Homeless in Japan
An insight to the growing problem of homelessness in Japan
To most, Japan is a vibrant, quirky, untarnished society, where order and control go hand-in-hand, not only in regards to the reigning mentality, but also in regards to its society. However, every society has its outcasts and Japan is no different. It is not something that is discussed in open forums nor is it something that they acknowledge. In the last 20 years the number of homeless in Japan has exploded. Nearly 16,000 people live on the streets according to the official estimation, but in reality the number is probably much higher with over 10,000 in Tokyo alone. When the official statistics differ so greatly from unofficial statistics, it is a clear sign that the government has not yet realized the depth of the problem. The recession has not escaped Japan, and since the 1990s more and more people find themselves living on the streets.
There are a number of reasons as to why so many are suddenly without a home. One of these reasons is ageing. Simply the act of getting older is enough reason to go from a nice house in the suburbs to live in a blue tent in Ueno Park. Firms are interested in young employees and there are simply no jobs for the elderly, which is why most homeless are either middle-aged or older single men. Companies tend to regard people in that age group as forgetful, weak and stubborn. Regardless of age, many are still capable of working. And then there is also the small matter of the honorific system in Japan; many find it discomforting when a young boss have an older subordinate.
Another thing firms are also interested in is the marital status of their employees. A married man will have a better chance at keeping his job since they are expected to work more strenuously as they are the sole breadwinner than an unmarried man, young as he may be. To most this is highly discriminating and unjust, but is in fact a reality for some.
The real enemy, however, has been recession and increasing unemployment since the 1990s. As of June 2010 the unemployment rate in Japan was 5, 3 %, a seemingly low number, but for the Japanese this is record high number. Comparatively the US has an unemployment rate of 9, 5 % (June 2010), nearly twice as high as the Japanese. With a poverty rate of 15, 7 % – one of the highest among OECD countries – things are tough for the homeless and those living below the poverty threshold.
Unemployment combined with the notion of “saving face”, which is so ingrained in the Japanese, spells for a disastrous combination for many households. The Japanese will resort to anything rather than the humiliation of asking for help from family or friends and this causes conflicts for a household, when the husband has been laid- off. Most men actually prefer to pretend to have a job rather than telling their wife about the lay-offs, and many choose to leave their family for a life on the streets rather than facing the humiliation. Female homeless are few and far between compared to the number of homeless men. One of the reasons for this is not only because of aforementioned example where the husband has been fired, but also because women are often taken care of by surrounding family members.
The Japanese government has long since ignored the increasing problem of homeless, and done little to aid the unfortunate, viewing the homeless as a nuisance to the scenery. However in recent years, the government has begun to acknowledge the growing problem. Naoto Kan, former deputy prime minister, publicly stated that the situation has become more difficult and the problem long-term. While shelters exist in Japan, many homeless are still reluctant to visit these shelters. Some are afraid they will lose their current housing within the tent-societies i.e. their blue tent which is common sign of homeless-housing. But shelters are not the only options for homeless in Japan.
Many choose to spend the night in capsule hotels, but hotel staff has noticed many are no longer just spending the night; instead they are spending weeks, even months at these hotels. After frequent occurrences, the capsule hotels now give discount to those staying a month at a time, and with permission from the government, it is now possible to use this as a physical address as well. To jobless people, this provides an opportunity to find a job, while having a physical address. But capsule hotels are not cheap; they cost around 640 $ a month, which means a lot of people end up back on the streets once the funds have run out. Another option many of the young homeless is internet cafes. Many are open 24 hours, have showering facilities, privacy and give out free drinks. For $15-$25 a night, many choose this option of home being a reclining chair and pastime consisting of manga and the internet. This has become such a common sight that they are now known as the “cyber homeless.”
Not only the government now recognizes the growing problem; the population can also no longer ignore the many signs of homeless when taking a walk in the park or walking down the street. Osaka has the highest number of homeless, and in 2009 an incident caused, not only the homeless of Osaka, but also a large number of the citizens in Osaka to question whether animals are being treated better than people in need. Six newly purchased koalas sent Osaka nearly broke in 2009, with a food expense of 1, 4 million $ a year. While the employees at the Zoo were happy to have the most famous Australians in Japan, homeless were protesting against the “complete waste of tax money, when it could be used on people, who are in need.”
Japan is nowhere near to solving, or having a solution, the problem; there is still a growing need for more shelters, an unemployment system and humanitarian aid, and while there have been talks about a new investment plan to create more jobs, it has been a slow progress to reach this point of acknowledgment and many are still left battling the cold streets of Japan.
