Surprised Again at a Meetup in Kansai

For various reasons, I have been staying in Kansai since yesterday. I didn't have much of a connection to Kansai until I started using social media, but strangely enough, I've made many acquaintances in the Kansai area recently.

This is no time to be saying such carefree things. I received support from people all over Japan for the crowdfunding project I challenged myself with for the first time. And I have received a great deal of support from people living in Kansai as well.

So, having come to Kansai in a sudden rush for business, I reached out on the spur of the moment and was able to meet with several people.

The conversation just wouldn't stop. Moreover, it's unbelievable how wonderful everyone is. Have I ever met such trustworthy people in my life before?

Today, I was able to meet Ushigara-san, a Stand.fm streamer who calmly read Miyuki Nakajima's "Fight" to me when I was about to give up on my crowdfunding project for the first time.

She was exactly the unpretentious, intelligent, and wonderful woman I had imagined. Voices are mysterious things; when you listen to someone's voice, you can imagine what kind of person they are. And I feel that my imagination is almost never off the mark. I was able to confirm that again today.

On Stand.fm, the most comfortable way to spend time is for streamers to listen to each other. However, living a hectic life, I am a delinquent who doesn't get to listen to many people's streams. There was a day when I was struggling, thinking, 'I can't do this anymore, I shouldn't have started this crowdfunding,' but I still put on a brave face and streamed while covered in wounds. Apparently, I said that even though I was discouraged, I was feeling better now.

Then, Ushigara-san read Miyuki Nakajima's "Fight" for me, saying, 'The songs of you who fight will be laughed at by those who do not.'

In the middle of the night, after my family had fallen asleep, I cried out loud in the living room at this unexpected reading of support. It was around the time when people in my real life whom I trusted were suspicious of me doing crowdfunding and were saying quite harsh things to me.

I listened to that reading many times in the middle of the night. Then, strangely, I felt very calm. Ushigara-san, with such a trustworthy voice, is supporting me. It made me feel that what I am trying to do is not meaningless.

From then on, "Fight" became an essential song for my crowdfunding. I was encouraged by those lyrics again and again. I thought that if there is even one person who seriously supports me, there is nothing more wonderful than that. I also received their support.

And I was also able to meet Maemaki-san, who streamed in tears, saying, 'Everyone, please support my crowdfunding!' on her own channel.

Even though there is an age gap, she is my friend. I believe she is a person who is always thinking about what would make a person the happiest. She never shows it, but she is a deeply compassionate person.

I talked a lot with Maemaki-san as well. We talked so much that lunch time passed, and we had to look for a place to eat and move, and finally we were able to get into a restaurant.

We finally ate lunch at a restaurant that was open. To my surprise, the omelet rice in Kansai came with ginger. I was surprised, but I suppose it's not a bad combination.

I heard about her activities starting next year and about her dreams for the future. She had big dreams. Anyway, we talked about this and that until we ran out of things to say.

Furthermore, from there, I met Ai-san and Anko-san from Stand.fm. We met a little after 5:30 PM, and the conversation didn't stop until 9:30 PM.

Both of them supported my crowdfunding very enthusiastically and contributed to it. I really didn't expect to be supported this much.

As we met and talked, the conversation gradually turned to mothers, daughters, and family. There was no end to this topic. Everyone carries various thoughts, and none of it is someone else's business, which is why I was able to feel once again that the problems of family and mothers and daughters are universal issues that everyone can relate to.

Come to think of it, I feel like I rarely talk about things to this extent with people I know in real life. Perhaps it is precisely because we all share the special relationship of being streamers that we already know a little bit about each other, allowing us to become close as soon as we meet.

Ai-san will be starting a new life from next year. I realized that she is definitely the kind of person who can work incredibly hard, regardless of what anyone says. I am sure she will achieve her big dreams. If there is anything I can do, I would like to help, even if only in a small way.

I suspect Anko-san will also start incorporating more meaningful messages into her streams from here on out. Having gone through various experiences, she will surely continue to walk a path in life where she genuinely supports those who are struggling or hurting.

I am surprised, even now, at the connections I have made through social media with people I would never have met in my life up until now.

To everyone who spent time with me today, thank you so much.

*Thank you for reading until the end.

*I am also talking about this on Stand.fm.