There are young people called Toyoko Kids. They are a group of boys and girls seeking a place to live in Shinjuku and Kabukicho, and the number of cases is said to have increased rapidly since the coronavirus outbreak. The small shrine is located on the outskirts of Nishi-Shinjuku, just a stone’s throw from Kabukicho. That’s why I sometimes walk around Kabukicho at night after work. Sometimes I look at the young people sitting on the asphalt from a distance and think, ”Oh, those are the Toyoko kids”.

Since the Toyoko Kids are a hot topic, many journalists have set out to interview them to find out the truth about them. A friend of mine is one of them, and he says it’s difficult to interview the Toyoko Kids. They come from a variety of backgrounds, but one thing they have in common is a strong distrust of others. It seems like it’s quite deep-rooted, so it’s hard to open up their own mind. ”I only talk to reporters from XX newspaper,” some kids say, and often declines interviews without hesitation. Even if he manages to get a chance to interview someone, he can’t communicate well and don’t get the point across. If it gets too deep, they will suddenly break and cause trouble. It seems like the interview will be extremely nerve-wracking.
“For better or for worse, they lack general education. They don’t have ASD, but they look like ASD,” he said.
The Toyoko Kids are not what you would call Yankees. Yankees are bad children, but because they are always in groups, they have excellent communication skills, and many of them become successful as adults.
”Then what happens when the Toyoko kids grow up?” I asked, to which he shook his head, ”Well, I really don’t know.”
The Toyoko Kids are a group of boys and girls, but they are not necessarily friends. There are also cases where people simply attend in response to a call from a stranger on SNS.
Adolescents are always in the mood. When I was young, there was a group of boys and girls called teamers, or color gangs. Perhaps Toyoko Kids reflects the atmosphere of the current era. (Kei Kitajima)