No human being in the world can be trusted.
So, can we live together? An anthropological imagination toward a "society where we connect even without trust"! This anthropological masterpiece created a sensation by winning both the Soichi Oya Nonfiction Award, often called the Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize of Japanese nonfiction, and the prestigious Hayao Kawai Academic Award.
It has been reprinted over 17 times in Japan, establishing itself as a ‘new anthropology classic.’
Sayaka Ogawa, a cultural anthropologist born in 1978, has a unique background, having learned Swahili and learned the trade of selling used clothes from street vendors while traveling to Tanzania since the age of 23.
While staying at Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong, he meets Karama, the self-proclaimed "Boss of Chungking Mansions", and begins to observe the work and play of the residents of Chungking Mansions who are engaged in shady businesses.

This book is filled with keywords that will capture the reader's curiosity and attention, including Hong Kong's "dark caves," the informal economy, African brokers, anarchic markets, commerce utilizing social media, nightlife, and underground banking.
Based on the middle ground of Chungking Mansions, it delves into reciprocity, gifting, distribution, the sharing economy, the commons, and even the essence of life in an interesting way, overturning stereotypes. Immediately after its publication in Japan, it received attention from numerous media outlets with responses such as, “There’s this kind of anthropology too,” and “This is overwhelmingly interesting.”

Having experienced countless betrayals, Chungking Mansions boss Karama and the Tanzanian residents live by the motto, “You can’t trust anyone in this world.”
But in reality, they were building a society where no one was excluded and everything could be shared.
What is the strange commons-like way of life that the author witnessed unfolding in a world where "trust no one" is the rule? It offers a glimpse into the circuits of coexistence discovered within an ever-expanding network by people who have no expectations of institutions whatsoever.

At that moment, a middle-aged African man wearing a tweed jacket and a hunting hat passed by.
A Nigerian man who was drinking with him stopped him and said, “Hey, Karama,” and said, “This woman seems to speak Swahili. Why don’t you try and say something?”
When I greeted him in Swahili, he said, “I am Mr. Karama.
He introduced himself as “the boss of Chungking Mansions.”
And to the Nigerian who tried to tease me by saying, “Oh, you really speak Swahili,” I said, “The world is big.
“There are Asians like this too,” he said, and left immediately.
Karama later said, "I was so lucky that Sayaka got to know me in the first place," and looking back now, that really was true.
This meeting with Karama gave me a glimpse into the everyday relationships between Tanzanian merchants and their colleagues living in Hong Kong and China.
--- p.19~20

We in developed countries seem to live in a vast, fictional world system where life and the economy seem to be isolated.
The logic of ‘modernity’ and fundamental economics intersect throughout human history.
The lives of the Tanzanians in Chungking Mansions will be of interest to those who explore what future human society should be like, and to anyone interested in sharing, connection, singularity, and basic income.
They are building a business model and a life security structure based on openness to everyone in a world where the rule is "trust no one."
--- p.31

As I said before, they always say, “I don’t trust anyone.”
Rather than being ignorant of one's 'nature' or 'business that cannot be done openly', it seems to be based on the understanding that anyone can change for the better or for the worse depending on the situation they are in.
Karama and his colleagues only evaluate others based on the current situation, saying things like, “That person is doing well now, so it’s okay to lend them money,” “That person is losing a lot of money because the quality of the imported natural stones is poor, so you’d better be a little careful,” and “If that person’s lover is with them, they’re a good guy, so go have fun.”
At first glance, it may seem cold, but this is also a kind of tolerance.
In other words, it is not that they think that they cannot trust someone because they do not know their 'bare face', but rather that they recognize that there is no consistent, unchanging self that can be held responsible.
--- p.91~92

One day Karama asked me.
“Sayaka, do you know who can give you the most helpful information if you get scammed?” I said, “Um… the police or a lawyer?” “No.
Of course he's a friend of a conman.
You never know who might be able to help you later.
Because no one knows the future.
If you're successful, your colleagues who are executives at large corporations may become important.
But when you're arrested, your fellow inmates become important.
If the day comes when I go to Japan, I will ask Sayaka, who is Japanese, to show me the way, but I might end up going to Thailand.
What matters is not the number of colleagues.
“I have all kinds of colleagues [of different types],” he says.

By building on an "open network" where people within the infinitely expanding network do what they can, without interfering in the "circumstances" of others and without regard for strict affiliation or obligations and responsibilities between members, they are promoting burden-free "mutual help" and creating a huge safety net that transcends borders.
--- p.96~97

On the way back, I asked, "Aren't you working hard? If you go to Ismail, you can handle a lot of car sales and earn a lot of commission. Why don't you go every day?"
Then Karama gave a very interesting answer.

“If I go see Ismail every day, he will start to think of me as inferior.
If I act in a manner that is in keeping with Ismail's words when he gets angry, he will treat me like his employee.
I've been working with Pakistanis for years, so this isn't a prediction, it's fact.
If I get hired by Ismail, only Ismail will make money and I will work for his money.
“If we Africans want to do business on equal terms with Hong Kong businessmen, it would be best to go when they miss me.”
--- p.107~108

Furthermore, the most significant characteristic that demonstrates that TRUST was created with a different concept from official secondhand trading/auction sites is that it is not a platform that gradually sorts out "trustworthy brokers/customers" from "untrustworthy brokers/customers." TRUST maintains a world and human perspective where everyone can be trusted and no one can be trusted, and opportunities are available to everyone regardless of trading performance, capital size, past failures, or betrayals. The balance of "distrust" and "trust" among TRUST's participating brokers is created through the (frankly, not at all funny) humorous videos Karamana and his colleagues show daily, the "commemorative photos" they frequently seek out, the live broadcasts that even attract taxi drivers, and the daily mutual aid and cooperative activities they engage in with "commercial travelers."
--- p.157~158

As we've discussed so far, they don't initially try to know the past or present of others in detail, and they build limited trust based on the circumstances and context of each time, assuming that humans can always change.
Although it is so blatant that it may seem inhumane, the financial stability and personal status of the person at the time are effective grounds for raising expectations that the person would not betray for this level of profit.
Of course, they also know very well that the assumption that rich people are good people and poor people are bad people is completely wrong.
--- p.166~167

As the man left, Chester said, “That guy is an alcoholic.
I don't know what he does for a living, how old he is, or what his name is.
“I just know that if you give him too much money (because he spends it on alcohol), it will shorten his life,” he explained.
When I asked in surprise, “You don’t know me? And yet you give me 100 yuan every day?” he calmly replied, “Before I knew you were addicted, I gave you 200 yuan every day.”
When I looked even more surprised, he said, “Sayaka, I’m giving you money because I don’t know you.
“If it were an acquaintance, I would have watched over him and taken care of him all day,” he said with a look of regret.
--- p.241~242

The small business owners in Tanzania I studied during my doctoral studies and the Tanzanians in Hong Kong all say, “Life is a journey (maisha ni safari).”
When it comes to traveling, I worry about the end of the trip.
I have been talking about this with the understanding that they do not plan for a linear future as an extension of the present, nor are they conscious of clear life stages such as 'retirement' or 'old age'.
Yet, when I imagine that someday we will all reach our respective destinations, quietly accepting our own lives, I find it difficult to become free.
I quickly become caught up in the belief that my precarious position in Hong Kong, a life where even a moment of success can lead to a roller coaster crash with a little misfortune or carelessness, is merely a journey to reach my destination.
But if there is joy to be found in everyday life itself, what problem is there in ending one's life as just a journey?
--- p.244

However, as I said before, I am always skeptical about directly expressing or pursuing the pleasure of others needing me or the pleasure of pleasing others.
And in search of answers to my own doubts, I have been writing about the structure of trade that continues to promote voluntary help and does not impose undue burdens on anyone, and about platform-type union activities that organize 'mutual aid', or about the mutual help between men and women who are interlocked like cogwheels.
The reason why they are not offended or feel arrogant when they boldly declare, “Well, I’m the boss of Chungking Mansions,” and openly reveal that they are needed and loved by many people is probably because their goals are neither “becoming a boss” nor “being loved.”
These are businessmen, and their officially stated goal is simply to 'make money'. They do not try to be bosses or good people, so you can like them without hesitation.
--- p.248

The world we live in today cries out for "peace of mind" and "safety," and promotes the idea that the future must be predictable and risks reduced.
This way of thinking reinforces the social convention that "you can't give without a promise to give" and creates an attitude of wanting to immediately liquidate what is "lent" and what is "borrowed."
I feel anxious if I don't get a prompt response to a text message or a friendly message.
I'm worried about leaving debt behind for an uncertain future.
In such a relationship, I worry about whether what I give and what the other person gives are equivalent, and whether the amount I lend and borrow at each moment is calculated to be exactly the same.
Therefore, if one side feels that it is being 'at a loss', the virtuous cycle of reciprocity can easily turn into a vicious cycle of reciprocity.
In modern Japan, the discontent that "I'm the only one struggling" and "I'm the only one suffering" and the fears this breeds (e.g., hate speech) have a wide range of effects, from the feeling that forming relationships with friends or spouses is a hassle to distrust of social institutions such as pensions and basic livelihood security.

Angspark concludes that to break out of this vicious cycle, someone must sacrifice themselves and throw themselves into the virtuous cycle.
However, this can be a dangerous mentality for those who cannot alleviate their anxiety about the future, and it also runs the risk of being linked to totalitarianism.
--- p.259~260

The typist listens to difficult advice and lets it slide, and breaks promises according to his own circumstances.
In fact, no one manages the union's activities or donations, and if you can't participate because of work or don't have the financial means, it's okay not to contribute.
To begin with, I cannot force others, who live independently and have no choice but to move around fluidly and find their own lives, to listen to my wishes and accept everything about me that I do not even know.

However, the fact that a random idea or SOS signal is caught by someone and some way to make money or make a living is discovered, even if it is not as initially expected, is not because they expect others to sympathize or act in a public manner.
This is because they welcome the ‘unknown truth’ of others as an ‘unknown/unknown possibility’ and readily try to connect with others by ‘mutually exchanging kindness’ not only with the CEO of a listed company or the secretary of the president, but also with people who do illegal work.
--- p.263

Likewise, instead of betting on one's own potential by striving to become a perfect human being who can do anything on one's own, or by forming deep relationships with a homogeneous minority with similar values ​​and qualities and responding reliably to the corresponding obligations of responsiveness, it is not an unreasonable strategy in a situation of 'high heterogeneity and fluidity, and the uncertainty of who will respond' to bet on the possibility of 'contingent responses' created by the diversity of others, by being as loosely connected as possible with people with different abilities, qualities, standards of good and evil, and humanity.
It is about surviving in an uncertain world by becoming a generalist who can do anything in his own way and at the same time, a generalist who can get along with any person in his own way.
--- p.264

I hope that a distribution system will be formed in the heart of the market economy, where goods, services, and information are naturally distributed to those who need them at the time, without imposing undue burden or authority on anyone.
What if the system I briefly experienced in Chapter 5, where people become comrades by sharing with one another, and thus continue to share resources they happen to possess—free-rider memberships and leftover merchandise—were realized as a broad network?
Accordingly, I dream of building a utopia of a distribution economy where everyone can survive, even if they are not particularly outstanding and sometimes dishonest, thanks to someone's whim.
I think it doesn't matter if it's artificial intelligence or traditional religion, as long as it can be realized.

--- p.285