How Japan hides its homeless population
//SUMMARY//
The article explores how Japan has reported a deficient homeless population, currently at just 2,820 people, representing 0.003% of the total population. However, this figure is misleading due to several factors. The Japanese government uses a narrow definition of homelessness, counting only those living in public spaces like streets and parks while ignoring those in shelters or alternative accommodations such as 24-hour internet cafes. Cultural stigma against homelessness also forces many to hide their situation, avoiding detection and assistance.
Japan's post-World War II economic miracle initially reduced homelessness significantly, but economic stagnation in the following decades didn't lead to a resurgence of visible homelessness. Instead, the government implemented policies like the Homeless Self-Sufficiency Act and built shelters to keep homeless people out of sight. Additionally, Japan's strict drug policies and mental health institutions have played a role in reducing visible homelessness.
Despite these efforts, many homeless people live in hidden conditions, such as internet cafes, or avoid public spaces due to societal shame. This makes Japan's official homeless rate appear lower than it is, masking the reality of a more significant problem of hidden homelessness. The article suggests that Japan needs to address the stigma surrounding homelessness and improve its support systems to genuinely reduce homelessness rather than just hiding it.
1)
00:00
This is a graph of homeless people in Japan. It's pretty incredible. A country of 125 million people has less than 5,000 homeless people, and as of 2024, that number is at 2,820, the lowest since the data began in 2003.
That means just 0.003% of their population is homeless, which means they have solved the problem. It sounds too good to be accurate, but hundreds of homeless people in central Tokyo are being forced to hide from sight. These meagre numbers come from the government.
2)
00:40
And asking any government to report on its performance is like asking a student to grade their exam papers. Japan looks at homelessness differently from other countries.
The definition is unclear if not manipulated. Japan's homeless rate is meagre, which is still excellent, but it's not what it seems to understand how Japan has brought its homeless rate down to almost nothing.
3)
01:12
We must look back at the last few decades when homelessness wasn't even close to 0%.
It started right after World War II when the bombings that took place on the mainland left cities severely damaged, making almost 9 million people homeless after the war at that point.
Japan was left with nearly nothing, but that all changed when it went through what has been called "the Great Recession."
That all changed when the country went through what is now called the Japanese economic miracle.
If you look at this graph, the rapid economic growth from the war onwards was exponential, propelling them up the ranks of economic power on the international stage; there are several reasons for this.
4)
01:41
Because Japan was in total ruin and lost many of its industries after the war, it had no choice but to rebuild from scratch.
This was a blessing in disguise because it allowed them to innovate while they didn't have to wait for old technology to run out and slowly cycle in newer technology because Japan was, in many ways, a clean slate.
5)
02:08
They were able to get into it immediately. Japan's imports skyrocketed as they brought new foreign innovations, such as robots and machine tools, to implement at home.
Much of the nation's capital was invested in manufacturing, so multiple industries, from electronics to chemical engineering, proliferated.
After the war, the government actively encouraged business growth by maintaining low interest and tax rates.
They tried to rebuild the country as successfully as possible.
And the whole idea was to promote aggressive growth in business and industry.
6)
02:36
To help the country recover from its defeat, Japan's large corporations formed groups called keiretsu(Affiliated companies).
These large groups linked banks, businesses, and trading companies and were designed to help corporations outperform their competition and stay ahead of them.
Competition kits developed a competitive work culture that kept them ahead. This culture drove innovation but also required people to work long hours throughout their careers, increasing efficiency and productivity and fueling the rapid growth of the companies.
7)
03:05
Japan was looking for a post-war world. Even though its imports were growing on the front end, the drive towards more production LED Japan's exports to explode shortly after Japan was flexible in what it exported, bending to what was most in demand then, whether that was metals, textiles, or something else.
Because of this flexibility, coupled with the efficiency of its labour force, Japan became a notable exporter and a player on the international economic stage in just a matter of decades. By the 1980s, Japan had the Largest gross national product in the world. Even now, Japan is the third largest economy in the world, with a GDP of $4.2 trillion.
8)
03:34
The Japanese economic miracle served everyone very well. Hence, the homelessness rate naturally fell in the 1960s and on as businesses needed more workers.
Both workers and companies reaped the economic benefits.
Still, as with all economic booms, the growth couldn't last forever.
The 1980s' good economic fortune was partly due to Japan's loose monetary policy. The lax regulations led to the inflated stock market and property valuations, which was great while it lasted.
9)
04:05
But it was clear that an economic bubble was forming.
Hence, the Japanese Ministry of Finance raised interest rates, but in the early 1990s, it burst, and the stock market crashed.
This ushered in a debt crisis known as The Lost Decade, a long ten years of severe economic struggle and stagnation for Japan.
The GDP plummeted, which inevitably led to higher unemployment rates, which inevitably led to high homeless rates. By 2003, there were around 25,000 homeless people on the streets of Japan.
10)
04:36
But the last decade didn't just stop in the early 2000s; Japan's GDP continued to stay extremely low, and then the financial crisis of 2008 hit and crushed the global economy even more, which crushed Japan even more.
Thus, Japan's economy has been relatively stagnant for the last three decades.
Yet, at the same time, homelessness hasn't steadily increased over those decades. It has decreased, so if the answer isn't economic growth, how did Japan reduce their homeless population to almost nothing?
Well, things started to change at a governmental level in the late 1990s when homeless groups were formed.
11)
05:06
Advocates began to become more vocal.
Tokyo, Japan's capital, began to notice these advocates and groups and listen to their concerns. This was particularly important because, at that time, the homeless problem was increasing in the country, with thousands considered homeless in Tokyo alone, many struggling to find permanent employment.
12)
05:32
And wages were often low, making it difficult for Japanese people to support themselves, especially day labourers who struggled to find affordable housing.
In the last decade, many people experiencing homelessness were from blue-collar industries such as construction, which suffered greatly during Japan's decades of economic stagnation.
These groups began to organise and lobby the government for their rights. In 2002, the ball finally started rolling: the government passed the Homeless Self-Sufficiency Act, designed to help homeless people reach a point where they could support themselves under the new legislation.
13)
05:59
Tokyo created self-help support centres to help homeless people find jobs and become self-sufficient.
The homeless policy of the 2000s included several other aspects, all aimed at discouraging street life and encouraging self-help for the homeless population.
The idea wasn't just to get people off the streets temporarily—the government wanted to get people off the streets permanently. The following central pillar of Tokyo's policy was to find accommodation for people experiencing homelessness who could no longer live on the streets since they were evicted from the sidewalks.
14)
06:24
In public places, Tokyo provided rehabilitation facilities and simple shelters for temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness from 2004 to 2007.
It implemented a project to provide homeless people with low-rent housing that they could occupy for some time; non-profit organisations, loosely supported by the government, also offered welfare facilities to help people experiencing homelessness.
As a result, from 1998 to 2010, the number of shelters for people experiencing homelessness in Tokyo increased sixfold, while the capacity of these facilities increased 2.5-fold towards the end of the 2000s.
15)
06:50
Tokyo has implemented more new measures to improve its welfare system.
A new support system known as self-help housing support was added to the mix.
This sublet housing system was supposed to act as another intermediate between homelessness and permanent housing.
Then, there are the actual laws and institutions that play a role. They have a no-nonsense drug policy, and the government strictly enforces its policy against illegal drugs.
16)
07:19
And discourages their use so that as of 2014, only about 1.6% of the Japanese population via a survey was found to have tried drugs other than alcohol at some point in their lives.
This number pales in comparison to the number of people who have tried some form of illegal drug in the US, which is over 50% of the population.
This illicit drug use can often lead to addiction and a criminal record.
17)
07:49
Or mental health issues, which ends up making it much harder to function or get a job to re-enter society, creating a vast cycle.
This is especially the case in Japan. If you were once accused of even a minor drug possession, your life would be over in Japan.
Society never forgets what you did, and your criminal record never leaves, so finding housing or a job for the rest of your life is almost impossible as for how Japan deals with mental health issues.
18)
08:18
It's a bit ironic given their high unemployment rates and stigma of mental health, but they deal with it surprisingly well for the homeless population sort.
Over 30% of all people who experience homelessness at some point around the globe have struggled with a mental illness. Unlike other countries that might just put a person with a mental health issue in an ordinary homeless shelter or facility, Japan moves those struggling with mental illness to a mental health facility.
19)
08:45
They have more space available in Japan.
There are 269 beds in mental health facilities per 100,000 people, whereas the rest of the world has an average of 68.
This is because, for better or worse, they have lagged behind everyone else in the deideinstitutionalisationend, which is the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with less isolated community mental health services for those diagnosed with mental health problems.
So, Japan's practice of institutionalising those showing signs of mental illness has helped reduce the homeless population on the streets. Still, it doesn't equate to the best mental health care.
20)
09:13
However, aside from all the government's efforts to find housing for the country's homeless,
Some other reasons for the lack of homelessness stem more from a purely cultural aspect than anything else.
The Japanese government has received a lot of criticism from groups claiming that the number of homeless people in the country is much higher than the amount reported by the government.
This would make their almost 0% homeless rate much less impressive.
21)
09:37
But why wouldn't the government's count be accurate? Is the government deliberately fudging the numbers?
Well, maybe not deliberately, but yes, there are a few legal, social and cultural reasons why this could happen.
First, we need to look at how Japan legally defines homelessness.
The definition is much narrower than the definition we might use for what it means to be homeless.
The Japanese government defines it as people who live daily in public spaces such as streets, parks, riverbanks, etc.
22)
10:05
So they only count people who are living on the streets, and not those in homeless shelters and facilities which are technical without a home in Japan.
People living on the roads are a rarity because of the forced evictions from public spaces that are common in Japan; the country locks homeless people out of parks and builds anti-homeless architecture.
And removes them from public areas so the number of people on the streets or those who are counted as homeless in the eyes of the government is deficient. Where do all these hidden, undetected homeless people end up?
23)
10:32
it has become common for some people without a permanent home to sleep in 24-hour cybercafes.
If they have low-paying part-time jobs, they can cover the nightly cost of staying there while also staying off the streets by sleeping in computer cubicles in these cafes.
In places, they can get a small place to sleep and access the internet. These people are called internet cafe refugees.
It's so big that many cybercafes essentially double as hospitality businesses by offering food and drinks.
24)
11:00
And a shower for people who come to pay and stay a bit longer.
This trend has become a booming industry since 2020.
It's estimated that at least 15,000 people live in cybercafes in Tokyo alone, which is five times the official number of homeless people in Japan.
This choice of shelter is particularly popular with the younger homeless population.
For context, in the official government count, almost all of the homeless people counted were over 50, so that doesn't mean that most homeless people are old.
25)
11:28
It just means that younger homeless people aren't as easy to distinguish as homeless people; they often move between internet cafes, friends' houses and 24-hour fast food restaurants.
You might wonder why people go to internet cafes rather than homeless shelters, as spending money to stay in those cafes night after night could add up for someone already short of funds.
That leads me to what I meant about Japan's culture towards homelessness.
26)
11:55
There is no culture of compassion for homeless people in Japan, but rather a never-ending shame which leads many Japanese homeless people to lose contact or cut ties with their friends and family to avoid embarrassment.
Japanese culture is primarily centred on self-reliance and hard work, so homeless people are often seen as lazy, with no one to blame.
However, other citizens usually avoid looking at them, seeing them as an embarrassment and a threat to a harmonious society in Japan.
27)
12:21
As something that detracts from the beauty of cities like Tokyo, for these reasons, homeless people go to great lengths to avoid appearing homeless to others.
For example, they rarely beg for money, and if not, refuse it when offered. They also try to keep themselves clean and presentable by using the many public toilets and washing areas nationwide.
When homeless people live on the streets, they set up their shelters in remote places like riverbanks to stay out of the way when they have to sleep in busy areas.
28)
12:48
The stigma is powerful for men, who make up over 90% of the nation's homeless population.
Japanese culture dictates that women are supposed to take care of themselves, so there's less stigma around women who are homeless.
Because it's not seen as their fault, so they're more likely to get help; on the other hand, homeless men are stereotyped as running away from gambling debts.
29)
13:14
So they are less likely to receive the same help.
This negative view of homelessness makes many people keep it a secret if they can, which leads to a worsening problem that no one is aware of.
Still, homelessness became more evident in 2020 during the pandemic. When alternatives to homeless shelters like 24-hour internet cafes closed, the government had to pivot to avoid having many more people suddenly sleeping on the streets.
30)
13:43
So, it invested in several thousand rooms in hotels around Tokyo during the pandemic state of emergency.
If the government hadn't done this, there would probably have been a significant spike in people's perceptions of homeless people.
Currently, Tokyo has long-term shelters like dormitories throughout the city, primarily run by non-profit organisations; these facilities have negative reputations, such as being run down, overcrowded and lacking privacy.
Japan doesn't support one-night shelters where people can come and get shelter for just one night; instead, the government prefers to provide long-term shelter.
31)
14:09
In recent years, Japan has also become more flexible in offering government money to homeless people who need it.
However, their Livelihood Protection Programme has been around since the 2000s to provide homeless people with cash if they have no assets or family to fall back on; the requirements used to be stricter.
People used to have to prove that their families could not support them, which led to many people not applying for the programme.
32)
14:34
Because they didn't want their family to know that they were homeless now that the program can waive the requirement, homeless people can receive about 53,700 yen(￡350) per month, which can be used for apartment rent or government-funded shelters and about 75,000 yen (￡485) for living expenses.
Beyond that, the government now offers Independence Support Centres, which provide job search assistance to the unemployed, so Japan has used legislation to reduce homelessness rates.
Still, the amount of hidden homelessness probably means.
33)
15:07
There's a lot more work to be done. Japan has a higher poverty rate than the United States, with about 15% of the Japanese population considered impoverished compared to only 12% of Americans living in poverty, which, of course, seems like a contradiction to the low reported homeless rates.
Perhaps the most important thing for Japan to do is to start changing the stigma around homelessness since the stigma deters a lot of people who are struggling from seeking help, making people see.
34)
15:33
Treating homelessness as less shameful could encourage more participation in government programmes with a better outcome.
Regardless, Japan's homeless rate is still low, which is commendable, but it's not 0% as claimed. That is the reality.
How Japan Hides Their Homeless Population
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9fMoQlRyGk
The Secret to Japan's Great Cities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlwQ2Y4By0U
Add info No1)
"Japan is last in the world in terms of helping others," says the British organisation. Is Japan a Cold Country? Homelessness refusal issue
Japan ranks last in helping others. Japan's results are dismal. Overall, it ranks 107th out of 126 countries, which is the lowest among developed countries. So that's last place.
This survey, conducted annually since 2009, asks, "During the past month, have you ever met a stranger? People from each country were interviewed from three points of view: "Have you helped a stranger in need?" "Have you donated in the last month?" and "Have you volunteered in the last month?". Each country is scored on its level of tolerance.
Add info No2)
The chasm between rich and poor - Homeless in the wealthy West | DW Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWtK-7Uvvs8&t=158s
Add info No3)
How Finland solved homelessness: Here's how (Spoiler: Housing isn't first)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jt_6PBnCJE&t=866s
Finland's remarkable success in reducing homelessness is often attributed to its innovative Housing First approach. The model provides stable housing as the primary intervention, complemented by essential support services to address the root causes of homelessness and help individuals rebuild their lives. As the homelessness crisis rages in the United States, evidence-backed solutions like Housing First often take a back seat to counterproductive measures like criminalising poverty and sweeping homelessness. Skeptics argue that Finland's achievements cannot be replicated in America. Still, Invisible People embarked on a transformational journey to Helsinki, Finland, to explore the possibility of implementing a Housing First approach at scale in America. What's even more surprising is that Housing First was born in America. But Finland embraced it, and homelessness dropped astonishingly, plummeting from more than 20,000 homeless people to less than 4,000 in just a decade.
Countless media outlets have highlighted Finland's achievements in reducing homelessness, with the housing First model at the forefront. However, our research found that Finland's approach goes beyond HousingFinland's strategy, which includes prioritising affordable housing development and fostering a culture dedicated to improving homeless services to house people quickly and permanently. While Housing First played a crucial role in their success, it's only a piece of the puzzle.
Unlike the United States, where the focus is often solely on housing placement, Finland recognises that people need more than just a roof over their heads to thrive. Finland prioritises placing individuals within housing units, ensuring a sense of purpose, not just survival.
Known for its dedication to telling the true stories of homelessness, Invisible People gives viewers a glimpse into the raw, unfiltered lives of people who have experienced homelessness firsthand. In this special episode, we commit to authenticity to the next level by delivering the most authentic and inclusive look at Housing First ever captured on video. Our mission is to shine a light on the realities of homelessness, challenge preconceptions, and explore actionable solutions. We dig deep into Finland's remarkable and share authentic stories demonstrating the transformative power of compassionate policies and affordable housing.
Add info No4)
Homeless Population by State: Latest Insights into US Homeless Crisis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Z4VwDlkkQ
Homeless Population in America: Explore the latest comprehensive insights into the ongoing homeless crisis in the United States with our detailed analysis of the Homeless Population by State. Delve into the unique challenges faced by each state as we provide a data-driven overview of the current homeless situation, highlighting trends, contributing factors, and potential solutions. Gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues surrounding homelessness and the efforts being made to address them on a state-by-state basis.
Homelessness is one of the most significant societal issues in the United States. In 2022, a staggering 882,500 individuals were experiencing homelessness on a single night across the nation. Out of this homeless population, around 60% found refuge in sheltered locations and 40% were left to reside in uninhabitable spaces, such as streets or abandoned buildings, highlighting the harsh reality faced by a significant portion of the homeless community.
Homeless Population by State: Latest Insights into US Homeless Crisis
00:00 Homeless Population in America
00:29 California homeless crisis
01:24 New York homeless problem
02:17 Florida homelessness
03:24 Washington homeless population
04:18 Homeless rate in Texas
05:05 Oregon Homeless People
05:56 Massachusetts homeless
06:53 Arizona homelessness
07:44 Causes of Homelessness in Pennsylvania
08:32 Georgia unhoused people
09:30 Ohio homeless people
10:27 Homelessness in Tennessee
11:27 Colorado Homelessness crisis
12:23 North Carolina homeless camp
13:22 Illinois affordable housing
14:19 Homeless statistics
