Web users rescue Japanese first-aid cyclist
| By Ling Yuhuan |
Kawahara Keiichiro shows the photo of his stolen bike to the press. Inside: Kawahara retrieves his bike from a local police station in Wuhan, Hubei Province, on Monday. A Web user in Wuhan bought the bike from a black market and handed it over to the police after hearing the news about Kawahara. Photos: CFP
With the help of Web users in Wuhan, Hubei Province, a young Japanese man retrieved his stolen bike Monday and was able to resume his global bicycle trip.
Kawahara Keiichiro, 28, who was travelling around the world on his bicycle, which was worth 16,000 yuan ($2,541), parked his bike Friday at the entrance of a local scenic spot in Wuhan, but when he returned later that evening, the bike was gone.
"The bicycle parking attendant refused to take responsibility for the incident. He said he was off duty after 8 pm and the bike was parked outside of the regulated area," said Kawahara's Chinese friend surnamed Wang.
The incident was posted on Sina Weibo by a Web user on Sunday, calling on other Web users to help find the bike. The post went viral and was forwarded on more than 50,000 times by Monday.
After seeing the news on Weibo, a man from Wuhan surnamed Wang contacted the local media Monday, saying he had bought the stolen bike for 1,000 yuan at an underground market. The bike was then returned to Kawahara yesterday morning, Wuhan Morning Post reported.
"I want to express my gratitude to the Chinese people from the bottom of my heart," Kawahara told the Global Times. "Chinese people are much friendlier than I expected."
Kawahara quit his job as a nurse and became a volunteer when devastating earthquakes rocked Japan in March last year. In order to help more sick people, he started travelling around the world in November, carrying with him important medical supplies.
"Before the incident, my favorite Chinese city was Hangzhou, but now, my favorite city is Wuhan, because people here are so warmhearted," he said, "I truly hope the relationship between China and Japan becomes better and better."
In a response to some Web users' censure of the Wuhan people, Mei Zhigang, a professor at the Wuhan-based Central China Normal University, said thieves could be found in any city, and the Wuhan people should not be blamed as a whole for the theft. "The Wuhan people's active exchange of information on this matter shows instead our warmheartedness," said Mei.
