(ECNS) — A Japanese woman's social media account of the help she received after a traffic accident in Beijing has drawn millions of views, resonating widely online and sparking discussion about everyday goodwill between people of different countries.
The woman, a Japanese tourist from Osaka who posts under @takomanmaru on X, shared her experience after returning to Japan. She said she was injured in a car accident on Dec. 12 while riding in a taxi to the airport at the end of her trip to Beijing.
According to her post, she sustained injuries to her head and neck, as well as her nose and hands, forcing her to cancel her flight and undergo emergency medical treatment.
Rather than focusing on the accident itself, her account centered on the response she said she received from those who assisted her.
According to her account, police officers, emergency responders, hospital staff, translators, immigration and airport personnel, airline crew members, and Chinese friends she had met during her trip all acted "quickly, attentively and with genuine warmth."
In one widely shared passage, she recalled being unable to pay for medical examinations due to a credit card limit. An accident-handling officer, a complete stranger to her, quietly paid the fee on her behalf and told her through a translation app: "Once you come to China, we're all friends." The words, she wrote, eased her fear and tension "as if my anxiety had been gently wrapped in a thin blanket," a sense of relief she said she would never forget.
During her hospital stay, doctors carefully confirmed her symptoms one by one using translation devices, despite language barriers. She noted that her translator even picked up a low-voiced conversation between doctors as they filled out medical records: "This is an international hospital. Speaking only Chinese is not enough. We need to do better." To her, this reflected a quiet self-reflection on how to better care for foreign patients.
Others helped ensure she could contact the Japanese Embassy, while Chinese friends—fellow fans she had met during her trip—sent her clear guidance and messages wishing for her safety. "In the midst of the chaos," she wrote, "there was always a feeling that I was not alone."
After being cleared to return home, airport staff escorted her by wheelchair all the way to her flight. She wrote that flight attendants checked on her condition frequently during the journey.
The post quickly gained traction, amassing nearly 2 million views within three days, along with tens of thousands of likes and shares. Many commenters said the story had changed their perception of China.
In her post, the woman wrote that misunderstandings often arise from differences in communication and reporting, adding that her experience had influenced how she viewed the people she encountered during her trip.
The story also sparked discussion among users from several countries, with some sharing similar experiences of receiving assistance while traveling abroad. Several commenters said that while political differences between countries persist, everyday interactions are often shaped by individual actions rather than ideology.
(By Evelyn)
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