Comedian also reminds victims they are never alone.

With the overarching crisis of COVID-19 it’s easy to forget that Japan’s regular occurrences of natural disasters never take a break. This time one has come in the form of widespread torrential rains that have triggered floods and mudslides in various locations around the country.

It’s pretty grim to say the least, but I think it was Mr. Rogers who once said that in these dark times we should always seek out the balding, half-naked helpers with taped up nipples. So, that’s just what I did.

The above video is a non-profit PSA by TV personality and overnight YouTube success Egashira 2:50 with a heartfelt message to those affected and everyone else regarding these heavy rains. Here’s a translation of his message:

“Arggghhhriiight!
It’s Ega-chan!
Right now, more and more people are being affected by the heavy rains.
All you who have been impacted, are you okay?
I pray for your safety!
I pray that everyone in disaster stricken areas can return to peaceful days as soon as possible!
These torrential rains… They may still go on.
They may spread to the whole country.
Closely watch for information and the news, and if a warning comes out in your area, consider your own safety most of all and evacuate as soon as possible!
And I know it’s hard, but also please mind your health and watch out for the coronavirus!
You are not alone!!!
And never ever give up!
There are lots of fun things just around the corner, after all this.
Just hang on!!!”

The end of the video also has a message that Egashira donated one million yen (US$9,350) to the Rakuten Clutch Special Charity Fund which gathers donations and distributes them to where they are needed most at the time such as the Japanese Red Cross.

It should be noted that despite his fame, Egashira is very likely not a wealthy person. In the wake of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, he is said to have taken out a loan in order to rent a truck, fill it with supplies, and drive it himself to affected areas.

▼ One year after Miyako City was devastated by the 2011 tsunami. Egashira 2:50 performed there, shirtless in three-degrees-Celsius (37-degrees-Fahrenheit) weather

In this case, the money had come from Ega-Channel’s Super Chat revenue, which is YouTube’s payment scheme in which viewers of live streams can pay the YouTuber’s channel to get their comments displayed more prominently and longer on the screen. So, in a way, everyone who paid Egashira 2:50 during his live streams indirectly donated to the heavy rain relief effort.

Longtime fans of Ega-chan were not surprised by his latest act of generosity and took to the net to show their appreciation.

“As I thought, Egashira has come out and given all his Super Chat money to those in need.”
“Ega-chan’s always one of the first to come out and speak to the victims of a disaster.”
“The guy is a total mess, but he has such a kind soul.”
“Ega-chan appreciates both the joy and pain of life, I believe his words are sincere.”
“Ega-chan! Thank you for putting your Super Chat money to good use!”
“His words ring true.”
“This is the reason I will gladly spend money on his Super Chat.”

Considering Egashira’s repertoire of firing rockets into his crotch, farting baby powder, and shoving his hands down his pants, he could have easily just kept on with business as usual and no one would have called him out for not addressing the current disasters.

But the fact that he took his time and limited resources to do all this in support of the victims and others worried about what the future holds, is just another example of why Egashira 2:50 a real gem whom Japan is lucky to have around. I have to stop short at calling him a role model though, because…you know, he does calligraphy with his butthole.

If you want to be like Egashira 2:50, put down that brush and donate to the Rakuten Clutch Special Charity Fund instead!

Source: YouTube/Ega-Channel, Hachima Kiko
Top image: YouTube/Ega-Channel
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