Homeless in Japan playlist th-cam.com/video/Q8vhdQOH-Tk/w-d-xo.html Initial video: th-cam.com/video/Q8vhdQOH-Tk/w-d-xo.html Part 1: th-cam.com/video/eK--oCVP18A/w-d-xo.html Part 2: th-cam.com/video/-9RgkZebW1s/w-d-xo.html Part 3: th-cam.com/video/kBPyN3LE65g/w-d-xo.html Part 4: th-cam.com/video/OUNo06G3BeQ/w-d-xo.html
Previously land was free. Whoever wanted to build a house anywhere, they would build it. But now you have to buy a land to build a home. If some land is just free and homes could be built at that place, then anybody should be allowed to build a home at that place. There are poor people's who live in footpaths beside a road and many who cannot pay rent as work has been shut down due to covid19 . They could simply build a mud house and stay in it. It would be cheap to build. Afterwards when at that place something has to be built, then they should leave that place and make homes in other places where homes can be built and that place is just not used at that time.
I was wondering why there is so little talk about the NEETs, the shut-ins who live at home and are mentally ill but not in institutions. I've heard it's a major problem but almost no one does videos about it.
@Fanny Annie they're still free to the viewer. A decent ad blocker gets rid of them. I've been using 1 for the last 5 years & not seen a single ad (apart from the sponsor ads, made as part of the video).
@@BlownMacTruck you're probably right, but I was only referring to me not seeing the ads, that others complain about. From a personal point of view, I couldn't care less, about what they know about me. Most of what they want to know has been available far longer than Google et al have even existed.
Thanks for the patience everyone. It turns out I have over an hour of video left to release about homeless in Japan, so this is part 3 of 5. Good news is that I'm nearly done editing parts 4 and 5, so they'll truly be out in short order. In part 4, I talk to some formerly homeless people as well as follow along with Sanyukai, an NPO, as they feed and aid the homeless. In part 5, I'll finally wrap things up by giving an account of the current state of homelessness in Japan. Please check the description for links to the previous videos, credits, and sources. Have a safe and happy New Year!
Japanese people are discplined people they provide their people as human being not ANIMAL! They are discplined they loved the poor as human being to recover that is the Japanese People!
I would say that the culture surrounding drugs is more dangerous than the drugs themselves. The sanction on drugs is so high that violence often arises from the result of unregulated trade and lack of established standards. If drugs were legal and there were safe and effective means to buy and sell them, I doubt they would be entrenched in such a negative stigma. You don't often hear of someone dying in an alcohol deal gone bad, and it's because most countries remove the necessity for violence and shady-dealings by allowing alcohol to be sold with under an established quality, price, and means of sale. Of course there's always the potential for abuse, but getting help becomes easier when you dissolve the aforementioned stigma.
not easy to keep clean sleeping on the streets remember some people become homless with only what they are wearing no cash no change of clothes ,, and re the drink and drug thing yes some become homless because of adiction but some also drink and do drugs to make life on the streets bearable and if thats the case they need rehab as well as re homed ps quite a high perentage of homeless also have mental health issues whitch need addressed but its just not a high priority for the powers that be who wd rather build anti homless spikes and other anti rough sleeper devices , to move and hide the problem ,, rather than fund shelters and build cheap afoardable housing that would solve the problem ,, but then again the homless are a good tool for government propoganda work hard and fit in or you will end up homless and despised sad but true
Maybe you have not seen Greg's earlier homeless video, in Japan there are not mental health issues with their homeless. The most likely addiction they have is gambling.
Yea, america we think or want so much we dont need compared to japan they only have what need most and some luxury if any i guess. so that little bit of stuff seems like clutter to them at anytime. so i see they value space which is cool more then stuff.
"I am sorry it is cluttered." This kind of words we often use because Japanese are humble. We value to be modest, humble, not being arrogant. I think it's one of the virtues. Of course we want too much and buy what we want after Meiji era, though recently people are getting to know we should not buy so many things as well as other formerly industrial countries.
A big shout out to Professor Tom Gill. Always a pleasure to hear someone so knowledgeable about a topic and sharing it in such a clear way with many details and very balanced that makes it so pleasant to listen to
I think the rent gift is dependent on the place you go. I didn't need to pay it when I started renting, but it really depends. As @readyset commented, it may be something that's fading out. A reason why the Doya's (flophouses) are a popular option among the homeless/formerly homeless is that you don't need to pay that upfront cash, nor have guarantor checks and all that red tape. You just pay and get in. But for overall stability and a quality place to live, you'd really want to get into a proper apartment (at least that's my opinion).
Actually your buddy Eric and Kyde stayed in a Doya in Osaka, that supposedly turned into a Hostel. The one you filmed was actually cleaner than the one they stayed in while in Osaka.
been in Tokyo for many times. And I do understand that even the riches country have the same problem, it's a problem around the world. the one good thing about the homeless people in Japan is that the government and the community itself is doing there best to help the poor.
Because some people like drugs, alcohol and gambling more than they like housing. Not the only reason, and stuff happens to people visa via losing a job with little margin, traumatic events or sever depression; but a lot of homelessness has to do with the person not being willing to participate in life practices that would keep them housed, but rather get high or engage in a compulsion for which they refuse help.
You just introduced me to this concept. I never thought of charities as poverty business before but thinking about it now as you have said, you're right.
@@arrow1042 yup, yup, my letter-friend from another country is an economist. Soooo they must make something like a plan of a month income in any charity. I'm not that strong in economics & terminology, but it's the same documents they usually do for some company or something. Naming it poverty business is really accurate.
That was incredibly educational and I thank you for making this video. I'm in Florida, USA, and it seems like in Japan they really have a much better system of trying to help out the homeless people there. It's nothing like here. And I think the biggest difference is the lack of drugs and crime that occur. That alone makes a huge difference, right? Thank you! I love your videos and sure wish someday I could visit or live in Japan.
As a fellow Floridian and someone who worked around many homeless people, I would say the key issues are lack of mental health and healthcare, affordable housing, houseless veterans and drug abuse. I lived in St. Pete which had a high homeless population, a lot of those people were displaced from mental hospitals or aged out of foster care. Many of them were nice and wonderful people who literally had no options or who were addicted to drugs and wanting to quit, but unable to take care of themselves enough to focus on that. Most of the people I met were mentally ill, lots of them Schizophrenic which requires constant care, but since the united states has no real mental healthcare system it means that all of these people are left to fend for themselves and often become violent or addicted to substances to deal with the daily mental assault...
We have a high homeless rate in America due to the high cost of apts and no real help from the government were as Japan cost less and helps the homeless
We knew and interacted with two homeless men in Tokyo. One was very simple and always created drawings to exchange for money. He appeared to be low functioning autistic because the drawings were extremely detailed. Both men were alcoholics. The second man rarely spoke but would nod a thank you when you left food or some warm clothing and blankets. Both were alcoholics. They lived in the parks near our homes.
Had some questions about what kind of welfare was available. Here's an official English breakdown of the support available from the government www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/social_welfare/dl/outline_of_the_public_assistance_system_20101004.pdf. I'll be presenting some of this in part 4 and 5.
Life Where I'm From As someone who was homeless in America, I think the rent system/up front cost is similar to how it is in America. Usually you have to pay 2 months rent in advance or in other words "first and last months rent" plus deposit.
Life Where I'm From Can you do a Q&A? Here's my question: do u speak in Japanese or English off camera? Thanks! I love watching your videos and hope to go to Japan sometime!
If I recall correctly I've watched all 3 parts so far. I hope at some point you decide to fully go in.We have been informed about the instituional, ethical and goverment approach and views of the the issue, which I find well delivered and seems to be an accurate cover of it. I hope you go in and listen to those people first hand so we can understand why they failed to be part of the society they were tossed at, so we can finally weigth both ends opinions on the matter. As always, good film, liked it very much!
I know homeless people are everywhere, but from my personal experience I felt like people in America are mostly cautious because there are so many people scamming. But when I was walking in Tokyo I was actually shocked to see homeless people, just because everywhere else I've been in Japan everything is so clean and orderly that a homeless person really sticks out. But what really disturbed me is I saw a guy eating out the garbage. I mean literally putting the food in his mouth from the garbage. I never seen this in America, and and doubt that he was faking it was washed out completely. Even worst is that people walking by were just looking at him in disgust and hate so blatantly, and in Japan that act is REALLY uncommon. I was so pissed that no one offered to get this man some food instead of those looks. So I went to the first food place and bought a couple plates of food. Me being a foreigner I wasn't even sure if he would take offense for me offering food, but I finally decided that the worst that would happen is me being embarrassed. Even writing this I'm starting to cry a little. Because even tho I couldn't talk to him because I don't know Japanese. The look of gratitude from his kind face brought me to tears and I wished I could have done more. You could tell that this didn't happen a lot, and I guess me not being Japanese shocked him even more. Japan is literally one of the best places to live in general. The culture and respect in is second to none. Yes, they have their problems, but to feel safe even at 3 in the morning no matter where you go is surreal in some ways. It just sucks that stuff like this goes on worldwide and till this day. I just hope people keep coming together to try and fix this problem. No one in this world needs to go hungry or be homeless. We all are part of the problem in some way. Either by accepting it or not caring enough to even give a person a meal that is eating out the trash. Yeah, I know some of you are saying it's just a meal, but that isn't the point. The point is having the compassion for our fellow brothers and doing something at the moment you see it. You can only help as far as your arms can reach.
HongoKanata1 Yes, obviously people eat out the trashcan worldwide. I was just telling my experience. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't implying it doesn't happen elsewhere.
I’m so glad I found your channel and subscribed to it. Your content is amazing, relevant and entertaining. While I was in Tokyo a couple of months ago I was wondering about this topic and now I know a lot more thanks to you!
I think my current room is just as the same size as that doya, also I have to bring my own fan. To think that doya is considered a living space for the homeless is blowing my mind.
My friend worked in a NYC homeless shelter for about 8 years as the volunteer night watch man. He told me some of the guys that frequented his shelter, actually like being on the street and roaming about NYC. They only came when it was really cold out, and knew the housing cycle. You had 2 weeks to stay but could not return for 3 months. Only the ones that come in during the hot months were the ones that were lost and need help getting back into society.
I've made three videos so far (and have two more on the way), so I don't know if this was published yet or not. But I did ask the professor about why there are still people living on the streets when there currently is room in shelters and there's the livelihood protection program (seikatsu hogo or welfare). Actually, I think those answers are in the next two videos, so you'll just have to stay tuned. I would agree that there are a certain percentage of people who prefer living on the streets.
Reading i see or guess they put most the military budget into the tech and weapons then they do making sure they paid good for putting their life on line when they get deployed. saw a movie about a mom and kid homeless and they try stay at a place and somebody stole their stuff so had less to use any cause no security around at time to make sure no one stole any. so shelters try help but if on street homeless have more control over their stuff unless they leave it behind then it taken and removed for any reason.
The Doya housing is an excellent alternative. It keep the people in dignity, it prevents them from getting robbed and sliding down the ladder more. I congratulate Mr. Gills to his detail knowledge.
It is amazing how clean and tidy the shelters are. I guess it shows how disciplined the Japanese are. It is so nice to see how the government take care and help the homeless.
Compared to downtown L.A or Miami, it's much much better. But still there are many problems. Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama are big city so people ignore there people and don't care at all as if they don't see anything. Japanese people used to be caring to others but not kind now. I guess lots of homeless might have mental health issues in Capitalist society where money comes first. Because young man came from countryside with lots of dreams but they couldn't get familiar with people who wants to beat others in a big city.
I lived in tokyo for a long time as an exchange student, but I never knew about any of this. This is so informative. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into these videos. It’s really educational
I’d like to add that some appartments do not require the presents to the landlord and the month in advance also do not require a guarantor. You can check the option on the search page of famous real estate franchise like at home or minimini. Some places even in Tokyo can be very cheap if there is no bathroom also. If there is a public bath /sento in the area it can be something to consider for a 20 000 yens rent. Of course it is not modern concrete appartment but better than sleeping in the street. The problem is when you do not have a job it is difficult to rent even cheap places.
This is true, I got lucky with my apartment (outside Tokyo). I did not need to pay the gift for the ooyasan. Just 1 month advance rent. Its nice, with digital lock, IH and aircon. :)
@@yin6287 Wow....So the capitalist system (the government isn't capitalistic, btw), is forcing heroin, alcohol and opioids into these people to make them homeless? But I do agree with you, we should have forced rehab for drug addicts or make them be permanently locked up in state run mental hospitals that should also take the other half of the homeless that are mentally ill to be locked away for good. Could you imagine the parks and beaches free from homeless people with this solution? So nice.
A very informative and helpful video. I am scared how close many of us are to becoming part of the homeless society. I know there are supportive options that genuinely strive to help you become part of mainstream society again. What made my jaw drop was the professor’s description of the NPO process. I would hope there is a pro bono company/agency/organisation that can provide their services without taking advantage of the homeless??? I know nothing is free. But, why is so much of the cost bourn on the homeless person’s shoulders? This is just my mind wandering here. I understand this route works. The professor did balance the view point by stating there are several successful stories. Thank you so very much for talking about this subject.❤️❤️❤️❤️
The type of NPO the professor was talking about was a specific type. There are others that are probably more familiar to what you'd find in North America. In fact, some of them are actually founded by Westerners. In the next video I'll actually introduce you to one. I'd say they fit in line with what you wondered about, if there's a pro bono organization that doesn't take advantage of the homeless.
Life Where I'm From Thank you for the reply. I’m very much fascinated with this series. It’s nice to see how each country approaches issues such as helping the homeless.
This kind of agency (Professor Gill, or the narrator, start off by saying they are non-profit, so I don’t understand later Gill saying they “make a lot of money” and “exploit” the poor people) exists in the US, but people who have not lived in the social welfare system may not know or understand that. Many US cities/counties have a system that operates sort of like “Care Not Cash” in San Francisco, where if you want help getting housing, they will place you in a residential hotel and point you to many places in the city to get free food (that usually involve standing in long lines for an hour, so it eats up your time), some have one meal a day in the hotel itself or delivered to them, or food stamps or money on a card that can only be used for groceries (no alcohol) or in some cities, cheap restaurants like Subway. They give you only a little spending money for things like transportation, laundry,etc - some even give you bus passes instead of cash, and have free laundry facilities. Or if you have a check coming in from a government program, whether welfare or disability, you may have a “payee” who makes sure your rent is paid first and then gives you the rest in weekly installments so you can’t spend it all at the beginning of the month and have nothing left to survive on. So your basic needs are taken care of, but if you can’t get a regular job, you have to work on the sheriffs work detail cleaning streets or parks, and you only get $10/hr for that (and a living wage is two or three times that). If you want Medicaid coverage from California, or any welfare program, you can’t have more than $2000 in assets, including a car, computer, or money in the bank, so you probably won’t ever be able to get a job that lets you live anywhere but the subsidized hotels. The rent the “poverty businesses” collect in excess of their own cost to rent the building space goes into salaries for the people who offer the money management, job placement, and support services, including the basic meals. With the kind of jobs these people could get without much education, training, or experience, they would probably spend 90% of their income on rent and basic food, but be more likely to splurge on alcohol or something they impulsively want, and end up homeless or hungry again. For people who need an environment that is structured to support responsibility, it may be the best option for stability. If you want (and can handle) more freedom (without screwing things up again), you can rent in the Doya-Gai and save more of your money so that eventually you can afford a better apartment, but that will only work for people who have self-discipline.
It doesn't sound like the NPOs are forcing people into their businesses, so it's conjecture that they're being taken advantage of. It's important to consider that the profit motive encourages people to engage with the homeless and get them off the streets. It's a rare person who chooses to do this for free. For every one team of lawyer+consultant+landlord that volunteers to do this work, you'll get 100 to do it for profit. If you want to actually help the homeless, making it profitable to do so is the more effective approach.
I think in america it can be the same way, but some or many dont feel that way for any reason. i seen it around and some are decent while others are a wreck for any reason.
@@cable30 na it cant - In Japan the first years of school is how to be clean polite and respectful member of society. they start from the beginning so everyone (even homeless people) keep it tidy and recycle. USA is 300 million people all with "someone else will clean it up" mindset
@@Thabooka not everyone has the same mindset of waiting for others to clean a mess when they know it just look wrong to leave a mess unless good reason not to clean it any. some or many will try clean as u give right gear to do so at time. i tire when some or many get lumped in with rest of any who just sit and watch as others do right anytime.
I thought the exact thing when he said that. They just get it. It's like it is just instinct for them(which should be standard anyways). It blows my mind.
I think in america even if homeless some or many still feel they need a lot instead of just the basics. where i live i seen hmeless and some have got help and others dont try for any reason and just nomad around city or town in their own mindset and all.
i was walking behind a homeless person in portland and they were carrying a bunch of trash with them and suddenly just dropped it in broad daylight on the sidewalk right in front of me. i hate it here
"The rent is calibrated to your income...." Mind. Blown. 😯🤯 Japan is miles ahead of most other developed nations when it comes to helping the homeless! 🙌🏻👌🏻
I remember not so many years ago the town I’m living in was having “ problems “ with a relative homeless population living on the outskirts of the city ( well out of the way of eyesight, traffic and everyone’s way ) on one of the elbows of the river bank. The governing authority in town saw this as a problem and regardless of how many times they took and destroyed what few items these people had, they kept coming back, it’s unknown who had the initial idea but the end plan to resolve the issue was to poor sugar all over and all through there belongings, which then in turn led to ants and insects destroying all of there belongings or rendering them unusable. Nice piece of humanitarianism from rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
Amazing video! Japan has much more intricate and developed plan's for dealing with homelessness or those stuck in poverty than we do in North America, as you said, homelessness is still seen in Japan and hopefully these issues will be further touched on as the ratio of homelessness get's lower and lower.
I'm a frequent flyer to Japan and during my last few visits I've been noticing them more and more particularly around train stations. It tugs at my heart to watch them live that way (especially since i tend to visit Japan in winter) and wish there's more we can do to help. I myself wouldn't mind spending my holiday there and taking accomodation at some of the doyas if that could help with giving them financial support and keeping them off the streets. It'll be a humbling experience imho and a good one at that. Thank you so much for your videos, love watching you and your kids share your experiences. I learn a lot too. Keep up the fantastic work.
Doya rooms are very common here in Uganda we call them single rooms 10 by 10 feet, and rent range from $20 to $50 a month. That's why even though our country is not rich we relatively don't have homelessness here
I actually stayed in San'ya during my trip to Japan this past spring, at a hotel-like hostel that used to be a flop house (Palace Japan). Infact, I passed by that flop house at 1:06. I'd personally say that, while it was just as safe as any other neighborhood in Tokyo, you could still feel some sort of grunginess not present anywhere else. It was very common to find cups of Ozaki sake littered all across the street. I wasn't able to visit Yokohama while there, but even if you were completely unaware of the area's history you'd still think it's quite different from the rest of Tokyo. Another thing about San'ya (although it's officialy refered to as Minami-Senju) is that the Tokyo government has been trying to redevelop the area by turning most of the flop houses into budget hotels and hostels for backpackers and travellers on the cheap. As mentioned before my hostel used to be just a flop house (which they still own and run, right next to the new hostel. Apparently they've have some issues with tourists accidentally entering the flop house rather than the hostel, so much so that they've had to place a big sign at the flop house's entrance pointing to the hostel). While the hostel was not much different to any other hostel, the smoking area must've been shared between the hostel and the flop house, as you'd often find locals smoking away there. They weren't bad people, but they sure smoked like chimneys. It's a rather sad situation, and added quite a perspective to my Tokyo trip that I wouldn't have had had I stayed somewhere else in the city.
Interesting. I was thinking about renting a room in the area to kind of see what the experience would be like from the perspective of a tourist or cheap business traveler. I talked to my sister-in-law, and she actually books some people from her work near the area, because the rates on the business hotels are quite affordable in comparison to other areas in Tokyo. I never heard about the Tokyo government trying to purposefully redevelop the area from flop houses to budget hotels/hostels. I know San'ya doesn't even officially exist as a proper area name. Purely from a business owner perspective, I can see why they'd be motivated to attract the tourist and business person crowd. You're right, the area does have a bit of a different feel. I don't think I explained it so well in the video. I've walked around many neighbourhoods in Tokyo, and I guess what I was trying to say was that if you took a small slice, like a particular street, you may not notice anything much different beyond some places may look a bit more rundown. But if you start looking at the details, like the signs for the businesses, see some guys smoking or drinking, or the amplitude of street level bike parking, you can start to see that it's different from other areas. I suppose my frame of reference is the downtown East side in Vancouver, where it's very obviously a poor area (the poorest postal code in Canada).
Definitely go for Palace Japan, while it's not a business hotel it does have its history, having been (and technically still is, as the flop house it "replaced" is still open right next to it) a flop house for so many years. Plus, the staff's pretty nice and you'll probably be able to get an interview from either the tourists staying at the hotel (most of which are from Eastern or South East Asia, there's quite a few westerners but they're not the majority - I was the first Spaniard they ever had!) as well as with the day laborers that congregate at the hostel's smoking area. Oh yeah, and I guess they'd allow you to take a look into the flop house. Another thing worth checking (or rather, reading) out, if only because of its cultural relevancy, is Ashita no Joe, a rather old (from the late 60's) manga about a orphaned young who runs away to Tokyo's slums (which apparently appear to be San'ya, as characters from the series adorn the local shopping arcade in the area. The manga came out at a period of socio-economic upheavel, and many Japanese (mostly working-class citizens) felt a personal connection to the series. One character's death had a real-life funeral organized at a boxing ring, complete with a Buddhist monk watching over it.
@@LifeWhereImFrom The "Shinsekai" and "Shinimamiya" areas of Osaka that used to be all flophouses, are going cool boutique hotels/hostels. "Airin" is still mostly hard core tho.
I recently spent a month in Minamisenju - had no idea it was Sanya! It was clean and organised like everywhere else in Japan with great transport links.
Excellent work! This is my first time to know about such a detailed in-depth report on Japan's poverty issues by foreign researcher & journalist. When foreigners talk about Japan, they often focus on flashy side of the country like high techs & popular contemporary sub cultures alone. They have usually kept eyes away from the not-so-cool-Japan phenomenon.
Thanks again Greg! These are so wonderful. When I lived in Osaka it was so hard to get information about what was going on with the homeless. Very enlightening.
So informative and unbiased. From what I've read, there's a serious problem with abandoned homes, and how ownership records have been poor. If only the government could expedite land registry/expropriation and also spend some money on refurbrishing old homes in the country side. Could be a win/win.
The professor told me that some issue with housing is that it's not where the homeless want to be. So there may be cheap housing in the countryside, but it's not where their life is. There's a reason that the poor have congregated into certain areas in Osaka, Yokohama, and Tokyo.
This was an excellent series. I've visited Japan & have always been interested in the culture. It's very interesting to see the way different cultures affect the outcomes differently .
What that one guy built with the tarp and some wood strips was awesome! It had a door and everything. Praying it’s not demolished and they are still okay!
I do wonder how those charities taking a massive cut can be called non-profit organisations? Is there some legalese at work to claim all that extra money on top of what they provide is not profit? What sort of salaries must workers/organisers be making? (*Edited wording as it sounded kind of aggressive, which is not how I meant it to sound.) By the way, I'm loving this series so much. It's so informative and professional, and I like that you usually have a broad range of voices to give their perspective of a situation. I haven't watched that many documentaries in recent years, but one of my favourite things is to see social issues in different communities and cultures across the world, and how similar or different they are to the issues in my corner of the world. I hope you and your family have a great new year!
Generally in the US, there are workers in a non profit that do make money. The difference is that they do not keep additional profits beyond their salaries, and the organization as a whole generally works toward the benefit of society in some shape. It is entirely possible that the ones on top give themselves more than their fair share of money, or that they somehow skim the money, possibly by inflating operation costs such as having the lawyers they hire say they cost X amount when they actually cost only half that.
What a beautifully measured set of info from Professor Tom Gill. Brilliant work making sure you got an expert's view, and it was so well handled because of this. Nice work dude!
In Europe they would just put them in an apartment, feed but give them no incentive to become self-reliant. In America, they'd be left to rot in the street. Glad to see there is a middle ground
Fortunate Talisman america is very generous when it comes to the poor, its just that alot of the poor take advantage. Just look at cali wherein it has the largest welfare programs in the country yet it also shares the lion share of homelessness.
In the UK you are just left to rot on the streets. We have sociopaths running the government who get a kick out of knowing that they are causing suffering.
They have a lottery system in England just like in Japan. I don’t know about ALL of Europe. You really should go and watch “The Great Benefits Handout” here on TH-cam and there are multiple other documentaries like “Benefits Britain” and “How to get a council house” that will show you all you need to know about the system for Brits.
@@CaptchaNeon Watching propaganda programs on tv channels owned and run by multi millionaires is never going to give you a balanced view. The agenda is to show a few cases of system abuse and make it appear as if it is rampant so that working class people vote for cuts in the very systems put in place to help themselves. Never believe anything which comes from a source funded by the rich. They have an agenda to protect their own interests.
as a former Seattleite, I'd like to point out that the term _Skid Row_, did *not* originate as a term for where the bums hung out. initially (in the early 1850s) it was _Skid Road_, referring to the practice of skidding logs downhill towards a lumber mill or a waterway to float them the rest of the way to the mill. unfortunately, there was a skid road that ran straight through what is now the Pioneer Square area of town to the Puget Sound. naturally this left a broad, extremely muddy swath and the "upright citizens" wanted nothing to do with it. this led to the cheaper eateries and and such to be built south of skid road. because the "poor folk" wouldn't mind slogging through the mud to get affordable food, etc. this attitude was further exacerbated in the mid-to-late 1890s by the swarms of men heading towards the Klondike Gold Rush. the businesses south of skid row were suddenly augmented by cheap hostelries and ridiculously expensive "Alaskan Outfitters" to take advantage of the fortune seekers. it wasn't until 1931 that the term took on the meaning of a hangout for the homeless and "bums" in general. I understand that this is somewhat pedantic, but my head full of trivia demanded I post it.
Great video as usual, Greg. I really hope that man that showed you his room finds a good home to call his own and lives a happy life. He looked like a nice man.
Thank you for doing such an important video. The homeless population has skyrocketed in Los Angeles USA, and other cities in America. We need a team of people like Dr. GIll who can come together to work on this before it gets worse. Fascinating differences between the homeless in Japan and the US. Keep up the great work!
My son has been dependent on others his whole life(28) lives in rooms of their homes and pays rent. I see in him a stubbornness to conform to society, and yet he has big dreams on what he wants in life. Drugs and alcohol play a roll. Life in prison didn't help. Now branded as criminal can't get basic job. Bad cycle. Waiting for time limit to expire to get expunged. Then it is up to judge to decide if he will allow it to be wiped out. Depression, self worth, all daily factors to deal with.
DK S Switzerland is a Social, Rich country..Swiss Constitution grants every citizen the right to minimum existence ( about $2’500 a month) the only homeless here are those who seriously choose to live outside ( mostly in summer) if you steal bread in Switzerland, it will usually be allowed because nobody steals bread unless they actually are so bad off that they need it. Anyway, I believe every government is obligated to provide their people with the bare minimum when they are in need, they can’t extract and extort our money at gunpoint/ threatening with being put in a cage without providing the basics when we are in need.
Just writing a comment so youtube's algorithm will like this video more. Really appreciate these types of documentaries. I know they don't have the highest numbers, but they are my favorite.
While there are positive and negative sides in the effort to reduce the homeless, I think Japan's government is doing great compared to other countries.
A year late but tenants usually give a sum of money just as a thank you gift for allowing them to move in. It is a bit strange and crazy but I heard that some landlords are starting to get rid of that practice now. The tenant would still have to pay the other fees and deposits though. Hope this helps!
It's basically to prove that you are a decent enough person to save money and pay for the rent. Afterall, you are borrowing someone else's property and the property owner want to trust you enough. But with the recent economy situation, as the previous comment is stating, it is a practice becoming less but still pretty common.
I see it no different then giving a gift besides just paying for rent and all. unlike america and other places, different cultures live different ways. with respect and all.
In the Tokyo area, in addition to the rent, we will pay a deposit for one month. Normally, 100% will be returned when you move out. However, if the house is significantly soiled or destroyed 、It may not be refunded as a repair cost. This is also the role of compensation for unauthorized moving.
The wealth of a country doesn't always play a part in homelessness. Unfortunately mental health is the reason for a lot of homeless in "first world" countries. People have a hard time integrating into society and fall through the cracks, then they turn to crime or drugs to cope and go in a downward spiral. In the U.S. sadly a lot of homeless are also veterans that were sent out into the world without getting the help they needed and deserved.
Thank you for this series. Homelessness is an issue all over the world. I am glad you talked about such a topic. The saddest thing I found is only the number of times this topic was viewed. More people need to acknowledge this problem and force all of our governments to act in a positive manner.
Denell L. Bennett Survivor/Warrior Hello sweety Me too no fault of my own 😢but with many prayers to god I managed to get a small flat I was blamed too but wasn’t my fault ... one day sweety god will solve all our problems Hope you have found something
I say thank you for your hard work and dedication to document the Japanese treatment of their homeless. Comparing that to how America takes care of ANY and ALL homeless people, the difference between the two is night and day.
When I first visited Japan 5 yrs ago, having stayed in Asakusa, Ueno is always a central drop off, whenever I used trains back and forth. On our last day of stay, we visited Ueno Park. Going back via the Ueno Station exit, we saw some elderly men in the park who seemed like homeless. I was shocked, never expecting such situations are present in modern and prosperous Japan. Watching your videos about it, it made me understand more the reasons and the possible solutions to the problem.
This reminds me of Tokyo Godfathers. Never really thought about the homeless until I saw this video. I really admire how much effort you put into making this, it was very informative. I'm really glad the homeless in Japan are under the government's attention, very much similar to Australia's system.
This is incredibly well researched! You obviously care about the issues, and it shows in the quality of the videos, and how much out of the way you're willing to do some investigative footwork (e.g., the high-pitched sound at night).
Thanks for sharing this information, I've been to Japan a few times now and have wanted to understand more about this issue. Your videos have provided some great insight into the issue and some of the challenges faced by this group of people who don't fit into societal norms. Great work!
Most homeless old people are people who were not able to obtain a pension because they were laid off during the economic depression that lasted from the 90s into the 2000s. some were almost done with their time at work, getting ready to retire, then got fired. i heard that Japan has a lot of empty homes in rural areas that hav been abandoned. Since old people aren't going to be able to work as much or at all, i say establish their permanent living there and also send the younger, able-bodied homeless people to work in these communities as well, with jobs working stores, food & produce distribution, fixing the homes, health care work, sanitation work, etc. Services that get them money but also benefit the whole community. If the old people want to work, allow them simple jobs to make an income but do not deny them basic necessities. Then u've almost set up a self-sustaining community. Eventually it will become completely self-sustaining when the gov't no longer has to invest too much money in the community, once they get a cycle rolling, where the community pays into itself.
@steve gale lol Those people didn't get their pensions cause the companies laid them off in order not to hav to pay their pensions. Naive af. "Elegible" doesn't mean everyone.
In USA we food pantry soup kitchen with drug use .shelters are full .we have alot of homeless that work ,trying to get out of shelters I work at a job and came across people trying to get it together. Donate to shelters Missions salvation army.. but be careful most likely they wont money. That's short versions
@@deborahking5692 im in the Netherlands, and im not even sure i ever saw an actual homeless person. That happens on tv, not in real life🙈We have a couple of junkies in the big cities, but i've never seen anybody actually sleeping on the streets
The level of cleanliness and organization displayed by the japanese people as a whole is truly remarkable. Note though, they dont allow immigrants for the most part. So in the USA where you have every kind of people coming from every kind of background and expecting they should get a bunch of stuff for free they just take advantage and dont take care of anything
Homeless in Japan playlist th-cam.com/video/Q8vhdQOH-Tk/w-d-xo.html
Initial video: th-cam.com/video/Q8vhdQOH-Tk/w-d-xo.html
Part 1: th-cam.com/video/eK--oCVP18A/w-d-xo.html
Part 2: th-cam.com/video/-9RgkZebW1s/w-d-xo.html
Part 3: th-cam.com/video/kBPyN3LE65g/w-d-xo.html
Part 4: th-cam.com/video/OUNo06G3BeQ/w-d-xo.html
Life Where I'm From Wow! I've watched Parts 1-3 and all I can say is this is a very well thought out and thoroughly researched video! Great job!👍🏻
Did you made all of these videos by yourself? Creative, filming, interviews, editing?
MrsWenB
Previously land was free. Whoever wanted to build a house anywhere, they would build it. But now you have to buy a land to build a home. If some land is just free and homes could be built at that place, then anybody should be allowed to build a home at that place. There are poor people's who live in footpaths beside a road and many who cannot pay rent as work has been shut down due to covid19 . They could simply build a mud house and stay in it. It would be cheap to build. Afterwards when at that place something has to be built, then they should leave that place and make homes in other places where homes can be built and that place is just not used at that time.
I was wondering why there is so little talk about the NEETs, the shut-ins who live at home and are mentally ill but not in institutions. I've heard it's a major problem but almost no one does videos about it.
We are getting a Netflix worth content for free on TH-cam
@Fanny Annie they're still free to the viewer. A decent ad blocker gets rid of them. I've been using 1 for the last 5 years & not seen a single ad (apart from the sponsor ads, made as part of the video).
I can not believe the *world education* I am getting.
@@simonpreston1693 I don't think you understand how much data they gather on you outside of ads. It goes far beyond that.
@@BlownMacTruck you're probably right, but I was only referring to me not seeing the ads, that others complain about. From a personal point of view, I couldn't care less, about what they know about me. Most of what they want to know has been available far longer than Google et al have even existed.
Simon Preston It’s sad that you’ve become so complacent to an incredible invasion of your person.
Thanks for the patience everyone. It turns out I have over an hour of video left to release about homeless in Japan, so this is part 3 of 5. Good news is that I'm nearly done editing parts 4 and 5, so they'll truly be out in short order. In part 4, I talk to some formerly homeless people as well as follow along with Sanyukai, an NPO, as they feed and aid the homeless. In part 5, I'll finally wrap things up by giving an account of the current state of homelessness in Japan. Please check the description for links to the previous videos, credits, and sources. Have a safe and happy New Year!
Thank You!
Nice video, but it would have more interesting had the video been about something other than homeless people.
You should number the title so people can easily tell this is a series. Interesting video!
AJules A: the title is about homeless people and this is part of a series this channel is doing. What do you expect? O_o
"Please heck"
"sorry for the clutter" *one plastic bag on the floor*
Just being polite, a pretty common thing to say in East and south-east Asia
Amazing culture
My same thoughts...And I'm fussing at my house😊
@Carl John Shutup.
@Carl John First off, he seems very knowledgeable, and secondly, I'll visit anyways and be sure to ignore ignorant fools like you.
Love the Japanese culture even at low points they are very clean and organized it's amazing. Much respect to the Japanese.
I agree. When you think of flop houses, skid row, and public housing in America, far different than the equivalent in Japan.
"Just because I live in provincial housing doesnt mean I'm a slob" -a friend of my moms
They only should be less machist
th-cam.com/video/ZtGIekin74w/w-d-xo.html
Japanese people are discplined people they provide their people as human being not ANIMAL! They are discplined they loved the poor as human being to recover that is the Japanese People!
Probably Japan’s strong anti-drug stance has benefited the country in more ways than can be traced.
1000%.
highest suicide rates in the world.
@Warrior of Light among the lowest suicide rates in the world.
even though your country is complete and utter barbarism.
In America they literally flooded the ghetto with drugs..
I would say that the culture surrounding drugs is more dangerous than the drugs themselves. The sanction on drugs is so high that violence often arises from the result of unregulated trade and lack of established standards. If drugs were legal and there were safe and effective means to buy and sell them, I doubt they would be entrenched in such a negative stigma. You don't often hear of someone dying in an alcohol deal gone bad, and it's because most countries remove the necessity for violence and shady-dealings by allowing alcohol to be sold with under an established quality, price, and means of sale. Of course there's always the potential for abuse, but getting help becomes easier when you dissolve the aforementioned stigma.
So obviously the Japanese care about it's homeless people and try to get them out of poverty, that's amazing.
Yes quite, but it could be better.
not easy to keep clean sleeping on the streets remember some people become homless with only what they are wearing no cash no change of clothes ,, and re the drink and drug thing yes some become homless because of adiction but some also drink and do drugs to make life on the streets bearable and if thats the case they need rehab as well as re homed
ps quite a high perentage of homeless also have mental health issues whitch need addressed but its just not a high priority for the powers that be who wd rather build anti homless spikes and other anti rough sleeper devices , to move and hide the problem ,, rather than fund shelters and build cheap afoardable housing that would solve the problem ,, but then again the homless are a good tool for government propoganda work hard and fit in or you will end up homless and despised sad but true
Maybe you have not seen Greg's earlier homeless video, in Japan there are not mental health issues with their homeless. The most likely addiction they have is gambling.
You should share and explain why you think so instead of just throwing out words with no backing information.
Me?
As expected, this was a really amazing video. Thanks for bringing light to the issue and making the video.
*Room looks absolutely tidy*
"I am sorry it is cluttered."
That cracked me up!
Yea, america we think or want so much we dont need compared to japan they only have what need most and some luxury if any i guess. so that little bit of stuff seems like clutter to them at anytime. so i see they value space which is cool more then stuff.
"I am sorry it is cluttered." This kind of words we often use because Japanese are humble. We value to be modest, humble, not being arrogant. I think it's one of the virtues. Of course we want too much and buy what we want after Meiji era, though recently people are getting to know we should not buy so many things as well as other formerly industrial countries.
A big shout out to Professor Tom Gill. Always a pleasure to hear someone so knowledgeable about a topic and sharing it in such a clear way with many details and very balanced that makes it so pleasant to listen to
2 months rent gift!!!!! Is a shocker I say!!!
It's called Key Money, even people with money have to pay it in Japan. But supposedly the trend is fading out since the last 5 years.
I think the rent gift is dependent on the place you go. I didn't need to pay it when I started renting, but it really depends. As @readyset commented, it may be something that's fading out. A reason why the Doya's (flophouses) are a popular option among the homeless/formerly homeless is that you don't need to pay that upfront cash, nor have guarantor checks and all that red tape. You just pay and get in. But for overall stability and a quality place to live, you'd really want to get into a proper apartment (at least that's my opinion).
Actually your buddy Eric and Kyde stayed in a Doya in Osaka, that supposedly turned into a Hostel. The one you filmed was actually cleaner than the one they stayed in while in Osaka.
readyset I know and understand about the gift but that's wrong!!!
Life Where I'm From happy new year Greg and the family!!!!
been in Tokyo for many times. And I do understand that even the riches country have the same problem, it's a problem around the world. the one good thing about the homeless people in Japan is that the government and the community itself is doing there best to help the poor.
Because some people like drugs, alcohol and gambling more than they like housing. Not the only reason, and stuff happens to people visa via losing a job with little margin, traumatic events or sever depression; but a lot of homelessness has to do with the person not being willing to participate in life practices that would keep them housed, but rather get high or engage in a compulsion for which they refuse help.
Poverty businesses, in the west they are called charities. At least in Japan they call it how it is
You just introduced me to this concept. I never thought of charities as poverty business before but thinking about it now as you have said, you're right.
@@arrow1042 yup, yup, my letter-friend from another country is an economist. Soooo they must make something like a plan of a month income in any charity. I'm not that strong in economics & terminology, but it's the same documents they usually do for some company or something. Naming it poverty business is really accurate.
That was incredibly educational and I thank you for making this video. I'm in Florida, USA, and it seems like in Japan they really have a much better system of trying to help out the homeless people there. It's nothing like here. And I think the biggest difference is the lack of drugs and crime that occur. That alone makes a huge difference, right? Thank you! I love your videos and sure wish someday I could visit or live in Japan.
Yeah, drug abuse is a big difference. Mental illness as well. th-cam.com/video/eK--oCVP18A/w-d-xo.html
Difference in drug abuse depends on quantity of VA.
As a fellow Floridian and someone who worked around many homeless people, I would say the key issues are lack of mental health and healthcare, affordable housing, houseless veterans and drug abuse. I lived in St. Pete which had a high homeless population, a lot of those people were displaced from mental hospitals or aged out of foster care. Many of them were nice and wonderful people who literally had no options or who were addicted to drugs and wanting to quit, but unable to take care of themselves enough to focus on that. Most of the people I met were mentally ill, lots of them Schizophrenic which requires constant care, but since the united states has no real mental healthcare system it means that all of these people are left to fend for themselves and often become violent or addicted to substances to deal with the daily mental assault...
We have a high homeless rate in America due to the high cost of apts and no real help from the government were as Japan cost less and helps the homeless
We knew and interacted with two homeless men in Tokyo. One was very simple and always created drawings to exchange for money. He appeared to be low functioning autistic because the drawings were extremely detailed. Both men were alcoholics. The second man rarely spoke but would nod a thank you when you left food or some warm clothing and blankets. Both were alcoholics. They lived in the parks near our homes.
Had some questions about what kind of welfare was available. Here's an official English breakdown of the support available from the government www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/social_welfare/dl/outline_of_the_public_assistance_system_20101004.pdf. I'll be presenting some of this in part 4 and 5.
Great series. Very enlightening.
Life Where I'm From As someone who was homeless in America, I think the rent system/up front cost is similar to how it is in America. Usually you have to pay 2 months rent in advance or in other words "first and last months rent" plus deposit.
Skylar LacyBookworm same in the UK too.
Life Where I'm From Can you do a Q&A? Here's my question: do u speak in Japanese or English off camera? Thanks! I love watching your videos and hope to go to Japan sometime!
If I recall correctly I've watched all 3 parts so far.
I hope at some point you decide to fully go in.We have been informed about the instituional, ethical and goverment approach and views of the the issue, which I find well delivered and seems to be an accurate cover of it. I hope you go in and listen to those people first hand so we can understand why they failed to be part of the society they were tossed at, so we can finally weigth both ends opinions on the matter.
As always, good film, liked it very much!
I know homeless people are everywhere, but from my personal experience I felt like people in America are mostly cautious because there are so many people scamming. But when I was walking in Tokyo I was actually shocked to see homeless people, just because everywhere else I've been in Japan everything is so clean and orderly that a homeless person really sticks out. But what really disturbed me is I saw a guy eating out the garbage. I mean literally putting the food in his mouth from the garbage. I never seen this in America, and and doubt that he was faking it was washed out completely.
Even worst is that people walking by were just looking at him in disgust and hate so blatantly, and in Japan that act is REALLY uncommon. I was so pissed that no one offered to get this man some food instead of those looks. So I went to the first food place and bought a couple plates of food. Me being a foreigner I wasn't even sure if he would take offense for me offering food, but I finally decided that the worst that would happen is me being embarrassed.
Even writing this I'm starting to cry a little. Because even tho I couldn't talk to him because I don't know Japanese. The look of gratitude from his kind face brought me to tears and I wished I could have done more. You could tell that this didn't happen a lot, and I guess me not being Japanese shocked him even more.
Japan is literally one of the best places to live in general. The culture and respect in is second to none. Yes, they have their problems, but to feel safe even at 3 in the morning no matter where you go is surreal in some ways. It just sucks that stuff like this goes on worldwide and till this day. I just hope people keep coming together to try and fix this problem. No one in this world needs to go hungry or be homeless. We all are part of the problem in some way. Either by accepting it or not caring enough to even give a person a meal that is eating out the trash. Yeah, I know some of you are saying it's just a meal, but that isn't the point. The point is having the compassion for our fellow brothers and doing something at the moment you see it. You can only help as far as your arms can reach.
Richard Andrews nope don’t know where you live but I do see American homeless eating out of the garbage cans as well
HongoKanata1 Yes, obviously people eat out the trashcan worldwide. I was just telling my experience. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't implying it doesn't happen elsewhere.
Thank you for your kindness.
It's not too great for women there tho. They dropped to 114th in women's rights...
yes you cared enough to help this man , good on ya buddy , the world needs more people like you
I’m so glad I found your channel and subscribed to it. Your content is amazing, relevant and entertaining.
While I was in Tokyo a couple of months ago I was wondering about this topic and now I know a lot more thanks to you!
Tbh I'd live in a doya. A TV, air conditioning and a spacious sleeping space? That's pretty good enough for me.
I think my current room is just as the same size as that doya, also I have to bring my own fan. To think that doya is considered a living space for the homeless is blowing my mind.
You can actually have places like this in Japan that are so cheap and still aren't disgusting because the people living in them are all Japanese.
My friend worked in a NYC homeless shelter for about 8 years as the volunteer night watch man. He told me some of the guys that frequented his shelter, actually like being on the street and roaming about NYC. They only came when it was really cold out, and knew the housing cycle. You had 2 weeks to stay but could not return for 3 months. Only the ones that come in during the hot months were the ones that were lost and need help getting back into society.
I've made three videos so far (and have two more on the way), so I don't know if this was published yet or not. But I did ask the professor about why there are still people living on the streets when there currently is room in shelters and there's the livelihood protection program (seikatsu hogo or welfare). Actually, I think those answers are in the next two videos, so you'll just have to stay tuned. I would agree that there are a certain percentage of people who prefer living on the streets.
But the US has a $900 billion dollar military budget so we can't have any social programs that help poor people.
Reading i see or guess they put most the military budget into the tech and weapons then they do making sure they paid good for putting their life on line when they get deployed. saw a movie about a mom and kid homeless and they try stay at a place and somebody stole their stuff so had less to use any cause no security around at time to make sure no one stole any. so shelters try help but if on street homeless have more control over their stuff unless they leave it behind then it taken and removed for any reason.
@@airmark02 and still we have a homelessness rate much lower than countries like Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, etc.
Maybe they said they like roaming cause they only get to damn weeks
Man the hardwork you put in your videos! #Respect ✌
The Doya housing is an excellent alternative. It keep the people in dignity, it prevents them from getting robbed and sliding down the ladder more.
I congratulate Mr. Gills to his detail knowledge.
It is amazing how clean and tidy the shelters are. I guess it shows how disciplined the Japanese are. It is so nice to see how the government take care and help the homeless.
Compared to downtown L.A or Miami, it's much much better. But still there are many problems. Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama are big city so people ignore there people and don't care at all as if they don't see anything. Japanese people used to be caring to others but not kind now.
I guess lots of homeless might have mental health issues in Capitalist society where money comes first. Because young man came from countryside with lots of dreams but they couldn't get familiar with people who wants to beat others in a big city.
This is just my guess.
I lived in tokyo for a long time as an exchange student, but I never knew about any of this. This is so informative. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into these videos. It’s really educational
What amaze me is how clean everything is.
I’d like to add that some appartments do not require the presents to the landlord and the month in advance also do not require a guarantor. You can check the option on the search page of famous real estate franchise like at home or minimini. Some places even in Tokyo can be very cheap if there is no bathroom also. If there is a public bath /sento in the area it can be something to consider for a 20 000 yens rent. Of course it is not modern concrete appartment but better than sleeping in the street. The problem is when you do not have a job it is difficult to rent even cheap places.
True, thanks for adding this.
yes, perfect
This is true, I got lucky with my apartment (outside Tokyo). I did not need to pay the gift for the ooyasan. Just 1 month advance rent. Its nice, with digital lock, IH and aircon. :)
I would rather be homeless in Japan than America at least where ever they sleep. it's clean.
America is so multicultural it doesn't have a future. Give it a few decades and it'll be a third world.
Imagine being homeless and on the streets during a typhoon.
@-- the problem is the capitilize goverment makes the homeless problem already bad like why the goverment can't spend on state housing
I'd rather not be homeless.
@@yin6287 Wow....So the capitalist system (the government isn't capitalistic, btw), is forcing heroin, alcohol and opioids into these people to make them homeless? But I do agree with you, we should have forced rehab for drug addicts or make them be permanently locked up in state run mental hospitals that should also take the other half of the homeless that are mentally ill to be locked away for good. Could you imagine the parks and beaches free from homeless people with this solution? So nice.
A very informative and helpful video. I am scared how close many of us are to becoming part of the homeless society. I know there are supportive options that genuinely strive to help you become part of mainstream society again. What made my jaw drop was the professor’s description of the NPO process. I would hope there is a pro bono company/agency/organisation that can provide their services without taking advantage of the homeless??? I know nothing is free. But, why is so much of the cost bourn on the homeless person’s shoulders? This is just my mind wandering here. I understand this route works. The professor did balance the view point by stating there are several successful stories. Thank you so very much for talking about this subject.❤️❤️❤️❤️
The type of NPO the professor was talking about was a specific type. There are others that are probably more familiar to what you'd find in North America. In fact, some of them are actually founded by Westerners. In the next video I'll actually introduce you to one. I'd say they fit in line with what you wondered about, if there's a pro bono organization that doesn't take advantage of the homeless.
Life Where I'm From Thank you for the reply. I’m very much fascinated with this series. It’s nice to see how each country approaches issues such as helping the homeless.
This kind of agency (Professor Gill, or the narrator, start off by saying they are non-profit, so I don’t understand later Gill saying they “make a lot of money” and “exploit” the poor people) exists in the US, but people who have not lived in the social welfare system may not know or understand that. Many US cities/counties have a system that operates sort of like “Care Not Cash” in San Francisco, where if you want help getting housing, they will place you in a residential hotel and point you to many places in the city to get free food (that usually involve standing in long lines for an hour, so it eats up your time), some have one meal a day in the hotel itself or delivered to them, or food stamps or money on a card that can only be used for groceries (no alcohol) or in some cities, cheap restaurants like Subway. They give you only a little spending money for things like transportation, laundry,etc - some even give you bus passes instead of cash, and have free laundry facilities. Or if you have a check coming in from a government program, whether welfare or disability, you may have a “payee” who makes sure your rent is paid first and then gives you the rest in weekly installments so you can’t spend it all at the beginning of the month and have nothing left to survive on. So your basic needs are taken care of, but if you can’t get a regular job, you have to work on the sheriffs work detail cleaning streets or parks, and you only get $10/hr for that (and a living wage is two or three times that). If you want Medicaid coverage from California, or any welfare program, you can’t have more than $2000 in assets, including a car, computer, or money in the bank, so you probably won’t ever be able to get a job that lets you live anywhere but the subsidized hotels.
The rent the “poverty businesses” collect in excess of their own cost to rent the building space goes into salaries for the people who offer the money management, job placement, and support services, including the basic meals. With the kind of jobs these people could get without much education, training, or experience, they would probably spend 90% of their income on rent and basic food, but be more likely to splurge on alcohol or something they impulsively want, and end up homeless or hungry again. For people who need an environment that is structured to support responsibility, it may be the best option for stability. If you want (and can handle) more freedom (without screwing things up again), you can rent in the Doya-Gai and save more of your money so that eventually you can afford a better apartment, but that will only work for people who have self-discipline.
It doesn't sound like the NPOs are forcing people into their businesses, so it's conjecture that they're being taken advantage of. It's important to consider that the profit motive encourages people to engage with the homeless and get them off the streets. It's a rare person who chooses to do this for free. For every one team of lawyer+consultant+landlord that volunteers to do this work, you'll get 100 to do it for profit. If you want to actually help the homeless, making it profitable to do so is the more effective approach.
I respect how clean Japaness people are... i know its a cultural thing..
I think in america it can be the same way, but some or many dont feel that way for any reason. i seen it around and some are decent while others are a wreck for any reason.
@@cable30 na it cant - In Japan the first years of school is how to be clean polite and respectful member of society. they start from the beginning so everyone (even homeless people) keep it tidy and recycle. USA is 300 million people all with "someone else will clean it up" mindset
@@Thabooka not everyone has the same mindset of waiting for others to clean a mess when they know it just look wrong to leave a mess unless good reason not to clean it any. some or many will try clean as u give right gear to do so at time. i tire when some or many get lumped in with rest of any who just sit and watch as others do right anytime.
My Apartment suddenly Feels like a MANSION after watching this video! Very Humbling. 👍
Maybe your apartment feels like a GARBAGE ROOM after watching how clean and tidy their apartment and houses.
@@louienge3100 Do you know her? Have you seen her apartment? No need for psychological projection.
This is a really good series. I’m so happy you’re talking about this, and I’m excited for the next installments.
6:20 "i'm sorry it's cluttered"
everything you need to know about japans homeless vs united states homeless
its a big difference in ideology in general. the japanese are just tidier than us.
I thought the exact thing when he said that. They just get it. It's like it is just instinct for them(which should be standard anyways). It blows my mind.
Uh no. This has little to zero to do with how "homeless" act, and is more a cultural thing.
I think in america even if homeless some or many still feel they need a lot instead of just the basics. where i live i seen hmeless and some have got help and others dont try for any reason and just nomad around city or town in their own mindset and all.
i was walking behind a homeless person in portland and they were carrying a bunch of trash with them and suddenly just dropped it in broad daylight on the sidewalk right in front of me. i hate it here
I appreciate this series. Many countries could learn from Japan's approach. It's not perfect, but so much better than most.
"The rent is calibrated to your income...."
Mind. Blown. 😯🤯 Japan is miles ahead of most other developed nations when it comes to helping the homeless! 🙌🏻👌🏻
I remember not so many years ago the town I’m living in was having “ problems “ with a relative homeless population living on the outskirts of the city ( well out of the way of eyesight, traffic and everyone’s way ) on one of the elbows of the river bank. The governing authority in town saw this as a problem and regardless of how many times they took and destroyed what few items these people had, they kept coming back, it’s unknown who had the initial idea but the end plan to resolve the issue was to poor sugar all over and all through there belongings, which then in turn led to ants and insects destroying all of there belongings or rendering them unusable.
Nice piece of humanitarianism from rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
That is just cruel. I wouldn't do that to people i hate. I guess it's no surprise for a government who went to war with birds.
Amazing video! Japan has much more intricate and developed plan's for dealing with homelessness or those stuck in poverty than we do in North America, as you said, homelessness is still seen in Japan and hopefully these issues will be further touched on as the ratio of homelessness get's lower and lower.
At least North America is in a much better situation than Europe.
I'm a frequent flyer to Japan and during my last few visits I've been noticing them more and more particularly around train stations. It tugs at my heart to watch them live that way (especially since i tend to visit Japan in winter) and wish there's more we can do to help. I myself wouldn't mind spending my holiday there and taking accomodation at some of the doyas if that could help with giving them financial support and keeping them off the streets. It'll be a humbling experience imho and a good one at that. Thank you so much for your videos, love watching you and your kids share your experiences. I learn a lot too. Keep up the fantastic work.
Doya rooms are very common here in Uganda we call them single rooms 10 by 10 feet, and rent range from $20 to $50 a month. That's why even though our country is not rich we relatively don't have homelessness here
I just watched all 3 of your videos on Homelessness in Japan. They were excellent. Thank you so much for uploading such informing thoughtful videos.
I actually stayed in San'ya during my trip to Japan this past spring, at a hotel-like hostel that used to be a flop house (Palace Japan). Infact, I passed by that flop house at 1:06. I'd personally say that, while it was just as safe as any other neighborhood in Tokyo, you could still feel some sort of grunginess not present anywhere else. It was very common to find cups of Ozaki sake littered all across the street. I wasn't able to visit Yokohama while there, but even if you were completely unaware of the area's history you'd still think it's quite different from the rest of Tokyo.
Another thing about San'ya (although it's officialy refered to as Minami-Senju) is that the Tokyo government has been trying to redevelop the area by turning most of the flop houses into budget hotels and hostels for backpackers and travellers on the cheap. As mentioned before my hostel used to be just a flop house (which they still own and run, right next to the new hostel. Apparently they've have some issues with tourists accidentally entering the flop house rather than the hostel, so much so that they've had to place a big sign at the flop house's entrance pointing to the hostel). While the hostel was not much different to any other hostel, the smoking area must've been shared between the hostel and the flop house, as you'd often find locals smoking away there. They weren't bad people, but they sure smoked like chimneys. It's a rather sad situation, and added quite a perspective to my Tokyo trip that I wouldn't have had had I stayed somewhere else in the city.
Interesting. I was thinking about renting a room in the area to kind of see what the experience would be like from the perspective of a tourist or cheap business traveler. I talked to my sister-in-law, and she actually books some people from her work near the area, because the rates on the business hotels are quite affordable in comparison to other areas in Tokyo.
I never heard about the Tokyo government trying to purposefully redevelop the area from flop houses to budget hotels/hostels. I know San'ya doesn't even officially exist as a proper area name. Purely from a business owner perspective, I can see why they'd be motivated to attract the tourist and business person crowd.
You're right, the area does have a bit of a different feel. I don't think I explained it so well in the video. I've walked around many neighbourhoods in Tokyo, and I guess what I was trying to say was that if you took a small slice, like a particular street, you may not notice anything much different beyond some places may look a bit more rundown. But if you start looking at the details, like the signs for the businesses, see some guys smoking or drinking, or the amplitude of street level bike parking, you can start to see that it's different from other areas. I suppose my frame of reference is the downtown East side in Vancouver, where it's very obviously a poor area (the poorest postal code in Canada).
Definitely go for Palace Japan, while it's not a business hotel it does have its history, having been (and technically still is, as the flop house it "replaced" is still open right next to it) a flop house for so many years. Plus, the staff's pretty nice and you'll probably be able to get an interview from either the tourists staying at the hotel (most of which are from Eastern or South East Asia, there's quite a few westerners but they're not the majority - I was the first Spaniard they ever had!) as well as with the day laborers that congregate at the hostel's smoking area. Oh yeah, and I guess they'd allow you to take a look into the flop house.
Another thing worth checking (or rather, reading) out, if only because of its cultural relevancy, is Ashita no Joe, a rather old (from the late 60's) manga about a orphaned young who runs away to Tokyo's slums (which apparently appear to be San'ya, as characters from the series adorn the local shopping arcade in the area. The manga came out at a period of socio-economic upheavel, and many Japanese (mostly working-class citizens) felt a personal connection to the series. One character's death had a real-life funeral organized at a boxing ring, complete with a Buddhist monk watching over it.
@@LifeWhereImFrom The "Shinsekai" and "Shinimamiya" areas of Osaka that used to be all flophouses, are going cool boutique hotels/hostels. "Airin" is still mostly hard core tho.
I recently spent a month in Minamisenju - had no idea it was Sanya! It was clean and organised like everywhere else in Japan with great transport links.
Excellent work! This is my first time to know about such a detailed in-depth report on Japan's poverty issues by foreign researcher & journalist. When foreigners talk about Japan, they often focus on flashy side of the country like high techs & popular contemporary sub cultures alone. They have usually kept eyes away from the not-so-cool-Japan phenomenon.
Thanks again Greg! These are so wonderful. When I lived in Osaka it was so hard to get information about what was going on with the homeless. Very enlightening.
This is the most accurate, informative video I've seen on the real homeless situation in Japan.
I love this kind of content thank you very much for looking into this elusive topic
Watched all 3 parts. Very interesting and educational. Thanks also to the professor, who gave us a lecture for free. Great job.
So informative and unbiased. From what I've read, there's a serious problem with abandoned homes, and how ownership records have been poor. If only the government could expedite land registry/expropriation and also spend some money on refurbrishing old homes in the country side. Could be a win/win.
The professor told me that some issue with housing is that it's not where the homeless want to be. So there may be cheap housing in the countryside, but it's not where their life is. There's a reason that the poor have congregated into certain areas in Osaka, Yokohama, and Tokyo.
@@LifeWhereImFrom Bingo! I've been friends with a number of homeless over the years here in Osaka, and they were happiest in the city.
Thank you for making these kinds of videos. I really appreciate the time, effort and compassion with which you've depicted this topic.
This was an excellent series. I've visited Japan & have always been interested in the culture. It's very interesting to see the way different cultures affect the outcomes differently .
What that one guy built with the tarp and some wood strips was awesome! It had a door and everything. Praying it’s not demolished and they are still okay!
I do wonder how those charities taking a massive cut can be called non-profit organisations? Is there some legalese at work to claim all that extra money on top of what they provide is not profit? What sort of salaries must workers/organisers be making? (*Edited wording as it sounded kind of aggressive, which is not how I meant it to sound.)
By the way, I'm loving this series so much. It's so informative and professional, and I like that you usually have a broad range of voices to give their perspective of a situation. I haven't watched that many documentaries in recent years, but one of my favourite things is to see social issues in different communities and cultures across the world, and how similar or different they are to the issues in my corner of the world.
I hope you and your family have a great new year!
It's a good question about how exactly NPO's work in Japan. I don't know.
Generally in the US, there are workers in a non profit that do make money. The difference is that they do not keep additional profits beyond their salaries, and the organization as a whole generally works toward the benefit of society in some shape. It is entirely possible that the ones on top give themselves more than their fair share of money, or that they somehow skim the money, possibly by inflating operation costs such as having the lawyers they hire say they cost X amount when they actually cost only half that.
What a beautifully measured set of info from Professor Tom Gill. Brilliant work making sure you got an expert's view, and it was so well handled because of this. Nice work dude!
Thanks for sharing for the great insight. Happy new year.
Share this video. This deserves more views and likes. Thank you Greg for your always informative videos. Really appreciate your hard work.
In Europe they would just put them in an apartment, feed but give them no incentive to become self-reliant. In America, they'd be left to rot in the street. Glad to see there is a middle ground
europe is so diverse, not every country in europe treat homeless the same
Fortunate Talisman america is very generous when it comes to the poor, its just that alot of the poor take advantage. Just look at cali wherein it has the largest welfare programs in the country yet it also shares the lion share of homelessness.
In the UK you are just left to rot on the streets. We have sociopaths running the government who get a kick out of knowing that they are causing suffering.
They have a lottery system in England just like in Japan. I don’t know about ALL of Europe. You really should go and watch “The Great Benefits Handout” here on TH-cam and there are multiple other documentaries like “Benefits Britain” and “How to get a council house” that will show you all you need to know about the system for Brits.
@@CaptchaNeon Watching propaganda programs on tv channels owned and run by multi millionaires is never going to give you a balanced view. The agenda is to show a few cases of system abuse and make it appear as if it is rampant so that working class people vote for cuts in the very systems put in place to help themselves. Never believe anything which comes from a source funded by the rich. They have an agenda to protect their own interests.
as a former Seattleite, I'd like to point out that the term _Skid Row_, did *not* originate as a term for where the bums hung out. initially (in the early 1850s) it was _Skid Road_, referring to the practice of skidding logs downhill towards a lumber mill or a waterway to float them the rest of the way to the mill. unfortunately, there was a skid road that ran straight through what is now the Pioneer Square area of town to the Puget Sound. naturally this left a broad, extremely muddy swath and the "upright citizens" wanted nothing to do with it. this led to the cheaper eateries and and such to be built south of skid road. because the "poor folk" wouldn't mind slogging through the mud to get affordable food, etc.
this attitude was further exacerbated in the mid-to-late 1890s by the swarms of men heading towards the Klondike Gold Rush. the businesses south of skid row were suddenly augmented by cheap hostelries and ridiculously expensive "Alaskan Outfitters" to take advantage of the fortune seekers.
it wasn't until 1931 that the term took on the meaning of a hangout for the homeless and "bums" in general.
I understand that this is somewhat pedantic, but my head full of trivia demanded I post it.
Great video as usual, Greg. I really hope that man that showed you his room finds a good home to call his own and lives a happy life. He looked like a nice man.
Thank you for doing such an important video. The homeless population has skyrocketed in Los Angeles USA, and other cities in America. We need a team of
people like Dr. GIll who can come together to work on this before it gets worse. Fascinating differences between the homeless in Japan and the US.
Keep up the great work!
At least there is much less homeless in America than in Europe.
My son has been dependent on others his whole life(28) lives in rooms of their homes and pays rent. I see in him a stubbornness to conform to society, and yet he has big dreams on what he wants in life. Drugs and alcohol play a roll. Life in prison didn't help. Now branded as criminal can't get basic job. Bad cycle. Waiting for time limit to expire to get expunged. Then it is up to judge to decide if he will allow it to be wiped out. Depression, self worth, all daily factors to deal with.
Mmm hmmm🤔 I hear you. You're very strong to have put up with it all. All you can do, is continue to show him LOVE 💚✌️
Your videos just keep getting so much better.
I highly appreciate these mini documentaries you have started to make.
The poor will always be among us, even on rich countries
One of the worst aspect of a capitalist society!
@@le0nz So,only a Capitalist society has homeless what about Socialist Societies I am sure they have homeless as well.
DK S Switzerland is a Social, Rich country..Swiss Constitution grants every citizen the right to minimum existence ( about $2’500 a month) the only homeless here are those who seriously choose to live outside ( mostly in summer) if you steal bread in Switzerland, it will usually be allowed because nobody steals bread unless they actually are so bad off that they need it. Anyway, I believe every government is obligated to provide their people with the bare minimum when they are in need, they can’t extract and extort our money at gunpoint/ threatening with being put in a cage without providing the basics when we are in need.
By the way this article was about Japan not Switzerland.
@@cattleNhay that won't help if the living cost is higher than that theres plenty of sources saying its rarely ever voluntary
Just writing a comment so youtube's algorithm will like this video more. Really appreciate these types of documentaries. I know they don't have the highest numbers, but they are my favorite.
Great work, as usual!
I'm enjoying this series immensely. Thank you for such a well-researched and respectful series on such a difficult subject
While there are positive and negative sides in the effort to reduce the homeless, I think Japan's government is doing great compared to other countries.
I am so glad someone is helping the homeless folks..
*"Rent Landlord Gift"?!?!?!? I've never heard of such a thing -- doesn't anyone have some firsthand information on why such a thing exists? Thanks!*
A year late but tenants usually give a sum of money just as a thank you gift for allowing them to move in. It is a bit strange and crazy but I heard that some landlords are starting to get rid of that practice now. The tenant would still have to pay the other fees and deposits though. Hope this helps!
It's basically to prove that you are a decent enough person to save money and pay for the rent. Afterall, you are borrowing someone else's property and the property owner want to trust you enough. But with the recent economy situation, as the previous comment is stating, it is a practice becoming less but still pretty common.
I see it no different then giving a gift besides just paying for rent and all. unlike america and other places, different cultures live different ways. with respect and all.
In the Tokyo area, in addition to the rent, we will pay a deposit for one month.
Normally, 100% will be returned when you move out.
However, if the house is significantly soiled or destroyed
、It may not be refunded as a repair cost.
This is also the role of compensation for unauthorized moving.
the camera quality is pure and awesome! makes the vids so vivid
Amazing reporting done here. Thank you for making this video.
Thank you for making this documentary series. A completely different aproach to homelessness. Great work
You really do an excellent job. I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for making this series. It’s been really interesting so far and I’m looking forward to the next parts.
The wealth of a country doesn't always play a part in homelessness. Unfortunately mental health is the reason for a lot of homeless in "first world" countries. People have a hard time integrating into society and fall through the cracks, then they turn to crime or drugs to cope and go in a downward spiral. In the U.S. sadly a lot of homeless are also veterans that were sent out into the world without getting the help they needed and deserved.
Thank you for this series. Homelessness is an issue all over the world. I am glad you talked about such a topic. The saddest thing I found is only the number of times this topic was viewed. More people need to acknowledge this problem and force all of our governments to act in a positive manner.
I've been waiting! Love you guys!
Always a delight watching a video from you Greg. such high production value and interesting subject matter. keep it up!
Wow! I’m a female. I was Homeless twice. I was blamed every time! It was not ALL my fault!
Denell L. Bennett Survivor/Warrior
Hello sweety
Me too no fault of my own 😢but with many prayers to god I managed to get a small flat
I was blamed too but wasn’t my fault ... one day sweety god will solve all our problems
Hope you have found something
Very interesting subject in light of the homeless situation that we are experiencing in Los Angeles, Californis. Thanks for posting.
Excellent narration!
I say thank you for your hard work and dedication to document the Japanese treatment of their homeless. Comparing that to how America takes care of ANY and ALL homeless people, the difference between the two is night and day.
They are very clean and tidy up. They respect their life. Altought they are homeless. Im impress
thank you so much for dedicating your time to making these videos! I am learning so much!
It's crazy how much better Japan treats their homeless compared to the US. We could learn a thing or two from them... sadly we never do.
It's more of a cultural thing actually, If you want to help the homeless in the US, change the culture a bit
Yanks need to stop screaming "commie" every 10 seconds, that's where it all starts.
Thanks for this series, its really giving me some interesting perspectives on japan.
Man, the guy from the Flight of the Conchords is a professor now? Amazing.
Interesting and informative documentary. Thanks for your hard work in researching for information and nicely editing the video!
Very very interesting, thank you for the video!
When I first visited Japan 5 yrs ago, having stayed in Asakusa, Ueno is always a central drop off, whenever I used trains back and forth. On our last day of stay, we visited Ueno Park. Going back via the Ueno Station exit, we saw some elderly men in the park who seemed like homeless. I was shocked, never expecting such situations are present in modern and prosperous Japan. Watching your videos about it, it made me understand more the reasons and the possible solutions to the problem.
This reminds me of Tokyo Godfathers. Never really thought about the homeless until I saw this video. I really admire how much effort you put into making this, it was very informative. I'm really glad the homeless in Japan are under the government's attention, very much similar to Australia's system.
Man... your content is gold , It's always a pleasure to watch one of your documentary's , it really makes my day.
The plural of documentary is documentaries, not "documentary's."
“We are more alike my friends, than we are unalike” Maya Angelou.
Part 1 was recommended, now I'm finding this extremely interesting. Great videos!
This is incredibly well researched! You obviously care about the issues, and it shows in the quality of the videos, and how much out of the way you're willing to do some investigative footwork (e.g., the high-pitched sound at night).
Thanks for sharing this information, I've been to Japan a few times now and have wanted to understand more about this issue. Your videos have provided some great insight into the issue and some of the challenges faced by this group of people who don't fit into societal norms. Great work!
Wow this seems like it'll be interesting
Most homeless old people are people who were not able to obtain a pension because they were laid off during the economic depression that lasted from the 90s into the 2000s. some were almost done with their time at work, getting ready to retire, then got fired.
i heard that Japan has a lot of empty homes in rural areas that hav been abandoned. Since old people aren't going to be able to work as much or at all, i say establish their permanent living there and also send the younger, able-bodied homeless people to work in these communities as well, with jobs working stores, food & produce distribution, fixing the homes, health care work, sanitation work, etc. Services that get them money but also benefit the whole community. If the old people want to work, allow them simple jobs to make an income but do not deny them basic necessities. Then u've almost set up a self-sustaining community. Eventually it will become completely self-sustaining when the gov't no longer has to invest too much money in the community, once they get a cycle rolling, where the community pays into itself.
@steve gale lol
Those people didn't get their pensions cause the companies laid them off in order not to hav to pay their pensions. Naive af. "Elegible" doesn't mean everyone.
Very interesting, nothing I have ever thought about it really
How can you never think about the people I'm sure you see ever day? Wow.
Thank you for uploading so we all understand the concept and ideal and actual things that happen
Japanese seem to value cleanliness.
We actually do, for centuries, maybe a millenia. It's a common trait for everyone in asia, except for China
So much respect, treating homeless people like the PEOPLE they are
In USA we food pantry soup kitchen with drug use .shelters are full .we have alot of homeless that work ,trying to get out of shelters I work at a job and came across people trying to get it together. Donate to shelters Missions salvation army.. but be careful most likely they wont money. That's short versions
@@deborahking5692 im in the Netherlands, and im not even sure i ever saw an actual homeless person. That happens on tv, not in real life🙈We have a couple of junkies in the big cities, but i've never seen anybody actually sleeping on the streets
The level of cleanliness and organization displayed by the japanese people as a whole is truly remarkable. Note though, they dont allow immigrants for the most part. So in the USA where you have every kind of people coming from every kind of background and expecting they should get a bunch of stuff for free they just take advantage and dont take care of anything
Nick C even without the immigrants, people of USA aren’t organised mostly. Moreover USA has such a high rate of drugs and crimes
@@ahiatskarks1770 we are MUCH better tgan Europe in terms of homelessness.
@@davidturner4076 There are no homeless people in Switzerland while as in America most war veterans go homeless
@@ahiatskarks1770 there is no evidence to support your claim, dummy. And I've personally seen homeless in Switzerland.
@@davidturner4076 even if there are its a rare occurrence compared to America where it’s basic at this point
Amazing! It is really cool that you are housing the homeless there, you have such a warm heart❤️