2月は私は、気持ち的にあまり外に出たくない気分で、ほとんど部屋の中で過ごしていました。
3月に入り、日常のあれこれのことを済まそうと、ワンマイルを歩いていたんですが、なんだか通りを行く人達の雰囲気が暗くて驚きました。
どのくらい暗いかというと、私は幼少期、戦後の街が残っている時間が止った景色の中で暮していたのですけれど、その時の暗さに似てきています。
変だな、と思って、これは一体何に似ているのだろう、と思ったら、石炭のストーブを焚いていた煤が薄く漂っている町並み、の雰囲気に似ていると今朝思い当たりました。
もちろん実際には、石炭ストーブはほとんどの人が焚いていないし、煤は飛んでいません。
ラッシュの時間帯にうろうろしていたんですが、昨年の秋初め頃からずっと街を往く人達の服装が暗いんです。
おしゃれな方に伺ってみると、コロナ以前から黒が流行していたんだそうですね。
モノトーンって、すぐに決まるし雰囲気が良くて格好もいいから分かるんですが、コロナが7年ほど前から始まっているのに、7年間街の人達はそういう黒っぽい服を着続けているんでしょうか。
色って着るのが難しいし、組み合わせもお金がかかるから、黒白ベージュで基本を揃えてというは、すごく分かるんです。
でも、そんなに長い間、暗い服装の人ばかりが街を歩いているんですから、街の雰囲気は重くなりますよね。
好きな服を着ていていいし、もう15年以上前から洋服の流行というものが無くなっています。
でも気持ちが重くなりませんか？
私はわりと明るめの色のトーンが優しい服を好むので、そんなに人の格好に注意を払うタチではないから、ずっと気がつかなかったんですけれど、コロナから社会の不安と24年の能登の地震、25年の火災や世界情勢がほとんど毎日のように、生まれて初めて見る状況がニュースになって、気持ちが疲れています。
娯楽の方も国内では、誰が何かを失敗したとか、辛いことがあったとかのオンパレードで、ネットニュースの見出しだけ見ていると、心配になったり不安になったりするニュースだらけだし、先月頃から米が異様に高くなって、5キロが私の住む街では4500円近くしています。
あまり楽しいニュースや出来事が世の中に流れておらす、人を責めたり、鼓舞し過ぎたり、異様にセンシティブな楽曲が発表されていて、なんかもっとこう、強すぎないものはないのかな？ と食傷気味です。
音楽はこの所、教えて頂いた異様にマニアックな音楽ばかりをiTunesで購入しています。
わざわざ街の雰囲気の為に、気に入りもしない色を着る必要はないですが、さすがに今年に入り、これは世相が暗いからそれが服装に現れているのだ、と判断しています。
もし気持ちがふさぐようでしたら、ベージュのトーンが穏やかなもの、淡いピンク、グリーン、ブルー、シックな茶色。そういったコーディネートをしてみてはどうでしょう？
あんまり良くないですよね。
雰囲気も、街を歩く人達の顔も疲れているように見えて、メイクもなんだか薄い感じで、服の色も暗い。
それとスマートフォンは私はすっかり音楽を聴く機械になり、天気予報を確認する為のガジェットとなっているんですが。
スマートフォンを電車やバスや歩きながら見ている方があまりにも増えていて、世の中が変わったのかな？ と思っていたら、見ておられるのは四角く区切られた3、4行の文章のページだけで、正直あまり、X(Twitter）やInstagramやLINEを開いている方は見かけません。
すごく忙しく指を動かしている方と、ショート動画を何となく流し見している人と、特に内容ではなく、画面を見るためにスマートフォンを持って視線を落としている方々をよく見かけます。
驚愕だったのが、昨年春頃から少し外食をしたくなって安いお店に行き始めたんですけど、夜道を歩くのにスマートフォンを見ながら歩く人達を多く見かけて、ぶつかりませんか？ 車にひかれそうになりませんか？ 後ろから強盗や痴漢に襲われる可能性が高くなっても夜道でスマートフォンを見ながら歩いているのは何故なんでしょうか？ と、そっと心配しています。
そのうち昨年が終わり、年が変わる頃に気がついたんですけど。
自分は不審者ではなく、あなたを見たりしてませんよ？アピール、のためにスマートフォンを片手に持って、誰かに行き当たったり、すれ違う相手が前から来たときに、さっと画面に顔を向けていませんか？
強いニュースにほとんど触れられないので、何か目が合ったら殴られたとか、そういう事件が続出していたんでしょうか？
日曜日にいくつか投稿した中で、現在多くの方々は2011年の震災から続くショックの影響が出続けていると私は結論付けました、と書きました。
PTSDとは、甚大なショックの影響が出続けていて、自分の意志とは関係無く、行動や感情に普段しないことが、大小の差はありますが、出てしまうことです。
ネットで調べるとすごく本格的に情報が出てくるので、あまり深刻にならず、生活を普通に寄せるように過ごしながら、時間があったら専門医にかかった方がいいと思います。
また物価の高騰は、あれやこれや原因がウェブニュースで言われていますが、コロナで日常生活が停止した時に経済も停止してしまったので、その影響がまだ続いていて、当時、誰のせいでもなかった経済の損失を、現在の値上げで徐々にカバーしているんだと、私は思います。
お米は昨日のニュースで言っていましたけど、3月末には流通量が大分増やせるようです。
ただ価格は、以前の通りにはならないかもしれないと、現状では予測されている、とのことです。
お店側は、コロナ期の損失を補填する為に値段を上げているので、やはり折り合いを付けるしかないですよね。
他罰的な傾向はいまだ続いていますから、
今でも追い詰められるようなニュースが流れると、「誰々のせいだ」「何々が悪いんだ」という、
通常、小学低学年の子供が思わず口に出してしまって、
「そういうことを言うのは止めなさい。」
とたしなめられる、
イメージだけで物を言う、感情の言葉が蔓延する傾向があります。
人をやたらめったら責めている人達のことは、PTSDがこういう形で出ちゃってるんだな、と思うにとどめて、穏やかで気楽なものに触れていていいと思いますよ。
90年代や2000年代にも色々と不況と言われる状況になっていたのですが。
実はバブルと呼ばれるウハウハ好景気なんて、ほんの1部のお金持ちの人達だけで、バブル期も私は毎日働いてそんなに裕福ではない生活をしていました。
他の多くの人達も同じです。
そう、バブルなんて、当時の多くの生活者達には存在していなかったんです。
その頃も米不足があって、当時はタイ米をタイから分けて頂いてパエリアとか作って食べてしのぎました。
80年代の米が不作の時は、古米・古古米、と言われていた、今で言う備蓄米が流通していました。
しのぐしか無い状況が来たときは、どんよりせずに、冷静に知恵や知性や静かな気持ちを維持しながら、穏やかに対処に当たりましょう。
なんだか、ちょっと長く生きているというだけの伝家の宝刀を抜いてしまって申し訳ありませんが、無駄にハイテンションになったり元気いっぱいに振る舞ったりしなくていいですから、静かで穏やかな前向きさを上手に運転して乗り切っていきましょう。
20250306 23:05 分かりづらい箇所、誤字等を直しました。内容は変えていません。
20260109 19:24 英語版を追加しました。
・
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In February, I felt like I didn't really want to go out much, so I spent almost all my time indoors.
Once March came around, I started walking my one-mile route to get everyday errands done, but I was surprised by how gloomy the atmosphere felt among the people walking down the street.
How dark? Well, I grew up in a post-war town where time seemed frozen, and it's starting to resemble that kind of gloom.
It felt strange. What could it be like? Then this morning, it hit me: it resembles the atmosphere of a town where coal stove soot hung thinly in the air.
Of course, in reality, hardly anyone uses coal stoves now, and there's no soot floating about.
I was wandering around during rush hour, and since early last fall, the clothes people wear on the streets have been consistently dark.
I asked someone fashionable about it, and apparently black was trendy even before COVID.
I get it – monochrome is easy to put together, has a nice vibe, and looks sharp. But COVID started about seven years ago. Have people on the streets really been wearing these dark clothes for seven whole years?
I totally get the logic: color is tricky to wear, and coordinating outfits costs money, so sticking to basics like black, white, and beige makes sense.
But when so many people walk the streets in dark clothes for such a long time, the whole city feels heavy, doesn't it?
People should wear what they like, and fashion trends have been nonexistent for over 15 years now.
But doesn't it weigh on your mood?
I tend to prefer softer clothes in brighter tones, and I'm not the type to pay much attention to how others dress, so I hadn't really noticed until now. But since COVID, the social anxiety, the 2024 Noto earthquake, the 2025 fires, and the global situation – it feels like I'm seeing unprecedented situations in the news almost every day, and it's mentally exhausting.
Entertainment domestically is also a parade of who messed up or had a rough time. Just skimming online headlines fills you with worrying, anxious news. Plus, rice prices have skyrocketed since last month—a 5kg bag costs nearly ¥4,500 where I live.
There just aren't many joyful news stories or events circulating in the world right now. People are being blamed, overly encouraged, and abnormally sensitive songs are being released. I'm getting a bit sick of it all, wondering if there isn't something a little less intense out there?
Lately, I've been buying only the incredibly niche music I was introduced to on iTunes.
You don't have to wear colors you don't like just to fit in with the atmosphere of the city, but since the beginning of this year, I've come to realize that the gloomy state of society is reflected in people's clothing.
If you're feeling down, why not try coordinating your outfit with calm beige tones, pale pink, green, blue, or chic brown?
It's not very good, is it?
The atmosphere, the faces of people walking around town, they all look tired, their makeup seems thin, and their clothes are dark colors.
Also, my smartphone has completely become a device for listening to music and checking the weather forecast.
There are so many people looking at their smartphones on trains, buses, and while walking that I wondered if the world had changed. But when I looked closer, I saw that they were only looking at pages with three or four lines of text divided into squares. To be honest, I don't see many people opening X (Twitter), Instagram, or LINE.
Once March came around, I started walking my one-mile route to get everyday errands done, but I was surprised by how gloomy the atmosphere felt among the people walking down the street.
How dark? Well, I grew up in a post-war town where time seemed frozen, and it's starting to resemble that kind of gloom.
It felt strange. What could it be like? Then this morning, it hit me: it resembles the atmosphere of a town where coal stove soot hung thinly in the air.
Of course, in reality, hardly anyone uses coal stoves now, and there's no soot floating about.
I was wandering around during rush hour, and since early last fall, the clothes people wear on the streets have been consistently dark.
I asked someone fashionable about it, and apparently black was trendy even before COVID.
I get it – monochrome is easy to put together, has a nice vibe, and looks sharp. But COVID started about seven years ago. Have people on the streets really been wearing these dark clothes for seven whole years?
I totally get the logic: color is tricky to wear, and coordinating outfits costs money, so sticking to basics like black, white, and beige makes sense.
But when so many people walk the streets in dark clothes for such a long time, the whole city feels heavy, doesn't it?
People should wear what they like, and fashion trends have been nonexistent for over 15 years now.
But doesn't it weigh on your mood?
I tend to prefer softer clothes in brighter tones, and I'm not the type to pay much attention to how others dress, so I hadn't really noticed until now. But since COVID, the social anxiety, the 2024 Noto earthquake, the 2025 fires, and the global situation – it feels like I'm seeing unprecedented situations in the news almost every day, and it's mentally exhausting.
Entertainment domestically is also a parade of who messed up or had a rough time. Just skimming online headlines fills you with worrying, anxious news. Plus, rice prices have skyrocketed since last month—a 5kg bag costs nearly ¥4,500 where I live.
There just aren't many joyful news stories or events circulating in the world right now. People are being blamed, overly encouraged, and abnormally sensitive songs are being released. I'm getting a bit sick of it all, wondering if there isn't something a little less intense out there?
Lately, I've been buying only the incredibly niche music I was introduced to on iTunes.
You don't have to wear colors you don't like just to fit in with the atmosphere of the city, but since the beginning of this year, I've come to realize that the gloomy state of society is reflected in people's clothing.
If you're feeling down, why not try coordinating your outfit with calm beige tones, pale pink, green, blue, or chic brown?
It's not very good, is it?
The atmosphere, the faces of people walking around town, they all look tired, their makeup seems thin, and their clothes are dark colors.
Also, my smartphone has completely become a device for listening to music and checking the weather forecast.
There are so many people looking at their smartphones on trains, buses, and while walking that I wondered if the world had changed. But when I looked closer, I saw that they were only looking at pages with three or four lines of text divided into squares. To be honest, I don't see many people opening X (Twitter), Instagram, or LINE.
And my smartphone has completely become a device for listening to music and checking the weather forecast.
I started wondering if the world had changed, seeing so many people staring at their phones on trains, buses, or while walking. But honestly, most people I see are just looking at pages with three or four lines of text in a boxed section. I rarely see anyone actually opening X (Twitter), Instagram, or LINE.
I often see people moving their fingers frantically, others passively scrolling through short videos, and many who just hold their phones down to look at the screen, seemingly more focused on the act of looking than on any specific content.
What really shocked me was last spring. I started wanting to eat out a bit more and began going to cheaper places. Walking home at night, I saw so many people walking while staring at their phones. Don't they worry about bumping into others? Getting hit by a car? Why do people walk while staring at their phones at night, even though it greatly increases the risk of being mugged or molested from behind? I quietly worry about this.
Then, as last year ended and the new year began, I realized something.
To signal “I'm not a suspicious person, I'm not looking at you,” do you hold your phone in one hand and, when you bump into someone or someone approaches head-on, quickly turn your face toward the screen?
Since we hardly hear about serious news anymore, have incidents like getting punched for making eye contact been on the rise?
In some posts I made on Sunday, I wrote that I concluded many people today are still experiencing the lingering effects of the shock from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
PTSD means the effects of immense shock persist, causing behaviors and emotions you wouldn't normally have to surface, regardless of your will—though the severity varies.
Looking it up online brings up very detailed information, so I think it's best not to dwell on it too much, to try to live normally, and if you have time, see a specialist.
Also, about the rising prices, various causes are being discussed in web news, but I think the impact is still lingering because the economy stalled when daily life stopped during COVID. The economic losses back then, which weren't anyone's fault, are now gradually being covered by the current price hikes.
As for rice, yesterday's news mentioned that distribution volumes should increase significantly by the end of March.
However, current projections suggest prices might not return to previous levels.
Since stores are raising prices to compensate for pandemic losses, we'll just have to find a compromise, right?
The tendency to blame others persists.
Even now, when news about people being pushed to the edge surfaces, there's a tendency for emotional, image-based language to spread—
like blaming “so-and-so” or saying “this is bad,”
the kind of thing a young elementary school kid might blurt out
and get told, “Stop saying things like that.”
I think it's best to just accept that people who blame others indiscriminately
are probably experiencing PTSD manifesting this way,
and focus on calm, lighthearted things instead.
The 90s and 2000s also saw various situations called recessions.
I started wondering if the world had changed, seeing so many people staring at their phones on trains, buses, or while walking. But honestly, most people I see are just looking at pages with three or four lines of text in a boxed section. I rarely see anyone actually opening X (Twitter), Instagram, or LINE.
I often see people moving their fingers frantically, others passively scrolling through short videos, and many who just hold their phones down to look at the screen, seemingly more focused on the act of looking than on any specific content.
What really shocked me was last spring. I started wanting to eat out a bit more and began going to cheaper places. Walking home at night, I saw so many people walking while staring at their phones. Don't they worry about bumping into others? Getting hit by a car? Why do people walk while staring at their phones at night, even though it greatly increases the risk of being mugged or molested from behind? I quietly worry about this.
Then, as last year ended and the new year began, I realized something.
To signal “I'm not a suspicious person, I'm not looking at you,” do you hold your phone in one hand and, when you bump into someone or someone approaches head-on, quickly turn your face toward the screen?
Since we hardly hear about serious news anymore, have incidents like getting punched for making eye contact been on the rise?
In some posts I made on Sunday, I wrote that I concluded many people today are still experiencing the lingering effects of the shock from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
PTSD means the effects of immense shock persist, causing behaviors and emotions you wouldn't normally have to surface, regardless of your will—though the severity varies.
Looking it up online brings up very detailed information, so I think it's best not to dwell on it too much, to try to live normally, and if you have time, see a specialist.
Also, about the rising prices, various causes are being discussed in web news, but I think the impact is still lingering because the economy stalled when daily life stopped during COVID. The economic losses back then, which weren't anyone's fault, are now gradually being covered by the current price hikes.
As for rice, yesterday's news mentioned that distribution volumes should increase significantly by the end of March.
However, current projections suggest prices might not return to previous levels.
Since stores are raising prices to compensate for pandemic losses, we'll just have to find a compromise, right?
The tendency to blame others persists.
Even now, when news about people being pushed to the edge surfaces, there's a tendency for emotional, image-based language to spread—
like blaming “so-and-so” or saying “this is bad,”
the kind of thing a young elementary school kid might blurt out
and get told, “Stop saying things like that.”
I think it's best to just accept that people who blame others indiscriminately
are probably experiencing PTSD manifesting this way,
and focus on calm, lighthearted things instead.
The 90s and 2000s also saw various situations called recessions.
Actually, that so-called bubble era of booming prosperity only benefited a small group of wealthy people. Even during the bubble, I worked every day and lived a life that wasn't particularly affluent.
Many others were the same.
Yes, the bubble simply didn't exist for most ordinary people back then.
Back then, we also faced rice shortages. We survived by getting Thai rice from Thailand and making things like paella to eat.
During the poor rice harvests of the 80s, what we called “old rice” or “very old rice”—what we'd now call reserve rice—was circulating.
When times get tough and you have to make do, don't get gloomy. Stay calm, keep your wits, intelligence, and quiet composure, and handle things gently.
I apologize for drawing my family heirloom sword just because I've lived a bit longer, but there's no need to get unnecessarily hyped up or act overly energetic. Let's skillfully navigate through this with quiet, calm positivity.
20250306 23:05: Corrected unclear passages and typos. Content unchanged.
Many others were the same.
Yes, the bubble simply didn't exist for most ordinary people back then.
Back then, we also faced rice shortages. We survived by getting Thai rice from Thailand and making things like paella to eat.
During the poor rice harvests of the 80s, what we called “old rice” or “very old rice”—what we'd now call reserve rice—was circulating.
When times get tough and you have to make do, don't get gloomy. Stay calm, keep your wits, intelligence, and quiet composure, and handle things gently.
I apologize for drawing my family heirloom sword just because I've lived a bit longer, but there's no need to get unnecessarily hyped up or act overly energetic. Let's skillfully navigate through this with quiet, calm positivity.
20250306 23:05: Corrected unclear passages and typos. Content unchanged.
20260109 19:24 English version added.
