Report from Charles in Tokyo

hey Eiji!

How are you?

I'm doing alright.
The internet cafe isnt the best place to stay,
but its quite cheap and good enough until i get a
better place.
Ive been buying food from convenience stores,
which is suprisingly good for the price!
Very soon i will get a job. I am just working on
getting a cell phone first.
I was going to go today, but i realised i would need
an address to give them, so my friend is going to
send me his so i can use that.
After that i will be able to make a bunch of calls
and keep in contact with people.

Once i get a job, i really want to move into one of
those Borderless House guesthouses.
I dont know if i told you about them but they have
small amounts of people (10-15) and have a
japanese and foreigner mix.
I think it would be a great way to meet people and
the house itself looks like it is a very nice place to
stay for a good price.

Being in the internet cafe really makes you see
things Eiji.
Two nights ago a girl came into the internet cafe
and bought the cheap 1000 yen for 12 hours deal,
like me, in the open area. Her seat was next to
mine, and i wondered why a young girl like her
would be coming so late.
After a while i noticed she was really
into the video game she was playing.
She played non stop.
Then i saw her take out a small container and
take some drugs.
I think it was cocaine.
At first i couldnt believe it, and i thought i probably
made a mistake.
But, later i saw her arms and wrists and they were
covered in cuts and scars.
Then i knew she had problems.
I felt really bad for her.
Something in her life is so bad that she has to come
to internet cafes and stay there all night playing
games and doing drugs to feel good.
And then, 2 seats away on my other side, an older
man came in with his bags and slept in the open area.
I dont think he had a place to go, and slept at
internet cafes.
The next night he was there again,
sleeping in the chair.

This is only one cafe, in one area.
I would think that an internet cafe in the
Nakano Sunplaza would not have such people,
but i was wrong.
I cant imagine what people come to these places
in rougher areas of tokyo.
It is very sad.
Even across the lobby, in the hallway to the
washroom, sometimes i find people sleeping.
One time i found a guy passed out with a bottle
of alchohol next to him.
He looked very young, maybe even my age
or a little older.
The police officer had to come and wake him up
and bring him outisde.

Just in this small area, already i have seen so much.
It just makes me want to change things even more.
I know why you think the way you do Eiji.
Its because there really are so many problems here.
Many people dont see it, or just ignore it.
I hope we can convince people somehow to change
their ways.
Because to me, this situation isnt right at all.
Nobody should be in these bad situations.
They should at least be given a chance for help.
Actually, they shouldnt be there in the first place.
Something is wrong.

Anyways, on a lighter note, i was checking out
your website recently and looking through your
blog and all the cool messages you leave.
After going through a lot i came across a surprising
picture...of myself!
That was cool.
I'm glad to be part of your blog and i hope others
get inspired to help people too.

Tell your family i say hi!

I hope i can see you all again sometime,

-Charles


　　　== From a Reader ==

We are Japanese but many many Japanese people
don't know the situation now occuring in Japan.
As he wrote, many of them try to ignore it.
They seem to act as if they don't know about
anything.
Even a foreigner like Charles kun are worryying about it, but we Japanese are not.

Thank you, Chales.
Take good care of yourself.
I hope your situation is also getting better soon.



　　　== From a Reader ==

Hello Eiji,

Thanks for putting up the "worldly stories" on
Straight Talk..............I can tell Charles is
Canadian from his writing. Can you?

I am sensing a trend recently = people who have
a happy child hood are more inclinded to be
helpful and concerned about others and those
that don't don't care about life or others......

That's why creating a good environment is so
important.......it affects you throughout your life.