#personal perspective

I was talking with an American follower, and he shared that he had the impression that Japanese people might dislike Americans, or that Japanese people are often upset about things related to the U.S. presence in Japan.

That honestly surprised me.

He mentioned that this impression came from Japanese media, but I feel that it may show one perspective rather than representing every individual’s experience.

So I wanted to share my personal perspective, based on my own experiences, the people around me, and stories I’ve heard from older generations.

Before Japan lost the conflict with the U.S., the country had a very structured society, and it was harder to express yourself than it is today.

I’ve heard that expressing dissatisfaction with the country could be difficult, and that certain things, such as choices of belief, were more limited.

There was also a well-known phrase that children were encouraged to say: “We will not desire anything until we win the conflict,” referring to things like toys, good food, or new clothes.

Because of that history, I feel that some Japanese people today may feel hesitant about ideas like expressing strong loyalty to Japan, as it can remind them of that period.

At the same time, I’ve also heard a variety of perspectives about the period after the conflict.

For example, I once heard an older person say that Japan might not have developed the way it did without the U.S.

My grandmother also shared memories from when she was a child—she said she was given chocolate by an American soldier, and that was her first time eating chocolate. She also remembered American soldiers playing with children.

Those were very meaningful memories for her. Of course, opinions can vary greatly depending on the person and the situation.

In Japan, there are also movies and dramas that portray the conflict with America in a tragic way.

From what I’ve seen, these stories are often meant to show the sadness of conflict itself and reflect on Japan’s past, rather than encourage negative feelings toward Americans.

From my experience, many people I’ve met seem to feel a sense of respect toward the U.S., or at least curiosity.

In fact, in Japanese anime and comics, American characters are often portrayed as cool or admirable.

For example, characters like Terryman from Kinnikuman or All Might from My Hero Academia are well-known examples.

My own OC, Jack, is also American, and he’s actually the most popular character among my Japanese readers.

This is just one personal perspective, but I wanted to share it because I found the conversation really interesting.

I have a friend who always dresses the same way.

Not in a noticeable way. Not in a way that feels intentional or styled. Just… consistently.

At first, it stood out to me. The same kind of colors. The same shapes. The same quiet familiarity, no matter the season or the plan. It wasn’t that they didn’t care — it was that getting dressed never seemed like a question they needed to answer.

Over time, I started to understand it.

We’d meet for small things. Coffee. A walk. Running somewhere briefly before going home again. And there they were, dressed the same as always. Not underdressed. Not trying. Just present.

Once, I asked about it casually. Not directly — just a comment about how they always looked comfortable. They shrugged it off. Said they liked knowing how things felt before the day started asking for attention.

That stuck with me.

I noticed how little time they spent adjusting themselves. No pulling at sleeves. No checking reflections. No second-guessing whether something “worked” for the situation. What they wore didn’t add noise to the day.

Most days, it was something simple — a parke hoodie that looked like it had already lived through a lot of ordinary moments. Not special enough to remember. Not uncomfortable enough to notice.

There was something reassuring about that kind of sameness.

In a world where everything keeps changing, choosing not to reset yourself every morning feels almost radical. Wearing the same thing isn’t laziness. It’s familiarity. It’s knowing where you stand before the day tries to move you.

Watching my friend, I realized it wasn’t about clothes at all. It was about reducing decisions. About starting the day already grounded.

Some people express themselves through variety. Others find themselves in repetition.

all that “imperfection” shit, idk what that’s about..

Part of me wants to be like ‘ah you guys wanted to get rid of landlords and soon amazon owns every house to rent, just like you wanted, right? 🤡’ big capitalist L you created by spreading bad information with finalities you dont understand.

I think we need to talk about a corporate landlord vs a family business. And start making the distinction. Also just getting rid of landlords ‘you shouldnt own two houses’ is not really what it is but ok go off edge lord thats parents had bad landlords and now you repeat things you dont actually understand.