conference tapes I had to transcribe. I had too many distractions at home so I went to an Internet cafe. They have free soft drinks, coffee, and showers and you can order food over the computer. You can also get a space in a tatami room, so I brought a blanket. For a 12 hour pass, it’s like 2000 yen, or about $18. I stayed there for two and a half days.
Japanese doing minimalism before hipsters claimed it.
@@commandercaptain4664
If by "claimed", you mean "bastardized", then bingo!
Totally "no weeaboo" when I say that, btw.
@@AK-hi7mg
Come to Portland, where all the junkies, hoodlums, and derelicts are all 100% Caucasian.
Thanks for telling us how much it cost to stay at one of these places. Kinda strange they made no mention of it in the vid.
@@AK-hi7mg Honestly, I am horribly sick of western people making everything a race issue.
They both deserve the happiness and i especially feel sorry for the girl as she had no attention from his parents. Also she was born weak and didn't expect to live till 20. Too sad!!
Japanese culture amazed most people with their advance technologies and heritage sites, but behind those things lots of issues that really need to uncover.
Thats every nation and culture
Anime culture to be exact
@䨺龘𪚥𩇔мιѕнշ̲օ̲օ̲յ̲յ you ever been to LA
Japan, like every other developed first world country still has first world problems
@䨺龘𪚥𩇔мιѕнշ̲օ̲օ̲յ̲յ so you mean Hollywood or Cali
I have watched this video so many times. I watched this while living in Japan and now I am watching it again outside of Japan.
Every time I watch this, I can't help but wonder where these people are now. Especially during this pandemic times.
I actually have a friend who worked in the night life. She's been improving a lot since then.
Every time we talk, she always tell me how much more energetic and happy she feels after talking with me.
All I do is.. listen..
Sometimes that's all someone needs.
Just someone to talk to and to listen to them.
How was your experience in Japan ? I'm considering to move there
@@ahmedjagirdar2773 I enjoyed living in Japan but work life balance depends on the job. I didn't have a good experience with jobs in Japan. Best part about Japan is everything is very convenient. And the customer service in every place is excellent. I will actually move back to Japan in a few years after I save up money.
If you move there, try your best to learn the language and take part in community activities. You will get to meet lots of people and your experience in Japan will be much better.
@@user-ul5wq3kv4p thanks for the insight. I have heard many great things about Japan but at the same time there's many issues too which we don't see. Especially with finding jobs and it's overworking culture which really worries me.
I know that the guy commit suicide or somthing... but the girl i dont know...
@@celiojedi where did you find this information?
This is five years old. Wonder how things are now currently ? Especially with the virus situation. Hope they are okay.
@@カルト丸こ sauce?
@@カルト丸こ Do you remember what her name was?
@@カルト丸こ thanks, do you have a link? I couldnt find her :(
People keep saying they "read it in another video" but never have a link to the video that says so. 🤨
@@カルト丸こ That is real Slice of life, feel bad for her even without the suicide news
I really want to know if they are still okay, for those that are interviewed, by the looks of it on google map the place seemed to be still working. I really wish that they can be tracked down (in a good way) and let us know of how have they been, the girl with the fragile health and the webmaster, i really hope they can find a good future in the constantly running world
As a tourist, Japan has been the most beautiful place I've been to and I loved it. The mix of nature and urban areas was my type of thing, and the people there are very kind too. But never have I thought of living there once, because the life seemed so hectic and it just seemed like a dead-end place where everybody seemed to be secluded and miserable. It's really a beautiful place overall, wish people were a lot more open though
And thats the interesting thing about human nature, if people there became a lot more open then slowly but surely it wouldn't be such beautiful place😔
@@thatman6916 that's true. It's a peaceful but miserable vs happy but chaotic question
@@thatman6916 if only culture between two foreign nations could be more heavily integrated, and be kept with the same level of respect for each other life could honestly be a drastic improvement and a lifetime of life lessons.
@@thatman6916 Yep. Making society a truly better place is a grueling, difficult, and harrowing process.
No country in the world will you ever not find people down on their luck / having a bad time.