community feedback
After doing my own "Talk To Us" experiment, where I actually talk to random humans off the street, I'm not a huge proponent of the "Free Hugs" movement. However, to be fair, doing the now overplayed "Free Hugs" thing is better than doing nothing. Nonetheless, hugs are just hugs. As comforting as they are, they leave you with no new information about the person you're giving the hug to. It's just temporary relief, and then everyone goes on their merry way, none the wiser. But... it's still worth a try.
2007 - MARCH 31ST
sharing a language-barriered moment with three random dudes. (tokyo, japan)
In Tokyo's Harajuku district on spring afternoon, three Japanese guys were standing in a popular park, holding up signs that said, "Free Hugs." I wasn't surprised for a bit that native Japanese people didn't particularly react well to the signs (not that they were rude -- they just weren't interested)... but I was surprised that foreigners gawked and gawked but very few made an attempt to hug the boys.
That's when I decided to join in and add a slight twist.
For starters, I'm a girl, and the other three individuals were boys. Immediately, there was a surge of people who were willing to hug me but not the others. Then I wrote on my sign... "Hugs. 1 Yen."
For those of you who don't know, one yen is pretty much nothing. It's 1/100th of a penny. You can't buy ANYTHING for 1 yen, especially in Japan.
Yet... it was a detractor. Guys and girls would approach me to hug me, and then I would point out the 1 yen on the sign, and they would back away. Only two actually were brave enough to give me 1 yen (and I might've even given one away for free...).
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