What's wrong??

[tidbits]

I have seen this many times, but there was just this particular day, it happened 3 times to me in 2 hours. I was sitting in the train, and this fellow across me was talking to himself, I did not feel comfortable so I went to the next cabin, and right across me another guy was smiling and mumbling to himself.. ok, I thought that was real strange. About 1 hour later I was in Roppongi, in a 5 star Hotel's restaurant (I mention it because I really did not expect this to happen there) just a few seats next to me at the counter, there was another guy talking to himself non-stop for like 30 minutes before he settled the bill and left. When the waiter asking him about drinks and order in the middle of his 'conversation', he could answer the waiter perfectly well, but the moment the waiter left, he started talking to himself again. Till now, I still cannot understand...

[kotatsuneko]

theres a LOT of un recognised / treated mental problems in sapporo at least, dunno bout the rest of the islands..

its common here to see that, or people obsessively emptying public bins for stickers/ring pulls for promotion offers,

and like your experiences, talking to themselves,

on the subways here, i often see people walking the carriages doing the announcing just before it comes on the p.a..

someone i work with has a few more kids than the average household here, and one of her kids doesnt speak, i mean, really has a distinct aversion to it, but can, shes not literally dumb.. her mum doesnt seem to think the kid has a problem and always says the kid is very bright..

i havent read any reports or books on the subject, but it seems that mental illness is a taboo subject here, rather like the homeless

the wife said, often going in to see a doctor for mental illness runs the risk of being sectioned/institutionalised.. i dont know how true that is, but people in sapporo sure take a wide berth from anyone that looks mentally unstable, as they know that, in general, if someone like that stabs/assaults/kills them, they are let off without punishment or put in mental health care..

i have had a couple of run ins with them, but the wife taught me a couple of phrases, which gets them the f*ck away from me..

as someone who has suffered bouts of mental illness at several points in my life, it seems terrible there isn't more accessible help here for the average person

then again, its the same back in the uk, and despite billboard adverts from mencap etc, people are unwilling to recognise or admit problems they may be facing, i suppose as you have the usual terrible nhs waiting time, and will probably be seen by a trainee doctor or the usual overworked and underpaid staff which doesnt inspire much confidence..

i dunno if that addresses the point or question you were raising, as usual its just my take on a theme posted..

[tidbits]

Well, Tokyo is the biggest city that so far I have lived in. There are just so many strange things (strange enough to me) happening, but nobody seems to care/ or talk about it. Maybe I have not talked to many people, but I don't see the powerful Japanese TV talking about it too.

I have seen (and I believe some of you have seen this too) It happenned at the train station near my house and I have seen it happenned in big station like Shinjuku too- A normal/ well dressed (and always young) Japanese lady asking for some train money at the train station and nobody seems to care. Friends told me even you give, she will continue to ask from others, so nobody cares. I think if she is really in trouble, she can always borrow some money from the koban first. So is she having mental problem or is she doing a survey on how many people actually care? Maybe both? Well, I simply feel strange and just share my thought here.

[kamome]

It happenned at the train station near my house and I have seen it happenned in big station like Shinjuku too- A normal/ well dressed (and always young) Japanese lady asking for some train money at the train station and nobody seems to care.

I was just in Shinjuku this past weekend and saw about three different people, all young and well-dressed, asking for handouts. What's the deal with them? Do they just want train money? Perhaps they are peddling some form of religion, like Aum or Panawave?

Thankfully, they ignore the gaijin. I really don't need to be accosted by beggars.

[Taro Toporific]

... There are just so many strange things (strange enough to me) happening, but nobody seems to care/ or talk about it...

Oh don't worry about it too much Tina]unchi-chan[/i](poop) in the toilet. The MAJORITY of employees of Maybe-the-Largest Inc over the age of 35 years talk to themselves at work. Hell, sometimes four or five wackos in my office a 30 will get so loud, I have to start BARKING just to shut them up.


And on the trains, I am a psycho-magnet..I think I need a Pongi-Cam to capture the all the fun I attract.

[cstaylor]

Tina: could they have been using hands-free cellphones?

[tidbits]

Perhaps they are peddling some form of religion, like Aum or Panawave?Thankfully, they ignore the gaijin...

religion? possible,and some of them use the excuse of borrowing money as an opening !:idea: .. yes, they normally ignore the gaijin looked gaijin, lucky you..

Hell, sometimes four or five wackos in my office a 30 will get so loud..

excactly, the last one in the restaurant was so loud.

Tina: could they have been using hands-free cellphones?

no, everytime I make sure there is no earphone in their ear for the last one in the reastaurant, when he heard me speaking English to the staff, he started talking about English, I think he just SPEAK out what he was thinking, instead of just think in his mind. And he was really speaking non-stop. Maybe one of these days you will see him and maybe if I stay here long enough and become UFG, I will start talking to myself, especially after the age of 35

[Taro Toporific]

... when he heard me speaking English to the staff, he started talking about English, I think he just SPEAK out what he was thinking, instead of just think in his mind. And he was really speaking non-stop. Maybe one of these days you will see him and maybe if I stay here long enough and become UFG, I will start talking to myself, especially after the age of 35

Yeap. You ought to see what has happened to all my UFG friends who have been here since the 1960s. Seriously twisted FG . . . As far as I can figure, if you spend more than five years in Japan...
..you end up like this

[kamome]

And on the trains, I am a psycho-magnet..I think I need a Pongi-Cam to capture the all the fun I attract.

Yes, we UFG are all psycho-magnets. Why do the loud self-talkers always wind up next me on the friggin' train

[cstaylor]

Never had this problem in Yokohama... Tokyo's full of weirdos.

[Pizzicatoblue]

Speaking of people talking to themselves, I had 3 encounters of people recognizing me as a crimminal or a terrorist. I even spotted people looking at me and mistake me as a fugitive!

[DJEB]

Never had this problem in Yokohama... Tokyo's full of weirdos.

Don't forget Saitama. Back in '93 a drunk middle-aged lady started calling me her son and kissing me there in Wako (no pun intended) City.

Then there was the homeless guy who came up to me in Shinbashi and started shouting "America? Nihon ichi ban! Maru! Mugi! Beelu! Wain!" I think he wanted to be friends.

[kurohinge1]

... I had 3 encounters of people recognizing me as a crimminal or a terrorist. I even spotted people looking at me and mistake me as a fugitive!

It could be that photo of your evil twin in the local cop-shop that's responsible ...

But it could be worse - imagine looking like Osama or being one of Saddam's body doubles !

[sideways_gaijin]

I was having trouble trying to find Nomura Bank in Tokyo, so there I was looking at my map, turning it upside down, and around, inside out etc. and some crazy guy came upto me and asked where I was going. I told him and he set off and told me to follow him. He then spent the entire 20 minute journey repeating over and over (non stop): "england is a great land. shakespeare, prof. steven hawkins, beckham"

I mean non stop for 20 minutes! When I left him to it he was still repeating it! Only happened in Tokyo!

Was some weirdos in Osaka though!

[Pizzicatoblue]

... I had 3 encounters of people recognizing me as a crimminal or a terrorist. I even spotted people looking at me and mistake me as a fugitive!

It could be that photo of your evil twin in the local cop-shop that's responsible ...

But it could be worse - imagine looking like Osama or being one of Saddam's body doubles !

LOL! That's soo true!! It was the local cop-shop thing for sure. When I was visiting my friend in Crossville, Tennessee, (a redneck town for sure), We went into a local store, which was right across the street from his house. On the front window, there was a wanted picture of a guy who looked exactly like me. NO SHIT!! I'M SERIOUS!! We went into the store, got what we wanted, and went to the counter. This blode chick gave me a long stare...I said "What's the matter?, Is there something wrong?" After that second, she told me to stand still. She picked up the phone and called someone. I asked her, "Can we go now?" She said no. As for her stupidity, she told me that she called the cops. I asked her "what did we do?! we didn't steal anything!" So we checked our pockets, just in case we stole something. The police came 15 minutes later. The blonde chick told the cops that I was the fugitive!! I told her that I wasn't. The policeman told me to shut up, because if I didn't, he told me that I would be arrested. Just to tell you, this is redneck town. The police will arrest you for anything. The blonde chick ask the policeman if she would get the picture off the front window. He said, yes you may ma'am. She gave the picture to him, and the man looked at the picture, and then looked at me. He said, "This isn't him, you've got the wrong guy! Even though, he does look sort of like him, it isn't him. I'm sure Ma'am. So the blode chick said ok, and the policeman told us to go home. We went back home 30 minutes later. When we went inside, his mother asked us, "where have you two been!" My friend told her that we almost got arrested for "I" being a look a like. She just told me next time when I go somewhere, disguise yourself next time! I took that as a joke.

[ramchop]

That's bound to happen in a redneck town. Generations of inbreeding will make a distant cousin look like a twin.