User:Otowan/Homelessness in Japan



Homelessness in Japan (ホームレス, 浮浪者) is a social issue primarily affecting middle-aged and elderly males. Homelessness is thought to have peaked in the 1990s as a consequence of the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble and has largely fallen since then.

Definition
According to the "Special Act in regards to Supporting the Autonomy of the Homeless Population" (Japanese: ホームレスの自立の支援等に関する特別措置法), the term "homeless" is defined as "those who utilize city parks, river banks, roads, train stations, and other facilities as their place of stay in order to live their daily lives".

Names
Names for the homeless in Japan include hōmuresu (ホームレス, from the English "homeless"), furousha (浮浪者, meaning "wandering person"), kojiki (乞食, meaning beggar), and runpen (ルンペン, from German Lumpen). More recently, nojukusha (野宿者, "person who sleeps outside") and nojuku roudousha (野宿労働者, "laborer who sleeps outside") have been used to avoid negative connotations associated with the word "homeless".

History
After World War 2, many became homeless due to the economy being damaged from the bombing of the mainland. Less people became homeless in the 1960s due to the Japanese economic miracle.

Homelessness grew noticeably more widespread in Japanese society since the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble across the 1990s, and the resulting "Lost Decade" of economic stagnation. This has resulted in higher unemployment, a contributing factor towards potential homelessness.

At the beginning of the 1990s, the homeless in Japan were viewed as a nuisance. The government tried to get rid of the people on streets because of "beautification programmes".

Only in 1997 did Tokyo at last acknowledge the existence of homeless group representatives and start listening to their issues.

In 1998, officials claimed there were around 3,700 homeless in Tokyo alone. Homeless support groups estimated the number to be close to 5,000 and indicated that this number was rapidly increasing.

Since the 1990s, part-time and temporary employment has increased in Japan, often at the minimum wage, in part due to changes in legislation in 1986 and 1999. Renting accommodation in Japan usually requires a deposit and three months' rent in advance, making access difficult for those without permanent employment. This has increased the homelessness problem.

Due to bureaucratic obstacles, it was quite hard for a homeless person to obtain welfare benefits that they might have been eligible to receive. In August 2002, the "Special Act in regards to Supporting the Autonomy of the Homeless Population" (ホームレスの自立の支援等に関する特別措置法) was enacted to reduce obstacles for homeless people to get support.

In 2019, Japan had 22 million part-time and temp workers, compared to 17 million in 2011, according to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Statistics
According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare between January and February 2003, the total number of homeless people in Japan at that time was 25,296. However, according to another survey conducted by the Ministry, by January 2007 the number had fallen to 18,564 due to economic recovery across Japan. At that time middle-aged and elderly men accounted for 95% of the homeless population, with the average age being 57.5 years old.

In 2001, the government reported there were approximately 25,000 homeless people in Japan. At its peak in 2003, 25,269 homeless people were counted throughout Japan by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. In 2018, number of homeless people counted in Japan was 4,977 (4,607 males, 177 females and 193 people of obscurity). In 2020, the number of homeless counted decreased to 3,992 (3,688 males, 168 females and 136 people of obscurity).

For the first time between June and July 2007 a survey was done by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in regards to people spending the night at Internet cafés and 24-hour shops. The study found that across Japan, the number of people either sleeping or staying up all night in these places was around 5,400. The survey found that the number of homeless people in the eastern part of Japan, where the winter is comparatively colder, was 9,225; while the number of homeless people in the western part of Japan (described in the study as areas west of Toyama, Gifu, and Aichi prefectures), where the winter is comparatively warmer, was 9,339. Since the numbers were approximately the same, it was concluded that there was not a strong correlation between climate conditions and distribution of homelessness across the country. When divided by administrative divisions the highest number of homeless people was in Tokyo metropolitan area, at 2,672. Second-highest was Osaka metropolitan area at 2,500, and third-highest was Kanagawa prefecture at 1,814 people. When divided by municipal districts, the highest number of homeless people was in the 23 districts of Tokyo, at 2,396. Second-highest was Osaka city at 2,171 people, and third-highest was Yokohama city at 692 people.