Japanese Man Makes His Living Praising Strangers On The Street

To quote Heath Ledger’s Joker from “The Dark Knight,” “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” A man in Japan is making his living by standing on the street and praising strangers for a small fee. The man, who’s known as “Uncle Praise,” told a reporter “If I give praise, there will be fewer people who will feel bad,” and he would know about that feeling.

The man once became so addicted to gambling that he lost his family, his job, and couldn’t even pay his mortgage. Now, he spends his days spreading good feelings and has so far traveled to 31 of Japan’s 47 prefectures praising people. He compliments over 30 people a day on average, making about $65 per day.