Homeless Booted Out Of Nagoya

[Captain Japan]

Nagoya clears out tents of homeless in park ahead of Aichi Expo
Kyodo via Japan Today

NAGOYA — The Nagoya municipal government on Monday removed the tents of homeless people in a park in the center of the city, in a move said to be connected with the opening in March of the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture.

Supporters of homeless people denounced the forceful measure in midwinter, saying the city government just wants to hide the homeless from public view before tourists start arriving in Nagoya, the prefectural capital, for the expo. The city government said last year that the tents "prevent appropriate use of the park and maintenance work" and asked the homeless people to leave. (Kyodo News)

[jingai]

Pathetic. That's their plan for dealing with the homeless?

Which park are they referring to? My guess is around the science museum. I have a number of pictures of their very elaborate dwellings in the park ("tents" hardly does them justice). I'll post a few when I get a chance.

[Steve Bildermann]

The park they are referring to is central park which runs from Sakae straight through the city.

I estimate there (were) about 500 to 600 shacks, tents and makeshift homes along that route. I was downtown Saturday for the Apple store opening and didn't notice anything happening then.

The Expo is about 10 minutes from my house and they are clearing out all the homeless, the drifters and the unemployed park hangers outers. I've been picked up twice already as a vagrant, ho hum.

[FG Lurker]

This is the same thing that happened in Atlanta before the Olympics there.

"Hey, look at us world, no homeless problem here!!"

[Ketou]

I've been picked up twice already as a vagrant, ho hum.

Seriously Steve?
That's outrageous!

[Maths Dude]

Well duh! Of course they are going to "move on' the homeless. I'm not surprised or shocked in the least. Of course they should treat the homeless better, but until the average Japanese person decides something proper be done, nothing will be done. Certainly a minority, bitching gaijin population isn't going to solve anything - and rightly so.
I heard a lot of homeless actually had families and money and actually chose that life because they want to 'drop out', rather like the hippies in the 60's ;p. Here in Australia a lot of the homeless squat, and deal drugs out of the premesis, and are very dangerous indeed. Most of the bums in Japan are half decent atleast, well not dangerous ( I felt).

[jingai]

I heard a lot of homeless actually had families and money and actually chose that life because they want to 'drop out', rather like the hippies in the 60's

Try talking to actual homeless (either in Japan or Australia) if you want to know who they really are. The mythic rail-riding hoboes are gone with the 1930s- there's no romanticism in sleeping in the cold and having little food to eat.

[kurohinge1]

Nagoya clears out tents of homeless in park ahead of Aichi Expo ...

More importantly, what about the shakuhachi-playing "Angel of Mercy"

Has she been transported too

Surely a few FG's would be happy to accomodate her for a few weeks

[DJEB]

I heard a lot of homeless actually had families and money and actually chose that life because they want to 'drop out', rather like the hippies in the 60's ]
I had a student who worked for the mental health office of the ministry of health. One of the research papers that came through their office showed that upwards of 70% of the homeless population of Japan suffer from mental illness and/or alcoholism.

Article 25 of the Constitution of Japan:
All people shall have the right to maintain the minimum standards of wholesome and cultured living. 2) In all spheres of life, the State shall use its endeavors for the promotion and extension of social welfare and security, and of public health.

[Steve Bildermann]

I've been picked up twice already as a vagrant, ho hum.

Seriously Steve?
That's outrageous!

I'm serious. Whenever things are not so good for me mentally and I find myself outside wandering aimlessly I've sort of trained myself to home in on one of the small parks round the Seto area.

If it's during the night I usually sit around talking with the guys there till Chisato wakes up and comes and gets me. This past week we all got picked up about 2:30 am and processed as vagrants. Luckily one of the cops recognized me and called Chisato. This is happening more often now with the Expo just round the corner.

[FG Lurker]

Well duh! Of course they are going to "move on' the homeless. I'm not surprised or shocked in the least. Of course they should treat the homeless better, but until the average Japanese person decides something proper be done, nothing will be done.

The US has a large social movement to help the homeless and Atlanta still moved them out of the city for the Olympics.

Certainly a minority, bitching gaijin population isn't going to solve anything - and rightly so.

I've lived in Osaka longer than some of my Japanese friends... And there are some on this board who have lived in Japan far longer than I. But because of the colour of our skin or the country of our passports we can't show concern about or interest in what happens in Japan?

I heard a lot of homeless actually had families and money and actually chose that life because they want to 'drop out', rather like the hippies in the 60's ]
I heard you've got a little dick and can't get it up. Do you believe everything you hear? Or even better, do you believe everything you read on the Internet? I've got some prime real estate under a bridge you might be interested in......

Here in Australia a lot of the homeless squat, and deal drugs out of the premesis, and are very dangerous indeed.

And this is related to the homeless in Japan in what way?

Most of the bums in Japan are half decent atleast, well not dangerous ( I felt).

I've talked with homeless here before. The guys I've talked to have all been decent and interesting individuals. So I guess we agree on one point at least.

[karekora]

... is the expo thing worth a visit?

[FG Lurker]

... is the expo thing worth a visit?

I went to Expo 86 in Vancouver many moons ago... It was very well done. If this one is anywhere near as good then it would be worth it.

[Buraku]

A lot more homeless camps around now

an expensive city, plus the economy has been in a slump


http://sapporo.cool.ne.jp/bass-yoshioka/homeless02.gif
http://www.satsuki.tv/kokufu2004/image/homeless_02_09_04001.jpg
http://www.asiandrug.jp/news/images/shinjyuku2_01.gif
http://www.searchworldwide-inc.com/photos/photos/home.jpeg
http://ascii24.com/news/i/soft/article/1998/10/19/images/images619718.gif

http://news.3yen.com/2005-03-25/the-sun-rises-in-the-east-and-japan-is-the-most-costly/

[tonikoro]

[Buraku]

Numbers of poor, unemployed and elderly people are on the rise in Japan as the gap between rich and poor becomes ever wider. Around 20% of Japanese people are aged 65 and over, in a state where the demographic growth has been declining for decades.

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=6383

Experts say the gap between the rich and the poor is growing and prices in large cities like Tokyo are sky-high. The number of homeless people – an unknown phenomenon before the economic crisis in the early nineties – is growing and many parks are dotted with blue tarpaulin tents.

[Greji]

[quote="Buraku"] The number of homeless people &#8722]

How is this an unknown phenomenon that has only occurred in the last ten or twelve years? We have been all over this topic before, about how one cannot sort out the true homeless from the bums.

There are bums that have been out there for forty years or more and don't want to move, or God forbid, work (beyond their required one day shift at day labor) because they know the system will take care of them. If some true homeless showup, they are soon shoved to the back of the line because of the pecking order. There is a sempai and kohai system among bums also and the homeless follow it or else.