Like I have long stated, “Change does not always make things better, it just makes things different.”
 
There’s a lot of changes going on in the world. Some good (I guess) and some bad. But, a lot of the change is revolved around people only doing something for themselves. They are not doing anything for the greater good of the larger everyone and everything, it is all about doing for themselves.
 
I guess that has always been the case. But, that does not make it right or good or honorable or anything like that.
 
Certainly, since the internet came into play, or as I heard a radio broadcaster refer to it yesterday, “Al Gore’s Internet.”
 
…For those of you who may not know this, our former Vice President, when he was in a debate against W. for the presidency, at one point he boldly proclaimed, “I invented the internet!” Which, he did have a part in. But, that was a pretty self-involved thing to say. I remember him making that statement. I guess that broadcaster does, as well. Anyway…
 
Since the dawning of this digital age, there have been so many people out there doing things to get seen and heard. In this doing, even in the early stages, there were a lot of people doing dastardly deeds trying to make a FACE and a NAME for themselves. They would do things like go into stores and vandalize the place and do really stupid, senseless, stuff like that. Hurt only equals hurt. Damage only equals damage. It never helps anything.
 
But, the thing is, you can’t tell people who do dumb stuff like that what they are doing is wrong. They are so lost into their own mind game that they do not have the dignity to hear you.
 
One of things that I’ve noticed, particularly in Tokyo, since the world opened back up after the pandemic, is that so many people are going there and doing some very un-Japanese things just to make a name for themselves. And, a lot of that involves the internet.
 
This AM, this one Japanese streamer came into my feed. Mostly, she does some interesting and helpful content. This time she showed the clip of how this live-streamer attacked her on the street, basing his aggression on the fact that he broadcasts on Kick and she is on Twitch. He started it off by stating, “I am the most famous (n-word) in Japan.”
 
Now, let’s start there… Why anyone defines themselves by a term that was born in hate and bigotry is beyond me. He then went on to say some very negative things to and about her, like calling her a, “Bitch,” among other things. No one, with any sense of self, should ever treat a woman, (let alone anybody), with that level of disrespect. By doing that, it shows the world who and what you truly are. Would you like your mother or your sister or your wife or your girlfriend or anyone you know or care about to be spoken to like that?
 
It’s kind of like when Will Smith went up and slapped Chirs Rock at the Academy Awards several years ago. And, I’ve said this before, that was a pure bully ploy. He would not have done that to someone like Jason Mamoa, who was also there. He only did it because he knew he could physically overpower Rock, as he saw Rock as no physical competition to him. What kind of person does something like that? It is easy to see who they truly are as a human being. Just like you could witness what kind of person that live-streamer truly was and is.
 
Yet, people like that have followers. But, if you support the antics of anyone who does anything wrong like that what does that say about you?  
 
This goes to the point of this piece… Tokyo is changing. Once upon a time, it was a more than safe place to go, day or night. There have been many a night where I was up and out all night. Never any problems.
 
Now, there has arisen things like, butsukari otoko, where a person comes up and slams into you with their shoulder. In America, you’d turn and knock them out. But, you can’t do stuff like that in Japan.  
 
My belief is that these antics are not done my Japanese men, as that is completely against their culture. My guess is that it done by Chinese immigrants who have moved to Tokyo since the pandemic and have stayed there illegally.
 
Japan has a big problem with illegal immigration. That’s why if you are now filming in place like Shinjuku or Harajuku and you film one of the Africanas, who can been seen standing on the streets, they come up to people and try to imitate them to delete the photo or video because they know they are there illegally and do not want their image broadcast so that immigration officials may see it.
 
It really has changed a lot there. And, not in a good way.
 
These are just a couple of examples. I could go on and on.
 
I mean, I love Japan. I love Tokyo. I have spent a good portion of my life there. But, it has changed. And, it has not changed for the better.
 
So, in all of this, what can you do, what can I do to experience the change but to keep our center, keep moving forward in a positive manner, and hopefully, make a positive contribution to the world? All we can do is to witness the change. But, never support those who do or say negative things. Moreover, never let them drag you into their melodrama.  
 
That live-streamer could not even speak Japanese, so how can he be the, “Most famous,” anything in Japan? He doesn’t even care enough about the culture to learn the language. Yet, there is, damaging the environment for everyone, and disrespecting a person born to that culture. That is just wrong on all levels!
 
The girl, she turned and walked away. Which is perhaps the best thing to do. Don’t engage. Yet, the damage was orchestrated and sent out there to the world, where it may be played over and over again for those of like mind.
 
Sure, in time that guy will get his. People like that always do. But, in the wait, he gets to have followers who egg him along. They too will get there. You may not see it or hear about it, but it will happen. That’s just the way life is.
 
Why? Because as I said in the beginning, hurt only equals hurt. Damage only equals damage. It never helps anything. And, any hurt you create or you embrace will only come to be the ultimate definition of your life. What do you think happens from that?
 
Like I always say, “The world begins with you.” Change begins with you. What you do spreads out from you and can have so many unknown effects that affect the entire human race. So, do what you do with consciousness. Only support those who do positive things. Because if you don’t, the only change that you evoke will be pain and chaos. Is that what you want?