Yuu Kamiya, known for his work as the author of the popular light novel and anime franchise “No game, no life“, became a trend on social media after sharing a reflection on the reality of Brazil on his official Twitter accountspecifically in relation to its high crime rates.

The author, whose real name is Thiago Furukawa Lucas, was born in Brazil, spent part of his childhood in the United States and moved to Japan at the age of 7, where he currently resides. Despite having spent much of his life outside his native country, Kamiya maintains Brazilian nationality, which allows him to have a unique perspective on the situation in his home country.

In the tweet that quickly went viral, Kamiya shared a personal experience he had with his wife during a trip to Brazil:

• «When we went to Brazil with my wife, I told her: 'We are about to arrive at the airport in Brazil. Put on the oldest clothes we have prepared. Take off all watches and accessories. He carries three wallets, two of which we consider lost in case they steal us. And don't speak Japanese until we get to the car. Don't let go of my hand..' She looked at me and asked, 'What kind of country is this?' I replied, 'It's a country with a crime rate 102 times higher than Japan's.'».

The author continued describing the situation: «Don't use your iPhone or Apple Watch outside, they sell for a good price and the latest models are stolen like magic. My wife said, 'Oh, that's why you're carrying around that cheap old Android…' At least that's how it was five years ago. I don't know if it's gotten any better, but I doubt it…»

Elsewhere in the thread, Kamiya mentioned the impact the sounds of gunshots had on his wife during their stay in São Paulo, which sparked a discussion about safety in the city: “My wife asked me if they do fireworks that often in São Paulo, since she hears them every day. I had to tell her that they were actually gunshots.».

However, the author also wanted to qualify his comments to avoid them being perceived as an outright criticism of his home country: «I don't want this to sound like I'm running a negative campaign against my country. It's true that safety in Brazil is an issue, but it depends on the location. There are safe areas (although not as safe as Japan), the food is delicious and there are lots of good things to do. Personally, I like the relaxed and carefree attitude of Brazilians, although it can also be somewhat negative.».

Kamiya's post quickly generated a wave of reactions on social media, mainly from Japanese netizens:

• «Decades ago, Brazil was already dangerous. The guide told us in Rio: 'There are no safe places here, there are only dangerous areas, very dangerous and extremely dangerous'».
• «In fact, the Japanese are considered rich, and when a resident was attacked, he was told: 'If you are Japanese, you should have more money' and even received a reprimand.».
• «When you hear this, Brazil sounds scary, but out of all the countries I've visited, it's my favorite. In fact, I like it more than Japan and would even consider living there permanently because it's such a charming country.».
• «This is absolutely true. A Brazilian who worked at my company was attacked and murdered when he returned to his country because he was walking down the street well dressed. If you travel there, don't get too carried away with your fashionable clothes, it's better to look like you have no money. Also, when you go to the United States, you should carry US$$ 30 in loose cash in your pocket.».
• «My brother, who lived in Alabama, came back with torn shoes, a worn-out T-shirt and shorts, saying, 'Only gays dress well. ' But after a while, he realized, 'When I went back to Japan and saw the people, I realized that the clothes of an ordinary country bumpkin there were almost on the level of a bum.».
• «An easy-to-understand example: in Japan, the homicide rate is 0.23 people per 100,000 inhabitants per year. In Brazil, it is 20 people. In a city of one million inhabitants in Japan, there would be two homicides per year, while in Brazil it would be four per week. Of course, this is an average; there are safer places and more dangerous ones. In fact, in South Africa, there are 45 people, more than one homicide per day.».
• «About 20 years ago, the mother of a Brazilian friend who lived with us was assaulted and beaten when she returned to Brazil temporarily. In addition, a family member lost an arm in a bus hijacking… I thought it was a happy country with peaceful people, but I realized that it is actually very dangerous.».

Source: Otakomu