What’s the appeal? The “Surprising Reason” for Young People Wearing “Help Marks” as a Fashion Statement

They are not lifehack tools.

The help symbol, designed in red with a white cross and heart, is a mark created by people who need help and attention to let others know they are in need.

However, some people misuse this help mark. There are rumors that a travel agency in China is distributing the Help Mark to Chinese tourists and using it as a travel hack tool, and the fact that it is being used in ways other than its intended use has become a hot topic.

Helpmarks do not require special permission and can be worn by anyone. However, some people seem to be using it easily as a fashion sense or as a tool to appeal to the sick. Do they know the original meaning of the help mark?

Ms. A (a teenage female), who hangs out in the Shinjuku area, is what is called a “Pienkei” girl. Although there are some distinctions between the two, many of them tend to treat being “sick” as a status symbol. They wear them because they are troubled by “constant anxiety.”

‘I don’t have friends at school, my family isn’t close, and I feel alienated no matter where I hang out because I don’t belong. When I do, I get helter-skelter (mentally ill), and I always feel like ‘it’s my fault’ and blame myself and feel depressed. At those times, my friend told me that if I wore the Help Mark, someone would help me, so I started wearing it,” said Ms. A.

She also said that there is a sense of camaraderie among those who wear the Help Mark to help each other.

My friends also wear the Help Mark, and we help each other when we are in trouble. We can talk about the same problems when we are having a hard time, and we can help each other. And since we can connect with others who have similar problems, my friends and I are not alone. We are helped. Now, I wear it like an identification card among my close friends.

It is important to have a place and environment where people who do not fit in and are lonely can connect with each other, but using the Help Mark only to share a sense of camaraderie is not what it was originally intended for, is it?

It is not wrong for “anxious people” to wear them.

Ms. B (a teenage female) wears the Help Mark in the same way, but she does not have any kind of disability. However, she says that there are advantages to wearing it.

When I wear it, people are kind to me. Whenever I have a hard time or am in trouble, they ask me if I am okay. When I have a hard time or am in trouble, people around me are more kind than usual. It makes me think, ‘It’s okay to be pampered instead of trying hard.

Even adults who get angry at me, saying things like, “You should stop taking those strange drugs,” or “You shouldn’t sleep on the ground,” just say, “I have this (help mark),” and they seem to give up and go away. They use it like a good-luck charm, or else they would be in trouble.

There are also those who use the Help Marks as a sign of exemption. They are also used to self-deprecate their inferiority to others, such as “self-proclaimed ADHD” or “self-proclaimed developmental disability,” even though they do not have a diagnosis from a hospital.

Help marks seen around town are generally vaguely perceived as something that “people with disabilities” or “people who need help” should wear. What kind of person should really wear the mark? When asked by the Bureau of Social Welfare of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, they replied, “Anyone can wear the Help Mark as long as they are in need of consideration.

The “Help Mark” was invented by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2012. It is distributed on Toei subways (except at some stations), Toei buses, metropolitan hospitals, and at the welfare offices of municipalities, and anyone can receive one. It is intended to be worn by people with disabilities or illnesses that are difficult to see from the outside and who require assistance and consideration from those around them. There are no restrictions, such as the fact that they cannot wear the garment without a doctor’s diagnosis,” said the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Welfare Bureau.

Regarding the misuse of the system, “We are not aware of any specific cases at this time, but if it is true, it is very unfortunate,” he said.

For example, even those with symptoms such as confusion at sudden events or anxiety when they are alone are eligible for the distribution. However, we ask that people who want to be treated kindly by those around them, or who wear the Help Mark as a fashion statement among their peers, do not do so, as it is a hindrance to those who truly need assistance.

There were no clear restrictions on the use of the Help Mark. It seems that it is not wrong for people with “difficulties in life” without a diagnosis to wear it. However, if the number of other unauthorized users increases, there will be a problem of not giving consideration to those who originally need help. Such moral hazard is a serious problem. We must not let the kindness of others go to waste for our own selfish convenience.

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