Homeless again

[thomas]

It's news like these I fail to understand.

30 teen-agers attack homeless men in Osaka

About 30 people, most of them appearing to be teen-agers, assaulted four homeless people at a park here in the predawn hours of Friday, police said. One of the victims suffered serious injuries that are expected to take a month to heal, while the three others were slightly wounded. Police are searching the assailants on suspicion of inflicting bodily injuries.

At around 2:30 a.m., about 30 young people came to the Tsurumi Ryokuchi park in Moriguchi by motorcycle and bicycle, and assaulted four homeless people who had been sleeping before fleeing the scene, investigators said. One of the victims had his ribs broken, and the others suffered minor injuries. Investigators said homeless people living in the park had no particular trouble with teen-age gangs.

=> http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20030...dm001000c.html

Asahi reported about homeless:

Down and out

The numbers themselves are daunting. In Tokyo's 23 wards, there are an estimated 5,600 homeless people, compared with about only 350 places currently available at four self-reliance centers. The homeless, huddled in the cold as they wait for hot meals donated by volunteers, are well aware of the limitations of the system and their chances of finding employment. "I want to get a regular job before I get used to life on the street,'' said a man in his 40s. The man, who asked that his name not be used, said he has lived in Shinjuku's Chuo Koen park since last August. He said he knew of a Tokyo self-reliance facility but said, "I want to keep it as a last resort because I can enter it only once.'' He said he found himself on the streets of Shinjuku after his employer, a Kanto-area food processing factory, went under last March. He said he believes it "hopeless'' to get a job through a public job placement center as that requires a contact address-something he doesn't have while living rough on the streets. He barely survives, picking up 2,000 yen two or three days a week packing or sorting books.

=> http://www.asahi.com/english/nationa...021300247.html