Homeless

[thomas]

Homeless hawkers fight turf war

Cops, thugs add to Yoyogi street vendors' hardscrabble life

"[...] We opened these stalls so that we would not need to rely on the government, which has done absolutely nothing for us," said a 49-year-old former part-time factory worker, who walks around central Tokyo five or six hours on weekdays to collect items to sell over the weekends.

"Maybe I should just steal something and go to jail," he said. "That may be better than this life.""

=> http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/...20021116c1.htm

Growing number of homeless force Japan to look at policy on the poor

"Growing numbers of homeless prompted Osaka to do an official count in 1998, said city official Kazuo Sogawa. Osaka, Japan's second-largest city, was the first in the country to do so. It found 8,660 people — in a city of 2.61 million — lived on its streets. New York City with three times the population, has 4.3 times as many registered homeless. "

=> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...homelessness_1

[deborah gormley]

ahhh so this is world wide problem, this brings me to a question!! has Japan a goverment based authority, who allows an income for non-workers, such as welfare(America) or social security(Great britan,Nr.Ireland), although I do know that these places I have mentioned also have homeless residents, and can only offer welfare,social security WITH AN ADDRESS, which in reality is a controdiction of the term "homeless", I have know quite a few people in the past to have a C/O (care-of) address, which they use to allow the function of benifits ect, and at times have had to occupy "homes for the elderly" "Hostels" "homes for battered Mothers" just to get on a list for a council house, they would stay in these places for a period of time (9-18 months) have to prove they are living there, and takes turns at cleaning, cooking, share a bathroom with other people ect, My Husband works in a Hostel and has done for 12 years, some of the men have had mental instabilities, and because of this get housed alot quicker, Is this simular to Japans homeless situation or totally of the mark???

[moyashi]

Actually, this is a problem that is covered by interest stories on TV every once in a while.

We do have unemployment for about 3 months. I've recieved it once myself actually. But after that you off on your own. Sapporo has cold weather so the homeless only wander up here during the summer months and then back down to Tokyo or Osaka. Same problem with addresses here too. No Address = NO Job.

Really sucks since many do want to work.

This is one of Japan's nastier sides.

[deborah gormley]

three months,,,, wow,,, thats such a short time, some people cant just jump into another job with-in 3 months, thats quite harsh, but if it works then so be it!, people here, once jobless tend to go into depression and get benifit untill they are mentally fit and ready to return to work, how-ever there are the people who tend to take advantage of this system and refrain from work just to lounge about and get paid for it!!,, a three month recovery time seems somehow appropriate and make you too concerned and finding another position that the 3 month term in like a blessing and not a "right"

[moyashi]

Ummm, but it doesn't always work.

Pregnant women can't file until like a year after the babies birth.
Seasonal construction workers use it to support themselves during winter months.

Full time employees pay into a monthly fund that supports this system. It's like about $30 a month (if you're making like $3,000 a month).

Well, like any system nothing is perfect.

[deborah gormley]

HMMMM very true,, nothing is perfect!!! " us or the system!!!"

[thomas]

The Guardian reporting on Tokyo's homeless and their pecking order:

No drink, no begging: the orderly lives of Japan's homeless

[...] The orderly behaviour of its residents also helps to explain why Japan has been able to suffer a 12-year slump without the wrenching social disturbance that might be expected elsewhere. In the past seven years, government statistics say the homeless population in Japan has more than doubled to 25,200, of whom 5,700 live in the capital. The numbers are tiny compared with London, Paris and New York, but anti-poverty campaigners argue the problem is under-reported. Many of those in Shinjuku Central Park appear so ashamed of their lowly status that they would rather not be noticed at all. Most of them are ultra polite, even apologetic, are rarely implicated in crimes and do not usually beg, preferring to work whenever possible by recycling cans, labouring or queuing up for concert tickets for yakuza ticket touts.

Not only are the park's lawns, paths and toilets kept spotless, but the inside of the tarpaulin homes are so regularly swept and tidied that this writer felt ashamed of his dusty office. As for any Japanese house, visitors must remove their shoes before stepping on to the cardboard floor and the futons are aired on the railings outside. It may be the bottom of the social heap, but hierarchical values seem as strong here as anywhere. Far from the survival of the fittest, the pecking order is at least partly determined by seniority: those who have stayed in the park the longest live in homes of stout hardboard near the outer railings. Further inside are rows of tarpaulin tents, which have addresses recognised by the post office. Finally, there are the newcomers who must make do with benches and cardboard. [...]

=> http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/stor...982088,00.html