33-year-old man holds "Let me stay overnight" sign on streets every night
Stands silently in crowded areas without approaching people
500 successes in 5 years, mostly hosted by single-person households
Eats and talks but receives no thanks
Uploads videos and photos on YouTube, X, and other social media platforms
33-year-old Japanese man Shurafu Ishida stands every night on the street holding a sign that says "Please let me stay for one night." A man in his 30s whom he has never met before asking to stay overnight on the street? Who would let him stay? Yet, this man has successfully stayed overnight as many as 500 times over the past five years.
Mr. Shurafu Ishida, who stayed at the home of a single-person household woman, and the homeowner. Photo by Fuji TV
On the 17th, Fuji TV’s “The Nonfiction” and Yahoo News Documentary aired a joint feature article about Mr. Shurafu.
According to the report, surprisingly, people who let him stay at their homes appear every day. They even confide their worries or loneliness to Mr. Shurafu, whom they meet for the first time that day. It is not easy to talk to a stranger like Mr. Shurafu. He knows this well himself. To attract more people’s attention, he thoroughly researches busy downtown areas or in front of stations used by more than 30,000 people daily before unfolding his sign. He does not directly approach passersby and sometimes stands for over four hours. He enjoys this situation, feeling “the excitement like casting a fishing line and waiting for a fish.” Every day, someone appears who lets him stay at their home. About 90% of them live alone, mostly men, but two or three times a month, women also invite him.
Mr. Shurafu calls them “house owners” and spends enjoyable time eating dinner or playing games together. For him, the greatest attraction of staying at someone else’s home is listening to the stories of strangers. Listening to the life stories of house owners of various ages and occupations?students, nurses, company executives?is “like reading a different novel every night,” and he says it is never boring.
Mr. Shurafu recalls that until high school, he was a shy and reserved person. What changed him was a solo trip during university. He impulsively went to Taiwan, where he fell in love with the charm of travel?being able to be himself without having to put on a facade while talking with people he met or being treated to food. After graduating from university, he decided to travel around the world, got a job at a large company, saved about 5 million yen over five years, and quit the company at age 28. Before traveling the world, he thought he would travel domestically first and became the “one-night stay sign man.”
Mr. Shurafu Ishida is standing holding a sign that says "Please let me stay overnight." The sign reads "I have a sleeping bag" and "Over 300 stays in total." Shurafu's account
There are nights when no one offers him a place to stay on the street. On such nights, Mr. Shurafu visits house owners who have previously let him stay. During the media coverage, the person he visited was Hiroko (81 years old at the time), who lives alone. It was their fourth meeting, the first in half a year. Hiroko prepared dinner with homemade vegetable dishes and grilled fish. “I made it with ingredients I had at home,” she said, even offering beer she had bought in advance despite the unexpected visit. They appeared to be on very familiar terms. Despite Mr. Shurafu’s somewhat cheeky joke, “I think of this as a home where I can come anytime,” Hiroko smiled and said, “I’m alone, so I’m rather glad.”
Mr. Shurafu created social media accounts on YouTube, X, and others, posting photos and videos with consent. After his story became known through broadcasts and newspapers, it sparked controversy among netizens. Criticism poured in, saying, “He relies on others’ goodwill without working,” and “If more people like this appear, society will face difficulties.” Although he receives free lodging, he does not offer any special return favors. When asked, “Don’t you want to do something for the house owners?” he firmly replied, “No.” “I want to stay, and the house owners want to provide lodging, right? Isn’t that equal? For me, as long as I enjoy it, that’s enough.” The house owners also said, “We like his honesty. I can talk without worrying.”
The media stated, “Against the backdrop of loneliness and lack of human relationships faced by modern Japanese society, Mr. Shurafu’s story, who chose a unique way of life, sheds light on the increase of single-person households and new forms of human relationships.” They added, “From a traditional perspective, it may be somewhat radical and controversial, but he provides an interesting point of reflection on modern social issues by forming relationships with people living with loneliness.”
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