I remember attending a gathering at a public park a few years ago and what stood out was how much trash was left behind afterward, especially on a windy day when it spread across parts of the park, but everyone just left. My dad, sister, and I stayed back to help clean it all up.
It wasn't an isolated experience. Over time, I've noticed similar situations at different gatherings since I was younger.
People obviously aren't trying to make a mess, but I've always thought part of it comes from how certain kinds of work (such as sanitation and cleaning) are viewed in terms of "status," just as this photo states. You know, the whole, "Do good in school or you'll end up like them (points at a janitor)!" type of thing.
But when people look down on the people who clean, they can become less mindful about cleaning up after themselves.
As a Buddhist, mindfulness is something I try to take seriously in everyday behavior, not just in practice. This is one of those areas where that principle feels especially relevant.
Of course though, this isn't just limited to Buddhism itself. Everyone in general should practice some basic mindfulness and respect.
"Ushiro no Hyakutaro" (うしろの百太郎) is considered one of the defining works of Japan's 1970s occult boom and remains among Jiro Tsunoda's (つのだじろう) most famous creations. First serialized in Weekly Shounen Magazine in 1973, the series tapped into Japan's growing fascination with ghosts, psychic phenomena, and guardian spirits.
The story follows Ichitaro Ushiro (後一太郎), a teenager with an unusually strong sensitivity to the supernatural. Guided and protected by a guardian spirit named Hyakutaro (百太郎), he finds himself caught up in a variety of eerie encounters involving ghosts, curses, and other unexplained phenomena.
Bonus: In a Japanese interview discussing the creation of Stands in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Hirohiko Araki (荒木飛呂彦) describes the concept of Stands as originating from the idea of guardian spirits and actually references works such as "Ushiro no Hyakutaro" as part of the broader cultural background that informed that idea.
#Horror #Manga #Anime #Japan #Ghost