He is funny ,man. Why he is funny ? Because he say he is funny man. You want to know how funny he is. But I must tell you not-funny story.
He was always there. Almost all people dont pay attention to him. Because he seem to be homeless.
Boad says that “I have misterious pure mind and voice and toungue. So I can lure you into funny mood. If I’m given LITTLE money by you, you maybe can make funny memory. The man who bring funny thing to this town is Me. Yes, I am Funny man.”
Of course he don’t seem to have such misterious power. I asked him, “What is your performance ? How can you make me funny ? Are you really funny ? What will you do if you are not funny ?” and he answer, “Could you please give me little money ? and I can make you funny feeling.” “Are you sure ?” and he kept grining.” and I said, “OK, I pay little money.” and I throw little money into his collecting box. and I demand him that funny man performance.
He said. “Now, I start to make you funny feeling by my misterios power. Could you please ask me anything ?” “Pardon ?” “Let’s talk something to become funny mood.” “I paid you. and do I also need to talk to you to get funny mood sir ?” and he said. “Yes, please.” “But I have nothing to talk to you.” “Anything is OK. please talk to me, please.” “hahaha, what’s a stupid thing.” “hahaha, don’t you feel funny ?”
I was not funny. I think his performance dont deserve my payment. But it’s stupid to get angry for such stupid thing. or I feel pitty for him. He maybe homeless. Because every night, he was there after shutter closed.
or before shutter closed, he was there. He was always waiting for the shutter closed.
Who keep staying there if he has home. maybe he is homeless.
I never ask him wheather he is homeless or not. But one day he told me he is homeless.
When I passed by, he stop me and start to talk about yesterday’s typhoon. “Hey, you are cameraman, right ? Why dont you come to here yesterday night ?” “Because Yesterday is typhoon !” “Yes, this is the reason you should come here ! It was really exiting ! From there to here, water is flowing over. manhall was flying away ! You could take a great photo ! If you are cameraman, you should come. ” “But in such flood situatin, did you stayed here ?” “Oh, yes. because you know I am homeless.”
That day, I paid lots of money even though he didnt make me funny feeling again.
Winter come, and he sometime changed place for staying.
He said “Because this place is more warm.”
Even if he change the place, lots of people still dont pay attention him.
Tokyo’s winter is really cold, especially for homeless people. he bind news paper arond his leg to keep heat.
25 December night, he stop me and said. “Merry christmas !, Thank you for your payment always. Today is christmas, so today, I give you present !” “Dont care of my payment. you should spend money for yourself !” “But christmas is special day. today I give you present. and he give me bible.” That bible seem to be given by volunteer chiristians. “Thank you very much ! Have a good day !!” I said. this time he didnt make me funny feeling again. or I feel sad for him.
And one day, he dissapeared. That night was really cold night. Until that day, he always stayed there, and I always could see him there. but from that day, I cannot see him at there.
Winter finish, and spring come, but he never come back there. I hope he can find out home, and then he can make me funny feeling.
He must find out home. because he is funny man.
Comments
I hope the funny homeless man is ok. He looks like a good person.
========From MasaManiA
Yes
European media sells Japan like a perfect and organized country without problems like this…
Dude Masamania, that guy reminds me of the KFC Colonel Sanders(spelling?). Hope he’s ok tho! He’s so かわぁE
what a good piece of contemporary journalism.
thanks for the post. let’s hope the man’s okay now.
===========From MasaManiA
THank you
The story is making me a bit sad. I hope this man is alright.
But again, you’re a good storyteller that gives me, as a european, a different and new view on your great country.
==========From MasaManiA
Thank you
He looks like Harvey Keitel. Odd.
Hey Masa, did you like the Bible he gave you? Because what religion are you? I think people should stop spreading their religion around, all it does is piss off people and starts wars.
============from MasaManiA
I dont like reading any book. so please write shot sentence.
Dude Masamania, that guy reminds me of the KFC Colonel Sanders(spelling?). Hope he’s ok tho! He’s so かわぁE
hahahahaahahahahaha hahaha ahahaahahaahahhaaaha
this is the funniest post I have read in a long time
this man made me laugh !!
I am sure he is somewhere else making other people happy
What a sad story.
i liked this story a lot, Masa.
thank you for making it.
wow sad story especially when he gave you the gift. he seems like a good person, i hope he finds a good place to stay.
I find it funny how your short articles have more of a lasting impression on me than even a lengthy New York Times special interest piece. Keep up the awsome work.
Good luck to you and Funny man.
==========from MasaManiA
THank you
i hope that man is okay. thank you for this post masa, you’re an awesome journalist!
========from MasaManiA
THank you
The openning photo is quite nice. I look at it and it and I’m not sure what to think.
You really remind me of the Greek notion that comedy and tragedy are different branches of the same tree; one branch in light and the other in shadow. Thanks for this special portrait of a funny man.
===========from MasaManiA
My pleasure
Hello Masa,
That was a great article, and once again some great shots.
I notice though that he is quite clean for a homeless person. A lot cleaner than the other’s you have taken pictures of.
Do you think he was only new to the homeless world?
He seemed like a pleasent person for someone that was homeless. I hope he is Okay.
Thanks for a great site Masa.
Cheers
==========from MasaManiA
THank you
The two photos of him flipping the bird are hilarious!
He’s a funny man.
Your funny man story made me feel quite sad
>_<
Thank you Masa! I think this is one of your best articles yet.
I love Japan, but this makes you wonder what kind of society it is, that turns it’s back on people like this man.
========From MasaManiA
Yes
What a poor guy? Hope he is fine and found a home now? Looks like there are not a lot of old folk’s home or voluntary association that help this type of people~
wat a sad story
is there any ways to prevent it happens all the time
=======from MasaManiA
I dont know
wow!!! He’s Pat Morita… Miyagi rules!!!
Hola!, I always thought in Japan there was no poor people, because a country with companys as Sony or companys that sell Anime to all the world would have enought money to take care of their people. What japanese gobernment do with poor people?
========from MasaManiA
Jap goverment just suck money from poor people.
What a nice story, I almost cry :'(
I love your stories, you should get paid for them ^^
===========From MasaManiA
THank you
very well made story!
===========from MasaManiA
THank you
Hi Masa-sensei, your friend still in Yokohama’s CLUB DEAD(tm), Taro, the fucked gaijin here!
Somehow foreigners overseas have a funny image of Tokyo as being homeless-free, crime-free, clean and high-tech. Actually, Toyko is much, much more than that, hee, hee.
I love your photos of “Funny man’s cardboard sign that reads, “I have misterious pure mind and voice and tongue. So I can lure you into funny mood. If I’m given LITTLE money by you, you maybe can make funny memory. The man who bring funny thing to this town is Me. Yes, I am Funny man.”
I have to agree with that, “I am Funny man.” I keep having this vision of myself in Tokyo, the year 2010:
I’m living on the street in a cardboard box next to a vending machine with my PowerBook plugged into the vending machine’s unplugged power socket. It’s not a pretty dream, except for the fact that I’ll be online and still posting “Funny”.
===========from MasaManiA
Hi, Mr.Taro san
But you know lots of vending macine power plugg is special shape to prevent from storling power.
yes, living in Japan is not easy.
hi masa, great site, congrats.
i’m from argentina, and here this kind of stories are common, sadly. But i get a bit surpised about these things happening in a very rich country as Japan too, because if there are poor people in such rich place, is government’s fault, but a lack of solidarity among people too, i think. Well, i don’t want to bore you all, sorry for my english!!
alfredo
===============from MasaManiA
Thank you
I hope that the funny man is ok. Great article. It’s good that even someone like you tells people about these things because when more people know about these problems, maybe someone try´s to do something to help these poor people. Thanks for your articles, I really enjoy reading them and looking at your photos.
========from MasaManiA
My pleasure
Nice one Masa.
I was really impressed by this article, especially the first photo, because he looks so elegant and noble. The way he’s standing there under the light almost looks like he’s posing or bowing from a funny performance for a big audience.
He looks like a man with pride.
Keep up the awesome journalism, and keep and eye out for funny man again.
============from MasaManiA
Thank you
I like to read comics/manga
pictures and words together to tell a story or a message. Your photojournalism is like this.
Masamania, you are a genius of pictures and words.
Your work with the homeless is really amazing. A compilation in a book could really sell, if you ever feel like profitting from your work in a capitalistic way. Is that a bad thing necissarily though? You would be spreading the mania of truth, just in a different venue.
===========from MasaManiA
THank you
He must have frozen to death. Its shameful that Japan ignores its homeless people but I think all developed countries do this…
such a sad thing. here in canada, homelessness is a rather big problem. i have a few friends who lived on the street for brief amounts of time.
That’s sad. I hope he is still alive…
Japanese homeless people look clean, compared to dirty homeless people here in Canada.
that is really a good post, maybe the best i’ve seen on the net!
i think everybody knows persons like him, and they sometimes make us think…
and we all should start to think!
===========from MasaManiA
THank you
I sincerely hope the funny man is okay. You’re a good person for keeping him company.
this is a touching story. to one of the posters above, i’m sure some magazine or newspaper would pay for it (photojournalism mags for example). but masa would need to improve his english or maybe get someone to correct it. other than that, i think people would be interested in this kind of chronicle outside japan, because they are curious about this sort of thing. they think “if even a modern country like japan has poor people, maybe it’s not so bad here”.
(btw, seems a lot of people study english in japan, but they never get very good at it? maybe the teaching method isn’t very effective… or maybe its a scam by the english schools to milk more money from them… time to go harass unscrupulous english school people, japanese correspondent masa!)
Hahaha i love this psot great site man
I love this writing stories =)
keep up the good work.
gum ba deh.
I liked the story. It reminds me of a tale about a girl selling matches in the winter. Eventually, she dies. But that was just a tale, your story is true.
=============from MasaManiA
we have a lots of story which should be known on the street.
I am very happy with the happy man.
Have a lovely day today
Funny Man is Good Man,is Big Man, is Big Gay,is Big Wit Power,is Big Funk in lest goo Xiro!
That was such a good story it made me so sad I really do hope he is alright and I think it was a nice thing of you to go and see him and give him some money I think he was realy alone…. I feel sad but I hope he’s ok
wish the man can get warm in every winter!
Masa that guy was the Christ the Buddah. He give you the greatest gift the funny man. Now you must give gift. Masa you are amazing may peace find you and the Funny Man.
Your funny man can take lessons from this funny Japanese man
http://www.wimp.com/funnyasian/
i tot Japan is a perfect place…. Shit!~
Hi there,
i hope that he found home,too.
And i think he’s really funny:)
Okay, I feel duped. I’m reading along and all of a sudden here is your article and it makes me fucking CRY. Yeah, I’m premenstral and everything, but SHIT. Why did you do that to me? Back to the funny stuff!
Masa, ur funny story embodied a sad truth. Thank you for showing me the other side of your country. Let’s hope the gentleman is happy wherever he is.
Haha that sure is a halarious picture. Thanks for sharing it! =)