All my grievances have been healed up by kindness!! Macau-based Illustrator: I really want to hug a Kyoto girl and cry

▲ Yuan Zhiwei’s work “If I Could, I’d Really Want to Hug a Kyoto Girl and Cry My Heart Out.” (Photo provided by Yuan Zhiwei, the same below. Please do not take unauthorized photos to avoid infringement.)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

Everyone has different feelings about traveling. A Macau-based illustratorYuan Zhiweibelieves that among the many travel books, one of Japan’s travel “attractions” that is rarely mentioned isthe service attitude of the Japanese people. Therefore, Yuan Zhiwei decided to put his creative talents to use and created an adorable illustration titled“If I Could, I’d Really Want to Hug a Kyoto Girl and Cry My Heart Out”.

Graduated from the Chinese Culture University, Yuan Zhiwei returned to his hometown in Macau after graduation and devoted himself to illustration and design creation. His works feature a unique childlike charm and hand-drawn style, and he has received recognition such as the “Outstanding Award – Best Advertising & Marketing Illustration” in the Third China Illustration Awards. LINE has even released a series of sticker packs designed by Yuan Zhiwei for download and use. He is a highly popular illustrator in Macau.

In Yuan Zhiwei’s latest work, we see a “croissant” extending its arms and gently hugging itself while saying, “大変ですね” (You’ve had a hard time), and the person (himself) is moved to tears.

It turns out that on his first trip to Kyoto, Yuan Zhiwei bought several art books and magazines at the `u-Wen Bookstore in Ichijoji. The clerk originally packed the magazines in a paper bag, but due to bad weather, they proactively added a transparent plastic bag over the paper bag to prevent it from getting wet.

▲ The `u-Wen Bookstore in Ichijoji where the clerk proactively placed the books in a plastic bag.

During the same trip, Yuan Zhiwei also visited a upstairs café called CAFE KOCSI to enjoy some coffee. Right after he sat down, the staff prepared a basket for him to place his backpack so it wouldn’t get dirty. When the staff learned that the author was about to leave Kyoto, they specially took out a small croissant to give him as a parting gift. These kind gestures made Yuan Zhiwei say, “At that moment, it felt like all my grievances were healed. Over the past twenty-something years of life, I’ve experienced so many consumer experiences where I paid money and ended up feeling miserable. Thinking about that, I really wanted to hug her and cry my heart out.”

Yuan Zhiwei frankly pointed out that compared to the service experience he received in Japan, Macau also has good service industries, but they are mostly limited to high-end stores. For ordinary shops, there is still a lot of room for improvement in service attitudes. That’s why this time, receiving such heartfelt and humanized service at a café and a stationery store in Japan moved him deeply.

▲ CAFE KOCSI café.

Yuan Zhiwei said that this trip to Kyoto was his first visit to Japan. He went to places such as the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nishiki Market, Kinkaku-ji, the Kamo River Delta, the `u-Wen Bookstore in Ichijoji, and Ryoan-ji. He also spent a whole day riding a bicycle around Kyoto.

Among the many attractions, Yuan Zhiwei most recommends the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It has a vast area, not too many people, and a beautiful environment that allows one to relax. You can also see many Japanese elementary school students engaging in extracurricular activities there, sitting on the grass having picnics—the whole scene radiates happiness, melting even those who don’t particularly like kids. For travelers who enjoy authentic cuisine, there are also many family-run restaurants tucked away in Kyoto’s alleys that are worth trying.

Yuan Zhiwei also mentioned that Japan has many beautiful attractions and rich culture. Coupled with the warm experiences during shopping this time, he would love to visit Japan again if given the chance. This time, he will also improve his Japanese language skills to enable deeper communication.

▲ Many elementary school students can be seen on outdoor learning excursions at the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

Full text of “If I Could, I’d Really Want to Hug a Kyoto Girl and Cry My Heart Out” (authorized by Yuan Zhiwei Chi Wai Un)

I recently traveled to Kyoto — this was my first time in Japan. When searching online for Kyoto attractions, most of them revolved around ancient temples, autumn leaves, and old buildings. But there’s one “attraction” that’s truly amazing, yet rarely mentioned in travel books — their service attitude.

Once, I bought several art books and magazines at the `u-Wen Bookstore in Ichijoji. When I was checking out, the clerk put my books in a paper bag. Just as I was about to leave, the clerk silently put a transparent plastic bag over the paper bag. It turned out they noticed it was about to rain and were worried the paper bag might get wet.

Another time, I went to a upstairs café called CAFE KOCSI to kill some time over coffee. As soon as I sat down, the clerk somehow produced a basket from somewhere. She gestured toward my backpack on the floor, indicating that I could put it there. It turned out she was worried it might get dirty on the ground. And when I was about to leave and go pay, I told the clerk, “Today is my last day in Kyoto. I really like your shop, and if I have the chance, I’ll definitely come back.” As I turned to go pay, the clerk actually took out a small croissant and gave it to me as a parting gift. Oh my god, what level of service is this? At that moment, it felt like all my grievances were healed. Over the past twenty-something years, I’ve had so many experiences where I spent money and ended up feeling terrible. Thinking about it, I really wanted to hug her and cry my heart out. I wanted to say to her, “ありがとうございます.”