Ishin

I have been away from home for 8 months playing music on the street around the world. My family was shocked when I decided to quit university and started doing this, but they are totally supportive. So I started, first around Asia, then Middle East, Europe, now in America; I have 1 month left before the deadline to return to Japan

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Sometimes I could not find a place to spend the night so I sleep on the street. There was one night in London UK, I had to set up my tent in a parking garage, that was in March and extremely cold, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone

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My favourite country is Turkey. Turkish people I met are really open minded and welcoming, when I sing on the street I was surrounded by people dancing with my music, I was a street star there. After one song they would cheer and request for more

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In contrast, my home country is the opposite. Modern Japanese shut down their social sense and do not speak to strangers. Even when a guy like a girl, he would never strike a conversation with her, vice versa. Instead, I would look at her, if she looks back a few times, I know she does not mind me, then I would go up to her

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The Japanese people cannot take rejection very well. In our culture, saying “No” to others is rude, and being rejected is absolutely humiliating, individually and collectively.