- Joined
- Sep 6, 2008
- Messages
- 3,286
Please give us some stories on this guy, they're probably rather interesting
He was an exceptionally kind-hearted guy, maybe too much so. Very sensitive.
He was also very smart - double majored in Medicine and Business at Tokyo University.
Being a bodybuilder in Japan is very hard, as you are often viewed as a demented weirdo. Note this does not apply to us foreigners. The problem is that bodybuilders in Japan are seen as another variant of "otaku". And like anime nerds, they tend to be obsessive and withdrawn and really don't fit into Japanese culture. Its really not like the West at all where we are encouraged to be individuals. They have to divorce themselves from society here to pursue their sport (or hobby if you will).
He did tv work here where he was made to look a fool, and though well known, he was not respected by regular people. This did not help his self image, but it paid some of the bills.
Kitamura was always a bit on the fringe and Japanese culture pushed him there more so. He spent most of his time with his dog and other animals. He expressed more than once his fear of growing old. The last time I saw him he was 39 and told us he did not want to be 40. He never made it.