As an american watching this, based on only what I can visually see from this video. The areas in which the homeless live is far cleaner than most places I have lived in within the US.
3:34 "I live in a mansion" I think this might be a mistranslation. The word he used, マンション (Manshon), though does come from the english "mansion", it actually means "condo" , "apartment" or "flat" in Japanese
Apaato usually only consists of two floors, a manshon is an apartment building that has three or more floors. Apaato are also made with lower quality materials while manshon are generally reinforced concrete
It is not a mistranslation. The MANSION(マンション) he is talking about is not a luxury MANSION as we say in the US or other countries, but an apartment as we say in other countries. He is living in a room that is probably about 20 square meters. In that area, an older apartment of that size is quite inexpensive, so a welfare recipient, or even a pensioner or low-income person can afford the rent.
As a French person I am struck by the fact these people are in such a difficult situation in retirement, despite having worked hard in the past, and also by how clean the area seems to be. But well, it's Japan, it's Osaka. So it's not so surprizing that this place is much cleaner than let's say, Paris.
@@hossainayon9588 Says the westaboo idiot that made Jake Paul shorts and other really stupid uploads. Either you're a troll or an infantile teen (or both). Go back to your shit hole.
“even though the people have nothing to eat the animals are fat” incredible display of how thoughtful and full of care these people are. i hope they find prosperity soon enough
Much cleaner than my neighborhood, and even this half of the city. And cleaner by far than the slum house I stay at. Here, junk and garbage reign supreme... no way to clean it up for more than a day.
Every time I visit I stay here, everybody is so friendly and inclusive. Many of the older guys speak great English and helpful for advice or directions. They are even willing to share food and drink if your up for a chat but will never accept money or beg. Helped one guy out and was made an honorary resident. Most nights meeting random foreigners and locals for a meal is always fun.
The decisive difference between slums in Japan and those in the US is the presence or absence of narcotics. Though often alcoholic, the Japanese slum dwellers (including homeless people) are rarely addicted to drugs due to affordability factor as well as the sense of taboo ingrained through rigorous policing and education.
Japan has a welfare system, and if a homeless person applies to the local government, they will be provided with rent for a small room in a rental property plus basic living expenses (food, utilities, sundries). However, there are many restrictions, and homeless people dislike these restrictions and limitations, which is why they continue to be homeless.
As someone who's lived in the Kansai area, I can tell you that the reason most young Japanese people who were interviewed did not know Kamagasaki is because it is an older name that's no longer in popular use. Kamagasaki was officially renamed Airin District in 1966, so only the older generation would still call it by its old name.
Thank you . That was one the most respectful documentaries on homelessness that I’ve ever watched . Most tend to forget that these souls are human , have generally worked hard all their life and many are victims of circumstance .
My friends and I booked our very first AirBnB back in 2014 in Nishinari without knowing its reputation. I did notice the number of homeless old people. And there was a lot of sirens. Every single night you'd hear an ambulance or a firetruck. We actually witnessed one firetruck responding to an old guy slumped in the street. But I did not ever feel unsafe. Cheerful random old people would actually greet us good morning/good evening whenever we passed by.
Agree. This place hardly can be named as 'slum', especially for those who have witnessed the U.S. slums and ghettos. If that is the worst Japan has, I take off my hat, they're doing great so far.
@@mikeg4317 where I'm from it's not very common (also this was my first international trip). I only get to hear an ambulance when I'm actually on the road, and firetrucks only when there's fire nearby.
The fact that they don't blame anyone or anything why they are poor & homeless it's already shows how much these people are kind at their souls. May Good things happen to them,😢 ... It's fortunate that there's less to none of the children living in these area
I like the fact that the streets in Kamagasaki, one of the most notorious slum districts in Japan, is much cleaner than streets in Shibuya, one of the most popular tourist destinations.
any place that has a lot of tourists will be dirtier. every public bathroom i went to was spotless and didn't smell. i went to one in dontonbori and it smelled just like a gas station bathroom. shinjuku was littered with trash. this was before covid so there were a lot of foreigners at that time.
I remember my first day in Japan - after being underground for a while from the airport, i emerged on the surface in Shinjuku and was shocked to see how dirty the streets were. Bear in mind it was a Sunday at about 8am, but when we came back later the same day, it was much cleaner. Most parts of Tokyo are very clean though, far cleaner than my home countries capital of London anyway. Japanese cities really put most western cities to shame when it comes to cleanliness.
@@Zukias yea there's a lot of drinking and littering going on at night. when i left shinjuku in the morning there was trash everywhere. people probably clean that area daily.
While visiting Tokyo in 2001, I encountered a articulate elder Japanese man who served in WW2. He was fascinating. His English was impeccable. But we were interrupted by Japanese police who thought he was harassing us. I really liked talking to him. I wish I had more time to tell him how much he impressed me.
@@MitchHawkes Sadly, this is true. At least when it ends Japan will fix their low population issues. Men who go to war usually always start families. Prob from seeing so much death.
When I went to Kansai, I stayed in Kamagasaki, very near Shinsekai. I didn't even know it was a slum, I only learned months after. I took some walks in the area, and I noticed it was less look after than the other parts of the city but I live in a remote place in Niigata where most things are neglected because of the population decline. I'm so used to slums in my home country that I can't notice slums in Japan. Honestly, it was better than most normal neighbourhoods in Turkey, and hundreds of times better than an actual slum in Turkey.
Same here. I stayed there 5 years ago for a few days and, even though it felt a little bit less developed than the rest of the city, I wouldn’t have guessed it was a slum.
True words my neighbourhood in Adana Turkey is near a metro station and looks worse than this. I only find 4 places beautiful to live in Adana, names: Güzelyalı,Gazipaşa and Cemalpaşa neighbourhoods and Turgut Özal boulevard.
No need to be rude. When I make what I think is a factual statement, it takes less than 60 secs to check, before I post. That way, no chance for impolite to strike. 😉
Watanabe is a very well educated person it seems. He hit it on the spot. Every country is the same. Where rich resides on part and the poor resides in another...etc. No matter how well the country is developed.
@@johnjack3578 you can help people, a lot of the hard core drug addicts are broken people, who would be normal if they had a better childhood. But lifes hard, some break some dont.
Not every country is the same. In Japan and most European countries there are many facilities and subsidies to help those who have fallen on hard times to at least provide in their basic needs as a society. In many other coutries unfortunately, not so much. It comes from a believe that these people most of the times just had a lot of bad luck or made some bad decisions that had far reaching consequenses, they are not different than you or me, even more, they could actually very easily are you and me. Other countries dont help out those in need because often they believe its their rightful punishment for their bad behaviour. I dont think this is right. When you ask a kid in school : What do you want to become in later in life the awsner is never: A homeless alcoholic. None of these people want to be in this situation, so just be kind to them. Being kind is a virtue.
Japanese has free education system. Also any citizen are provided free medical support which were once ranked best in the world as well as Sweden. You can apply Income support and housing benefit as well. The problems are people on the road often refuse to apply and go to Local government office. Funny thing the income support who are receivings are most foreigners like Chinese , Korean and Vietnam people .
Watanabe was very polite and respectful in his rapport with the reporter, and vice versa. Thank you for this informative video about a particular marginalized group in Japan.
That one picture of his wife and daughter was such a powerful one. Really makes you wonder what his life story is, to go from having a beautiful family to alone on the streets...
I have read somewhere that these people worked hard as labour during their youth away from their growing families. While working they barely make friends/connections inside their workplace, they also got disconnected from their families back home which leads them to slowly distant from each others. When these people got retired, they already lost their family for various reasons & they don't have much savings left leaving them vulnerable towards poverty due to they no longer in condition to work for themselves...
During the construction boom there was a lot of work and some people chose a rather tedious, but more respectable life as a ‘sarariman’ or ‘salary man’ at a company. Others had manual labouring jobs caretaker jobs which came with a place to sleep. Once the construction work and semi-skilled dried up a lot of people lost their accommodation as well.
@@bayousbambino427 I was thinking that too. kind of seems like a possible narritive set up by the production. I mean why would he keep this photo in with the gargabe, especially the skewer with food on it, kind of tells me this isn't really an important photo, like why wouldn't it be in his pocket if it was so important to him? Not judging btw, if those are important to him, it escapes my privilage, as I only see trash in that bag, but as they say, one man's trash... yadda yadda..
fascinatimg mini-doc. would love a feature length doc too, the people of Kamagasaki are so genuine and its nice to see a place where the old and ill are treated with respect.
Big-city Osaka appears to have one of the more respectable slums the world has seen lately. Still, they're not kidding. Get inside at dusk, and stay there until tomorrow's beer.
@Miney Boy mate, just because we are japanese and we speak English doesn't mean we went to West… but for me I learn English because of my dad, he’s australian half japanese
When I was in Japan, the rivers of Tokyo were practically girdled with shanties. I've never seen so many blue tarps in one place. Japan is still an amazing place, but it is still a nation like any other with its own problems and its own challenges.
The work they did it’s still appreciate it , I’m a collector of Japanese electronics from the 70s & 80s , pioneer sx-1980 , Yamaha m4 technics 1200 ect .
Some context not shared in the video: Homeless population: per wikipedia Japan in 2020 - 3,992 USA in 2022 - 582,462 Canada in 2021 - 25k-30k Ukraine in 2020 - 734,240 UK in 2019 - 365,535 Where would you rather be?
Actually a Police holding center in Amoy/Xiamen in China late 2019 or early 2020. Certain events I’d like to investigate again... But being a homeless there is also fine 😅😅😂😂
There's still a lot of alcoholism in Japan, but ya at least there's not so many drug problems. It's been getting real bad where I live in Canada, that forced rehabilitation is being considered (although the ethics is questionable)
Japan, of course, has a drug problem. But the residents here are literally the poorest in Japan and cannot even afford drugs, and they are clearly alcoholics drinking in noon time.
I %100 understand what that person felt when he said people have nothing to eat whereas birds are fat. When I was homeless and hungry I just stared at pigeons, sparrows and especially seagulls and thought, what a life, where even birds can eat while a human starves. I was in fact so hungry that I wished I could join them eating bread…
These are legit some of the most polite slums I have viewed on youtube almost want to just level it up to a downtrodden neighbourhood, I guess to quote no country for old men For things at a common destination there is a common path. Not always easy to see. But there.
Nishinari (Kamagasaki) is not a scary place, you can walk around normally, no harm will come to you. How do the elderly living in Nishinari live? Actually, most of the homeless are not in need because they receive the national pension. Few people are homeless without a pension. They can live on a small pension because they do not need to pay for housing. Homeless people can also earn quite a bit of money by picking up empty cans and selling them. There are stores that buy empty cans and cardboard boxes.
just a few weeks ago we had our first ever japan holiday and we stayed in Tengachaya. We always go home quite late from visiting diff attractions around osaka and kansai but never encounter any problems or any sorts. It was actually a peaceful and lovely place. Overall we really had a great time in Japan and if given a chance to go back again in Osaka I won't hesitate to book that same property in Tengachaya.❤❤❤❤
"Slum" in Osaka looks in better shape and cleaner than almost any neighborhood in my hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. Yes, lots of buildings there look older, but they are reasonably well kept, roads don't have potholes and best of all, there si very little trash on the streets. And here, we can't rebuild city center 3 years after the earthquake, there is garbage on street, our roads are crappy.
Some of the older men reminded me of my deceased father. Towards the end of his life, he drank, chain smoked, talked about the past, and how much money he use to make in his jack-of-all trades jobs but with nothing to show for it by then. He drank himself into strokes and being bedridden. Of all of his sons, I turned out nothing like him. I'm a high school graduate, military veteran, college graduate, and have a professional job. But he was my greatest source of motivation, because I didn't want to be anything like him and I succeeded.
This is the thing about Japan, I was there a few months ago, everywhere we went it was spotless. Now we have Japanese homeless and you would have never known. What a difference between LA, NYC, or any large USA city vs Japan. Its the culture.
That's their slum ? It's like paradise compared the slums in my country. I guess the difference in human capital is the real key. They have just been dealt a bad hand. They are not bums and although poor, beleaguered and the lowest rung of their society, the residents are polite, respectful and decent people.
I stayed in Nishinari on my last trip to Japan before the pandemic and loved it. The whole area all around there is really interesting and so different to the many other parts of Japan I've visited.
By the way, Kamagasaki or Airin-chiku is much safer nowadays, since there are no protests and riots. The city provided help to make the Nishinari a safer place for people to live, and food with shelter for those in need. If you visit it now, its much safer, and things are cheaper too. There are few weird people, but most of them are friendly and they make the area a much better place.
just a few weeks ago we had our first ever japan holiday and we stayed in Tengachaya. We always go home quite late from visiting diff attractions around osaka and kansai but never encounter any problems or any sorts. It was actually a peaceful and lovely place. Overall we really had a great time in Japan and if given a chance to go back again in Osaka I won't hesitate to book that same property in Tengachaya.❤❤❤
Great content, high quality and well produced. I'm sure it's just a matter of time for your channel to be successful! One thing I would like to see is when numbers related to the country's currency, it would be very helpful to also mention the amount converted to dollars and euros. For example the amount of money generated yearly by that profession, area, etc also converted to other currencies so we have a better understanding.
Compared to slums in other countries, this is very clean and civilized. I grew up in a poor area. And if I had to live in this area I could do it and not be unhappy. I hope for better futures for the street people.
That little tid bit really sunk home. They might be viewed by some as aimless but they have worked hard all their lives but didn't get rich. That is the story of a great many of us.
At least the Japanese government gives people money to help them out,here in India the government gives its people nothing,no social security no unemployment benefits,nothing,zero.
I have stayed many many times in Kamagasaki. But AFAIK the area is more commonly known as the district "Nishinari-ku" which many people recognized quite easily around Japan when I spoke about it. It is a very nice place with homeless people and cheap hotels. The homeless are very polite and nice and in my youth while backpacking Japan for the first time I sat down with a friend next to the homeless there drinking and we drank together and it were met with great hospitality. There was absolutely nothing scary or bad around there except the sadness that came from seeing people having to sleep outside and not have work.
My experience with racism in Japan was high, ugly and very uncomfortable but when I unknowingly wondered into this slum, no one treated me poorly - the difference was sooo stark! It's amazing that poor ppl would treat a foreign, stranger with as much respect as each other but "ordinary", "regular" Japanese ppl were so ugly and racist that it was exhausting and ruined chunks of my lengthy tourist stay. *Afro Puerto Rican lady who stayed 3 months to see my sister thru delivery and her lying-in w baby.
4:43 That's a photo of his wife and probably her mother. That "costume" his wife is wearing is actually the japanese equivalent to a wedding dress. Damn this hits in the feels so hard.
I myself always knew that neighborhood in Osaka as Nishinari, not Kamagaseki. I’ve been there once. It does have a unique vibe to it. I heard that it use to a bit dangerous but not so much when I visited there. Just people trying to get day by day. I did however see a broken needle laying around in a pile of garbage on the side of the street. It’s very unlikely that you will get mugged but there’s still a chance of having some trouble with the local drunk or drug addict if you engage in having a conversation with them when they’re having a bad day.
Not too far from Tamade, Osaka back in early 90s there where many Hiyatoi, one day on the spot jobs mostly construction type of jobs. The place had cheap shokudo, hotel, and tachi izakaya. Different vibe back then
13:55 That corner has since been cordoned off, unfortunately. GPS: 34.64874N, 135.50074E According to Google, it was sometime between May 2021 and May 2022. Don’t know if the old guys still meet there (with very limited space) or have moved elsewhere.
I think there are a lot of "hidden homeless" in Japan, because the homeless do still sleep in parks-but "break camp" at dawn. To be fair, it's nothing like the "blue-tarp cities" of Japan in the 1990s. Yeah; I would call that part of Osaka, "Airin". In Tokyo too; they keep giving what I call "San'ya", a new name.
This is all true. I been to Japan 6 time and there are slums. Most of the slum I seen are in Osaka. They like to be hidden. The poor don't beg for money unlike the USA. Lot of time they are all older folk. It's sad that most old people end up like this. I meet an older man who lost everything (his family and his home) and try to give him 20000 yen, but he refuses, so I went and brought him food and water and some clothes. It sad that the old generation up like this. Their government doesn't care about the old folk. Here in the USA- it about drug problems that make people homeless. USA has crazy homeless people.
@@captainteemo1264 I think it is complicated with the alcohol. Are these guys on the street because they drink, or do they drink because they are on street? It's probably a bit of both.
@@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS That is true. However, the young have employability on their side. The old people in San'ya or Airin probably were once "useful". Now, they are not.
In Japan, people in need receive rent subsidies and welfare payments. In addition, medical care is free of charge. If the person applies for public assistance at the city office, the city office will assist them. However, there are some people who do not want to live at a fixed address and want to be free to go where they want. From Japan.
This area is more commonly known in Japan as Nishinari. I haven't heard it being called Kamagasaki.... It's also referred to as Airin-chiku (or Airin district).
7:42 I have lived in Osaka for 10 years and no one calls the area Kamagasaki, they call it Haginochaya. Haginochaya, or Nishinari... those are instantly recognizable names for the area.
3:30 An odd translation... error? choice? The English word "mansion" used in Japanese means an apartment (or apartment building). He's not saying he lives in a mansion in the English sense of "a large upscale home."
@@ohsweetmystery That's how it was translated. But in Japanese, "mansion" doesn't mean a mansion. The original statement he made was just "I live in an apartment."
There are a few things to consider. The description of the video is not accurate, Japan has almost no zoning laws relative to other developed countries. This is why you can find shops, stores, factories, apartments, schools, and even slaughterhouses all within a single neighborhood (sometimes all in the same structure). You can build pretty much anything, anywhere, and no one can really stop you. Buildings under 3 floors are essentially unregulated. This is why you can find inexpensive housing even in the most expensive parts of Japan's largest cities. Japan's homeless are not like those in America. Japan's homeless are not drug addicts, because Japan has been successful at keeping drugs out of its society. Most Japanese homeless are alcoholics, and/or convicts, and a few are mentally ill. Despite what you see in the video, homelessness is not common in Japan. The entire country of Japan, with its 123 million people, has fewer homeless than the city of Sacramento, a city of 500,000 in California. Convicts have a hard time in Japan, they cannot be hired as full-time regular workers, and many have no real job skills or education. On the positive side, the consequences of life as a convict are a great deterrent to crime, which is one reason why there is little crime in Japan, and why Japan's incarceration rate is some 25 times lower than America's. Another issue is being single. In Japan the family unit is still very traditional, marriage is common, divorce is rare. In a typical Japanese household, the husband works, the wife manages the money. Japanese wives (and I should know) are much better at managing households and money than the men. Success in life is seen as a team effort, and not something which people normally attain on their own. If you remain single in Japan, you are not as likely to be socially or economically successful. Japanese women, despite the fact they are paid less than men, seldom end up homeless, and no matter how little they earn, they can keep a roof over their heads. And because Japanese women very seldom break the law, they don't become convicts and suffer the consequences of being such. There are extensive official and unofficial programs in Japan for dealing with the homeless problem. The government has programs which house the homeless people, helps them overcome alcohol, finds them jobs, and manages their money. The Yakuza have their own "programs" in which they take homeless, put them into housing they own, file for benefits, and then take a cut to cover the rent. As there is a national labor shortage, the Yakuza also put homeless to work in their construction and cleanup gangs. But, there are hardcore homeless who won't accept assistance from the state, and avoid the Yakuza, and those are the type which have set up their camps and villages on the outskirts of parks, or along the riverside. For the most part, these "settlements" are kept clean and safe so as not to offend residents or the local government. The people in this video belong to this group, they are homeless not so much because of bad luck or expensive housing, but because they did something to get themselves cast out of society. When I first come to Japan some 20 years ago, I visited the old Sanya District in Tokyo, which, during its heyday, was called the "world's largest skid row." At that time there were still numerous homeless in the area, and the park along the Sumida River near Asakusa was a homeless city. Nearly all of these homeless were old men. But, new programs housed and/or put to work many of these men, others died off, and the homeless city is all but gone. The old Sanya district (nowadays called east Asakusa) has only a few homeless left, and you have to look hard nowadays to find them. Tokyo's current homeless population is said to be about 700 people. San Francisco's homeless population is more than 8000. Tokyo has 14 million people, San Francisco has 800,000. Japan's homeless problem is not nearly as bleak as the video tries to imply.
I'm quite impressed with your comment. You have thoroughly summarized the situation of Japanese homeless people, which are not shared among common Japanese. Only some journalists, social activists or Yakuza may know. I'm curious how you have obtained such insight. Thank you.
@@kurekurekurekure5938 I love to wander Tokyo, seeing the sights, and a hobby of mine is to look at the different districts of the city as they are today, and compare them with old maps of how the city used to be. My grandfather arrived in Tokyo at the end of 1945 when the city was fully destroyed, and I also like to compare photos he took back then to today. My Japanese is not good, but I still like to read the history of the city and its various districts, and of course I keep up with the current new.s
I stayed at Dobutsun-mae near Shin-imamiya and while it's true that there are a lot of old homeless men there I didn't feel unsafe throughout my stay there at all. It was actually quite nice staying there since the food and vendo machines are cheaper there compared to other cities probably since a lot of homeless stays there. I only learned about its reputation after I left.
We have the same problem here but it get's much colder, and we do not have capsule hotels and it is almost impossible to get a job if you are without a home. I am in Canada. I will say this slum looks much cleaner than the ones in my city.
I lived in Nishinari ( kamagasaki) for 13 yrs. The homeless in osaka are not scary at all. . They wont bother you at all. I like it there coz the rent are cheaper and close to everything.
There will always be the extremes in societies, that is part of the natural make up of any kind of collective or society. What differentiates societies' approaches to this issue is mostly determined by intentions. Those that genuinely want to solve the problem and others who only want to hide the problem from prying eyes from outside.
These elderly ex-construction workers are now poor. But they had a proud past(that they build up Osaka while the economy was booming). And they deserve to be supported publicly. I like this program's fair coverage.
i talked some of the homeless.. they usually escape from family issue , work issue , some depression or shameful experienced , divorce , money issue, some are drown from gambling or cheated from bars and lost their wealth.. many professional homeless was there like teachers, theyre not actually all poor or begging.. they re escaping the reality of responsibity no tax no obligation .so they chose to be homeless...
I spent a lot of time in Kamagasaki when I lived in Osaka. I would walk there from Nanba. It has some fantastic examples of old, post-war residences in some of its back streets, and some real characters. I've been there many times after dark around the park and have never felt threatened or unsafe. A the video shows, it's mostly just old guys. You see the occasional black, far-too-expensive-for-the-area Toyota Crown cruising around, tinted windows, etc. but they've no interest normal people walking the streets.
I love the beauty and sensitivity Japanese people put in everything to add meaning to life. I would love to live in Japan, BUT the earthquakes are too scary……Am 80 and have developed a lot of sensitive and beautiful habits in my life style from no other but the Japanese people.❤
"Slum" is a densely populated area in urban areas where the extremely poor reside and where the deteriorated situation threatens the health, safety, and morality of residents and the community due to the lack of public services available in other areas of the city. Kamagasaki is not a slum. It is simply an area with many single elderly people and poor people. It is not run-down. Redevelopment has already begun in this district and the city is currently undergoing change. The most devastated and dangerous period in this area was during the 90s after the collapse of the Bubble economy. There were even riots at that time. It was a city where young workers from all over the country lived during the period of high economic growth that lasted from the 1950s to the 1970s, but after the end of the bubble economy, it became a district with a multitude of problems such as riots, illegal street vendors, and illegal dumping. Since the implementation of the Nishinari Special Ward Plan by the former mayor of Osaka, improvements in the safety and environment of Nishinari Ward have been observed. Although it remains a town with a unique position, its existence has become nationwide due to the spread of SNS, and it is popular as a lodging destination for foreign backpackers due to its low accommodation rates. In addition, with the development of living infrastructure accompanying the opening of a new railway line in 2031, there has been an increase in the number of families with children moving in.
I was in Japan couple of months a go and I was amazed how amazing that country is I will go back there for sure and would love to get to know any Japanese people there.
When visiting Nishinari I have never felt danger. It’s a great area that has a lot to offer. Lots of little restaurants, karaoke bars and great little shops.
I lived there for 2 years. Cheap rent, no guarantor needed. This was back in '94. Japanese people freaked out if you told them you lived in Nishinari. Only the older folks remember the Nishinari riots which happened in the 80's and sporadically up until the very early 90's. Things got so bad that the homeless started burning cars and the Loop Line train shut down from Shin-Imamiya to Tennoji station for a few days. Most of the homeless have moved up to a "hotel" just north of Nipponbashi Station. Many homeless could not get government benefits without a fixed address....but many homeless refused to be pinned down in what they thought would be a loss of their freedom. Now they can come and go as they please and get government benefits. There are still homeless around that area...but rarely to you see them. The other problem is the homeless that have serious mental issues which you still can see in many parts of the city.
As an american watching this, based on only what I can visually see from this video. The areas in which the homeless live is far cleaner than most places I have lived in within the US.
live in better places then.
@johndong7524 where you live Dong?
@@fresh-thyme In the place that's better than your place.
@@johndong7524 so you live in a place the smells like padussy?
Brother , i can the same thing about Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh.
Those "slums" are like fifty times cleaner than every single place I've ever been to in Brazil (and that's in 36 years living here).
😂😂😂😂😂😂
3:34 "I live in a mansion" I think this might be a mistranslation. The word he used, マンション (Manshon), though does come from the english "mansion", it actually means "condo" , "apartment" or "flat" in Japanese
Oh thats interesting I actually thought it was just some sarcasm joke like he was poking fun at his small little apartment or something
@@2SpiralNika Understandable, I'd probably think the same if I didn't speak Japanese
Joke
Apaato usually only consists of two floors, a manshon is an apartment building that has three or more floors. Apaato are also made with lower quality materials while manshon are generally reinforced concrete
It is not a mistranslation. The MANSION(マンション) he is talking about is not a luxury MANSION as we say in the US or other countries, but an apartment as we say in other countries. He is living in a room that is probably about 20 square meters. In that area, an older apartment of that size is quite inexpensive, so a welfare recipient, or even a pensioner or low-income person can afford the rent.
As a French person I am struck by the fact these people are in such a difficult situation in retirement, despite having worked hard in the past, and also by how clean the area seems to be.
But well, it's Japan, it's Osaka. So it's not so surprizing that this place is much cleaner than let's say, Paris.
Japan always has a high standard, this homeless town is cleaner than most neighborhoods in USA west coast. 😢
In ur dreams probably 😂🤣🤡🖕 japan weeb 😂
@@hossainayon9588 Says the westaboo idiot that made Jake Paul shorts and other really stupid uploads. Either you're a troll or an infantile teen (or both). Go back to your shit hole.
It's the Japanese culture, cleanliness is their foundation.
That’s what happens when you have black and Latino people mixed in your population
California, sure. Portland has its spots but for the most part it's pretty clean. Though it's gotten worse the last few years.
“even though the people have nothing to eat the animals are fat” incredible display of how thoughtful and full of care these people are. i hope they find prosperity soon enough
What he means is people value the lives of animals over human beings
Yeah...good news !
man..these slums are cleaner than my neighbors backyard
Much cleaner than my neighborhood, and even this half of the city. And cleaner by far than the slum house I stay at. Here, junk and garbage reign supreme... no way to clean it up for more than a day.
in Japan even slums are neater than in the USA.
yeah😆
Japanese are very respectful. I deeply respect the Japanese culture of mutual respect and honor.
😂😂
Every time I visit I stay here, everybody is so friendly and inclusive. Many of the older guys speak great English and helpful for advice or directions. They are even willing to share food and drink if your up for a chat but will never accept money or beg. Helped one guy out and was made an honorary resident. Most nights meeting random foreigners and locals for a meal is always fun.
After dark even in winter is fine but mostly foreigners and yakuza who are also very friends but you will see some fights.
The decisive difference between slums in Japan and those in the US is the presence or absence of narcotics. Though often alcoholic, the Japanese slum dwellers (including homeless people) are rarely addicted to drugs due to affordability factor as well as the sense of taboo ingrained through rigorous policing and education.
Japan has a welfare system, and if a homeless person applies to the local government, they will be provided with rent for a small room in a rental property plus basic living expenses (food, utilities, sundries).
However, there are many restrictions, and homeless people dislike these restrictions and limitations, which is why they continue to be homeless.
@@mmmoroi narcotics are very much around. Meth is prevalent in Japan still I've seen it often.
@@Toripusutashi Just compare with the US or other European countries.
As someone who's lived in the Kansai area, I can tell you that the reason most young Japanese people who were interviewed did not know Kamagasaki is because it is an older name that's no longer in popular use. Kamagasaki was officially renamed Airin District in 1966, so only the older generation would still call it by its old name.
yeah, crap journalism.
Thanks for that information, as for someone who actually watched the video, youd know your comment is useless
they mention that in the video
@johnsmallberries4429 probably because of the crap journalism comment
That is useful to know. I pretty much got the same reaction when I asked where Kamagasaki was 20 years ago.
Thank you . That was one the most respectful documentaries on homelessness that I’ve ever watched . Most tend to forget that these souls are human , have generally worked hard all their life and many are victims of circumstance .
My friends and I booked our very first AirBnB back in 2014 in Nishinari without knowing its reputation. I did notice the number of homeless old people. And there was a lot of sirens. Every single night you'd hear an ambulance or a firetruck. We actually witnessed one firetruck responding to an old guy slumped in the street. But I did not ever feel unsafe. Cheerful random old people would actually greet us good morning/good evening whenever we passed by.
Sirens from firetrucks and ambulance at night are normal. Nightly occurrence in any Tokyo neighborhood.
Not 100percent safe!
Agree. This place hardly can be named as 'slum', especially for those who have witnessed the U.S. slums and ghettos. If that is the worst Japan has, I take off my hat, they're doing great so far.
Unlike SanFran
@@mikeg4317 where I'm from it's not very common (also this was my first international trip). I only get to hear an ambulance when I'm actually on the road, and firetrucks only when there's fire nearby.
The fact that they don't blame anyone or anything why they are poor & homeless it's already shows how much these people are kind at their souls. May Good things happen to them,😢
... It's fortunate that there's less to none of the children living in these area
I like the fact that the streets in Kamagasaki, one of the most notorious slum districts in Japan, is much cleaner than streets in Shibuya, one of the most popular tourist destinations.
I like the fact that the "slums" are cleaner than my mid income neighborhood
any place that has a lot of tourists will be dirtier. every public bathroom i went to was spotless and didn't smell. i went to one in dontonbori and it smelled just like a gas station bathroom. shinjuku was littered with trash. this was before covid so there were a lot of foreigners at that time.
I remember my first day in Japan - after being underground for a while from the airport, i emerged on the surface in Shinjuku and was shocked to see how dirty the streets were. Bear in mind it was a Sunday at about 8am, but when we came back later the same day, it was much cleaner. Most parts of Tokyo are very clean though, far cleaner than my home countries capital of London anyway. Japanese cities really put most western cities to shame when it comes to cleanliness.
@@Zukias yea there's a lot of drinking and littering going on at night. when i left shinjuku in the morning there was trash everywhere. people probably clean that area daily.
@@psychedelicpunk5031 Yeah I burst out laughing at that. "the slums" look better than my hometown and most of the state I lived in for many years.
10:28 kind gentle, good-hearted women sharing food to the one who is in need. god bless her large heart
While visiting Tokyo in 2001, I encountered a articulate elder Japanese man who served in WW2. He was fascinating. His English was impeccable. But we were interrupted by Japanese police who thought he was harassing us. I really liked talking to him. I wish I had more time to tell him how much he impressed me.
He served in WW2? You do know how fucked up the imperial Japanese army was right? Akin to finding talking to a Nazi enjoyable....
Don't worry. There will soon be a whole new batch of ex-soldiers from some shiny new wars on the horizon. . .
@@MitchHawkes Sadly, this is true. At least when it ends Japan will fix their low population issues. Men who go to war usually always start families. Prob from seeing so much death.
@@zawiz8783 insane take
Based 731 veteran.
When I went to Kansai, I stayed in Kamagasaki, very near Shinsekai. I didn't even know it was a slum, I only learned months after. I took some walks in the area, and I noticed it was less look after than the other parts of the city but I live in a remote place in Niigata where most things are neglected because of the population decline. I'm so used to slums in my home country that I can't notice slums in Japan. Honestly, it was better than most normal neighbourhoods in Turkey, and hundreds of times better than an actual slum in Turkey.
I don't like slum in Turkey i prefer chicken lamb or roast pork mmmm
Same here. I stayed there 5 years ago for a few days and, even though it felt a little bit less developed than the rest of the city, I wouldn’t have guessed it was a slum.
True words my neighbourhood in Adana Turkey is near a metro station and looks worse than this. I only find 4 places beautiful to live in Adana, names: Güzelyalı,Gazipaşa and Cemalpaşa neighbourhoods and Turgut Özal boulevard.
@@nolesy34 🤔🤔🤬🤬
@@nolesy34 yawn...
I was there and walked in that neighborhood almost every day for 10 days. I never felt it as a slum.
By Japanese standards, even the "worst" is better than most places lol
It is not a slum any more. It used to be.
Something that blows my mind is that even homeless people have style in Japan, they’re very advanced in that sense
Japan gets a lot of donations and imports
@@GirlWithNoPatience nope that’s false
@@無題6376 nope it's correct. I won't waste time educating you if you're going to be an obtuse troll.
No need to be rude. When I make what I think is a factual statement, it takes less than 60 secs to check, before I post. That way, no chance for impolite to strike. 😉
Seen a lot of vids like this but the people here were unique and still happy, please make another
The local cleanliness speaks of everyone's personal ethic towards society. I can imagine it's better living there than in many other slum areas.
Watanabe is a very well educated person it seems. He hit it on the spot. Every country is the same. Where rich resides on part and the poor resides in another...etc. No matter how well the country is developed.
@@johnjack3578 you can help people, a lot of the hard core drug addicts are broken people, who would be normal if they had a better childhood.
But lifes hard, some break some dont.
@@nejnej4676 i find that, some people just don't want to be helped.
Not every country is the same. In Japan and most European countries there are many facilities and subsidies to help those who have fallen on hard times to at least provide in their basic needs as a society. In many other coutries unfortunately, not so much. It comes from a believe that these people most of the times just had a lot of bad luck or made some bad decisions that had far reaching consequenses, they are not different than you or me, even more, they could actually very easily are you and me. Other countries dont help out those in need because often they believe its their rightful punishment for their bad behaviour. I dont think this is right. When you ask a kid in school : What do you want to become in later in life the awsner is never: A homeless alcoholic. None of these people want to be in this situation, so just be kind to them. Being kind is a virtue.
@@Holion5604 happens when the world have been attacking you, you dont trust anyone, even people with good intents.
Japanese has free education system. Also any citizen are provided free medical support which were once ranked best in the world as well as Sweden.
You can apply Income support and housing benefit as well. The problems are people on the road often refuse to apply and go to Local government office.
Funny thing the income support who are receivings are most foreigners like Chinese , Korean and Vietnam people .
Watanabe was very polite and respectful in his rapport with the reporter, and vice versa. Thank you for this informative video about a particular marginalized group in Japan.
That one picture of his wife and daughter was such a powerful one. Really makes you wonder what his life story is, to go from having a beautiful family to alone on the streets...
I have read somewhere that these people worked hard as labour during their youth away from their growing families. While working they barely make friends/connections inside their workplace, they also got disconnected from their families back home which leads them to slowly distant from each others. When these people got retired, they already lost their family for various reasons & they don't have much savings left leaving them vulnerable towards poverty due to they no longer in condition to work for themselves...
During the construction boom there was a lot of work and some people chose a rather tedious, but more respectable life as a ‘sarariman’ or ‘salary man’ at a company. Others had manual labouring jobs caretaker jobs which came with a place to sleep. Once the construction work and semi-skilled dried up a lot of people lost their accommodation as well.
The people in the photo could equally be of zero consequence to the man who now possesses the picture. He collects garbage. So...
@@bayousbambino427 I was thinking that too. kind of seems like a possible narritive set up by the production. I mean why would he keep this photo in with the gargabe, especially the skewer with food on it, kind of tells me this isn't really an important photo, like why wouldn't it be in his pocket if it was so important to him? Not judging btw, if those are important to him, it escapes my privilage, as I only see trash in that bag, but as they say, one man's trash... yadda yadda..
What I like is that they dont blame faith, god or religion while in my shithole country will blame it all on ISIS, Taliban, Terrorist and Islam.
Thank you. Fascinating and quite compassionate.
fascinatimg mini-doc. would love a feature length doc too, the people of Kamagasaki are so genuine and its nice to see a place where the old and ill are treated with respect.
As a Japanese, I felt this was a fair report. The condition of this town is slowly improving.
Big-city Osaka appears to have one of the more respectable slums the world has seen lately.
Still, they're not kidding. Get inside at dusk, and stay there until tomorrow's beer.
Of course you thought it was a fair report my guy it's basically propaganda for your country
@Miney Boy mate, just because we are japanese and we speak English doesn't mean we went to West… but for me I learn English because of my dad, he’s australian half japanese
I feel like that city is still cleaner than Beverly Hills or any quaint areas in Los angeles. 😅😂🤣
@Miney Boy bro he is not speaking English, he is typing or writing 😅
Really interesting and insightful. Great content as usual.
When I was in Japan, the rivers of Tokyo were practically girdled with shanties. I've never seen so many blue tarps in one place. Japan is still an amazing place, but it is still a nation like any other with its own problems and its own challenges.
This slum is better than New York city.
If our Government fix the problem and give people a home and a job.
@@mnlgabbymnlgabby8366 Government is the problem. Make it small and problems disappear.
@@mnlgabbymnlgabby8366 Run by Democrats lol what u expect
Exactly. Cuz of poor leaders and people who like being dirty
I live near New York City yeah it can be filthy but it's richer than Japan
The work they did it’s still appreciate it , I’m a collector of Japanese electronics from the 70s & 80s , pioneer sx-1980 , Yamaha m4 technics 1200 ect .
Some context not shared in the video:
Homeless population: per wikipedia
Japan in 2020 - 3,992
USA in 2022 - 582,462
Canada in 2021 - 25k-30k
Ukraine in 2020 - 734,240
UK in 2019 - 365,535
Where would you rather be?
Actually a Police holding center in Amoy/Xiamen in China late 2019 or early 2020. Certain events I’d like to investigate again... But being a homeless there is also fine 😅😅😂😂
The secret of joy in work is contained in one word excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
The nicest slum I've ever seen. At least they keep it clean and are respectful. It would be a different place if they had a major drug problem.
For Japan there is a notable drug problem there. Whilst this doc was informative it doesn't quite tell the full story about the area.
@@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS but it’s nothing compared to how it’s like in the west
There's still a lot of alcoholism in Japan, but ya at least there's not so many drug problems. It's been getting real bad where I live in Canada, that forced rehabilitation is being considered (although the ethics is questionable)
Japan, of course, has a drug problem. But the residents here are literally the poorest in Japan and cannot even afford drugs, and they are clearly alcoholics drinking in noon time.
There is alot of meth sold and consumed in this area.
I %100 understand what that person felt when he said people have nothing to eat whereas birds are fat. When I was homeless and hungry I just stared at pigeons, sparrows and especially seagulls and thought, what a life, where even birds can eat while a human starves. I was in fact so hungry that I wished I could join them eating bread…
These are legit some of the most polite slums I have viewed on youtube almost want to just level it up to a downtrodden neighbourhood, I guess to quote no country for old men
For things at a common destination there is a common path. Not always easy to see. But there.
😅polite slums
Japan is a really good country, despite the issues it has right now it really does respect its people and nature.
When their slums look better than the average neighborhood in your country.
Nishinari (Kamagasaki) is not a scary place, you can walk around normally, no harm will come to you. How do the elderly living in Nishinari live? Actually, most of the homeless are not in need because they receive the national pension. Few people are homeless without a pension. They can live on a small pension because they do not need to pay for housing.
Homeless people can also earn quite a bit of money by picking up empty cans and selling them. There are stores that buy empty cans and cardboard boxes.
just a few weeks ago we had our first ever japan holiday and we stayed in Tengachaya. We always go home quite late from visiting diff attractions around osaka and kansai but never encounter any problems or any sorts. It was actually a peaceful and lovely place. Overall we really had a great time in Japan and if given a chance to go back again in Osaka I won't hesitate to book that same property in Tengachaya.❤❤❤❤
Much much better than here.
@@mkmikekyle6929 I'm Osaka-born but went to Tengachaya for the first time in my life to return my car rental. It is a very "soulful" area :-)
Even their slum is clean. It’s really heart warming that they are far more kinder to animals than rich people would be ❤
"Slum" in Osaka looks in better shape and cleaner than almost any neighborhood in my hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. Yes, lots of buildings there look older, but they are reasonably well kept, roads don't have potholes and best of all, there si very little trash on the streets. And here, we can't rebuild city center 3 years after the earthquake, there is garbage on street, our roads are crappy.
The cleanest slum in the world
@@auroracampbell9211 fat ass animals 😂😂😂😂
น่าภูมิใจมากสารคดีไทยได้เข้าสู่ความสนใจของผู้คนทั่วโลก ชอบรายการรอบโลก ขอบคุณ คุณกรุณาที่ลงพื้นที่ไปทำสารคดีครับ
Great film, a refreshing point of view.
Some of the older men reminded me of my deceased father.
Towards the end of his life, he drank, chain smoked, talked about the past, and how much money he use to make in his jack-of-all trades jobs but with nothing to show for it by then.
He drank himself into strokes and being bedridden.
Of all of his sons, I turned out nothing like him.
I'm a high school graduate, military veteran, college graduate, and have a professional job. But he was my greatest source of motivation, because I didn't want to be anything like him and I succeeded.
This is the thing about Japan, I was there a few months ago, everywhere we went it was spotless. Now we have Japanese homeless and you would have never known. What a difference between LA, NYC, or any large USA city vs Japan. Its the culture.
That's their slum ? It's like paradise compared the slums in my country. I guess the difference in human capital is the real key. They have just been dealt a bad hand. They are not bums and although poor, beleaguered and the lowest rung of their society, the residents are polite, respectful and decent people.
I stayed in Nishinari on my last trip to Japan before the pandemic and loved it. The whole area all around there is really interesting and so different to the many other parts of Japan I've visited.
Hat's off to the Japanese people. Even poverty cannot take away their pride and human dignity.
It is a cleaned city 😢 and I am happy that only a few people live here in the worst conditions not like the other countries huge numbers.
By the way, Kamagasaki or Airin-chiku is much safer nowadays, since there are no protests and riots. The city provided help to make the Nishinari a safer place for people to live, and food with shelter for those in need. If you visit it now, its much safer, and things are cheaper too. There are few weird people, but most of them are friendly and they make the area a much better place.
just a few weeks ago we had our first ever japan holiday and we stayed in Tengachaya. We always go home quite late from visiting diff attractions around osaka and kansai but never encounter any problems or any sorts. It was actually a peaceful and lovely place. Overall we really had a great time in Japan and if given a chance to go back again in Osaka I won't hesitate to book that same property in Tengachaya.❤❤❤
I live in Osaka. Kamasaki is a great place. I love the vibe of it. Nothing beats a cheap eat and friendly people to talk to. :)
Kamasaki doesn't exist, and hasn't existed for 40+ years.
Great content, hope you be motivated constantly in order to create more and more valuable videos like this
Great content, high quality and well produced. I'm sure it's just a matter of time for your channel to be successful!
One thing I would like to see is when numbers related to the country's currency, it would be very helpful to also mention the amount converted to dollars and euros. For example the amount of money generated yearly by that profession, area, etc also converted to other currencies so we have a better understanding.
Compared to slums in other countries, this is very clean and civilized. I grew up in a poor area. And if I had to live in this area I could do it and not be unhappy. I hope for better futures for the street people.
My favorite country!!! Love Japan!
That little tid bit really sunk home. They might be viewed by some as aimless but they have worked hard all their lives but didn't get rich. That is the story of a great many of us.
At least the Japanese government gives people money to help them out,here in India the government gives its people nothing,no social security no unemployment benefits,nothing,zero.
I have stayed many many times in Kamagasaki. But AFAIK the area is more commonly known as the district "Nishinari-ku" which many people recognized quite easily around Japan when I spoke about it. It is a very nice place with homeless people and cheap hotels. The homeless are very polite and nice and in my youth while backpacking Japan for the first time I sat down with a friend next to the homeless there drinking and we drank together and it were met with great hospitality. There was absolutely nothing scary or bad around there except the sadness that came from seeing people having to sleep outside and not have work.
My experience with racism in Japan was high, ugly and very uncomfortable but when I unknowingly wondered into this slum, no one treated me poorly - the difference was sooo stark! It's amazing that poor ppl would treat a foreign, stranger with as much respect as each other but "ordinary", "regular" Japanese ppl were so ugly and racist that it was exhausting and ruined chunks of my lengthy tourist stay.
*Afro Puerto Rican lady who stayed 3 months to see my sister thru delivery and her lying-in w baby.
4:43 That's a photo of his wife and probably her mother. That "costume" his wife is wearing is actually the japanese equivalent to a wedding dress. Damn this hits in the feels so hard.
I honestly enjoyed this wonderful documentary. Thank very much. 😊😊
I myself always knew that neighborhood in Osaka as Nishinari, not Kamagaseki.
I’ve been there once. It does have a unique vibe to it. I heard that it use to a bit dangerous but not so much when I visited there. Just people trying to get day by day.
I did however see a broken needle laying around in a pile of garbage on the side of the street. It’s very unlikely that you will get mugged but there’s still a chance of having some trouble with the local drunk or drug addict if you engage in having a conversation with them when they’re having a bad day.
Not too far from Tamade, Osaka back in early 90s there where many Hiyatoi, one day on the spot jobs mostly construction type of jobs. The place had cheap shokudo, hotel, and tachi izakaya. Different vibe back then
13:55 That corner has since been cordoned off, unfortunately.
GPS: 34.64874N, 135.50074E
According to Google, it was sometime between May 2021 and May 2022. Don’t know if the old guys still meet there (with very limited space) or have moved elsewhere.
Slum? Dude you got to see Kensington Philadelphia, Camden New Jersey, Baltimore... those are slums...
I think there are a lot of "hidden homeless" in Japan, because the homeless do still sleep in parks-but "break camp" at dawn. To be fair, it's nothing like the "blue-tarp cities" of Japan in the 1990s. Yeah; I would call that part of Osaka, "Airin". In Tokyo too; they keep giving what I call "San'ya", a new name.
This is all true. I been to Japan 6 time and there are slums. Most of the slum I seen are in Osaka. They like to be hidden. The poor don't beg for money unlike the USA. Lot of time they are all older folk. It's sad that most old people end up like this. I meet an older man who lost everything (his family and his home) and try to give him 20000 yen, but he refuses, so I went and brought him food and water and some clothes. It sad that the old generation up like this. Their government doesn't care about the old folk. Here in the USA- it about drug problems that make people homeless. USA has crazy homeless people.
@@captainteemo1264 I think it is complicated with the alcohol. Are these guys on the street because they drink, or do they drink because they are on street? It's probably a bit of both.
This discounts the very quickly growing number of younger homeless people who stay in internet and manga cafes.
@@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS That is true. However, the young have employability on their side. The old people in San'ya or Airin probably were once "useful". Now, they are not.
日本のホームレスは支援を受けられないのではなく、支援を受けたくない人達なんです。日本では申請すれば生活保護を受けられます。しかし、彼らは自由に生きるのを望んでいて、敢えて保護を望んではいないのです。
In Japan, people in need receive rent subsidies and welfare payments. In addition, medical care is free of charge. If the person applies for public assistance at the city office, the city office will assist them. However, there are some people who do not want to live at a fixed address and want to be free to go where they want. From Japan.
This area is more commonly known in Japan as Nishinari. I haven't heard it being called Kamagasaki.... It's also referred to as Airin-chiku (or Airin district).
7:42 I have lived in Osaka for 10 years and no one calls the area Kamagasaki, they call it Haginochaya. Haginochaya, or Nishinari... those are instantly recognizable names for the area.
3:30 An odd translation... error? choice? The English word "mansion" used in Japanese means an apartment (or apartment building). He's not saying he lives in a mansion in the English sense of "a large upscale home."
Spotted the same error. Glad I'm not the only one
He was joking, I think.
@@ohsweetmystery That's how it was translated. But in Japanese, "mansion" doesn't mean a mansion. The original statement he made was just "I live in an apartment."
There are a few things to consider. The description of the video is not accurate, Japan has almost no zoning laws relative to other developed countries. This is why you can find shops, stores, factories, apartments, schools, and even slaughterhouses all within a single neighborhood (sometimes all in the same structure). You can build pretty much anything, anywhere, and no one can really stop you. Buildings under 3 floors are essentially unregulated. This is why you can find inexpensive housing even in the most expensive parts of Japan's largest cities.
Japan's homeless are not like those in America. Japan's homeless are not drug addicts, because Japan has been successful at keeping drugs out of its society. Most Japanese homeless are alcoholics, and/or convicts, and a few are mentally ill. Despite what you see in the video, homelessness is not common in Japan. The entire country of Japan, with its 123 million people, has fewer homeless than the city of Sacramento, a city of 500,000 in California. Convicts have a hard time in Japan, they cannot be hired as full-time regular workers, and many have no real job skills or education. On the positive side, the consequences of life as a convict are a great deterrent to crime, which is one reason why there is little crime in Japan, and why Japan's incarceration rate is some 25 times lower than America's.
Another issue is being single. In Japan the family unit is still very traditional, marriage is common, divorce is rare. In a typical Japanese household, the husband works, the wife manages the money. Japanese wives (and I should know) are much better at managing households and money than the men. Success in life is seen as a team effort, and not something which people normally attain on their own. If you remain single in Japan, you are not as likely to be socially or economically successful. Japanese women, despite the fact they are paid less than men, seldom end up homeless, and no matter how little they earn, they can keep a roof over their heads. And because Japanese women very seldom break the law, they don't become convicts and suffer the consequences of being such.
There are extensive official and unofficial programs in Japan for dealing with the homeless problem. The government has programs which house the homeless people, helps them overcome alcohol, finds them jobs, and manages their money. The Yakuza have their own "programs" in which they take homeless, put them into housing they own, file for benefits, and then take a cut to cover the rent. As there is a national labor shortage, the Yakuza also put homeless to work in their construction and cleanup gangs.
But, there are hardcore homeless who won't accept assistance from the state, and avoid the Yakuza, and those are the type which have set up their camps and villages on the outskirts of parks, or along the riverside. For the most part, these "settlements" are kept clean and safe so as not to offend residents or the local government. The people in this video belong to this group, they are homeless not so much because of bad luck or expensive housing, but because they did something to get themselves cast out of society.
When I first come to Japan some 20 years ago, I visited the old Sanya District in Tokyo, which, during its heyday, was called the "world's largest skid row." At that time there were still numerous homeless in the area, and the park along the Sumida River near Asakusa was a homeless city. Nearly all of these homeless were old men. But, new programs housed and/or put to work many of these men, others died off, and the homeless city is all but gone. The old Sanya district (nowadays called east Asakusa) has only a few homeless left, and you have to look hard nowadays to find them.
Tokyo's current homeless population is said to be about 700 people. San Francisco's homeless population is more than 8000. Tokyo has 14 million people, San Francisco has 800,000. Japan's homeless problem is not nearly as bleak as the video tries to imply.
I'm quite impressed with your comment.
You have thoroughly summarized the situation of Japanese homeless people, which are not shared among common Japanese.
Only some journalists, social activists or Yakuza may know.
I'm curious how you have obtained such insight.
Thank you.
@@kurekurekurekure5938 I love to wander Tokyo, seeing the sights, and a hobby of mine is to look at the different districts of the city as they are today, and compare them with old maps of how the city used to be. My grandfather arrived in Tokyo at the end of 1945 when the city was fully destroyed, and I also like to compare photos he took back then to today. My Japanese is not good, but I still like to read the history of the city and its various districts, and of course I keep up with the current new.s
@@japanvintagecamera8869,
thank you for the answer.
I'm impressed with you again.
Would you like share your video recording current or past Japan?
Geezzz, I'm loving this channel fr. All videos are underrated and sublime. Thank you. Can't wait to watch more videos.❤❤❤
4-22-23 8:22pm
That's the Cleanest Slum I've ever Seen!
Japan's slums look nicer than America's suburbs. o_O
I stayed at Dobutsun-mae near Shin-imamiya and while it's true that there are a lot of old homeless men there I didn't feel unsafe throughout my stay there at all. It was actually quite nice staying there since the food and vendo machines are cheaper there compared to other cities probably since a lot of homeless stays there. I only learned about its reputation after I left.
Few years ago i went to osaka. And my hostel was in that area. It felt eerie to walk in the district. Now i know why it felt strange eerie.
We have the same problem here but it get's much colder, and we do not have capsule hotels and it is almost impossible to get a job if you are without a home. I am in Canada.
I will say this slum looks much cleaner than the ones in my city.
I lived in Nishinari ( kamagasaki) for 13 yrs. The homeless in osaka are not scary at all. . They wont bother you at all. I like it there coz the rent are cheaper and close to everything.
San ka na ngayon kabayan?
@@gatasalvaje8611 USA
Thank you for the enlightening content.
Cleanest ever. 😊😙
Their slum is cleaner, more orderly and generally better than an average neighborhood here in Ph
What amazed me is that, the first guy is wearing Versace. hehe
One thing I noticed in Shinjuku was even the homeless are very tidy. Keeping their possessions to the side and in boxes under the bridge.
There will always be the extremes in societies, that is part of the natural make up of any kind of collective or society.
What differentiates societies' approaches to this issue is mostly determined by intentions. Those that genuinely want to solve the problem and others who only want to hide the problem from prying eyes from outside.
That slum looks nicer than my neighborhood. My next door neighbor just added another tire to their pile
These elderly ex-construction workers are now poor. But they had a proud past(that they build up Osaka while the economy was booming). And they deserve to be supported publicly. I like this program's fair coverage.
Even though it's a slum, it still looks clean and tidy.. Japan is the best
i talked some of the homeless.. they usually escape from family issue , work issue , some depression or shameful experienced , divorce , money issue, some are drown from gambling or cheated from bars and lost their wealth.. many professional homeless was there like teachers, theyre not actually all poor or begging.. they re escaping the reality of responsibity no tax no obligation .so they chose to be homeless...
Hermits and recluses
I spent a lot of time in Kamagasaki when I lived in Osaka. I would walk there from Nanba. It has some fantastic examples of old, post-war residences in some of its back streets, and some real characters. I've been there many times after dark around the park and have never felt threatened or unsafe. A the video shows, it's mostly just old guys. You see the occasional black, far-too-expensive-for-the-area Toyota Crown cruising around, tinted windows, etc. but they've no interest normal people walking the streets.
Japanese slum is more clean than Beverly Hills
The delustion lol 😂🤡🖕
I love the beauty and sensitivity Japanese people put in everything to add meaning to life. I would love to live in Japan, BUT the earthquakes are too scary……Am 80 and have developed a lot of sensitive and beautiful habits in my life style from no other but the Japanese people.❤
I’m 55 live in Canada and drinking is my only pleasure left now that family gone and no work.
Thanks for sharing about the other side of modernization in Japan.
"Slum" is a densely populated area in urban areas where the extremely poor reside and where the deteriorated situation threatens the health, safety, and morality of residents and the community due to the lack of public services available in other areas of the city.
Kamagasaki is not a slum. It is simply an area with many single elderly people and poor people. It is not run-down. Redevelopment has already begun in this district and the city is currently undergoing change. The most devastated and dangerous period in this area was during the 90s after the collapse of the Bubble economy. There were even riots at that time.
It was a city where young workers from all over the country lived during the period of high economic growth that lasted from the 1950s to the 1970s, but after the end of the bubble economy, it became a district with a multitude of problems such as riots, illegal street vendors, and illegal dumping. Since the implementation of the Nishinari Special Ward Plan by the former mayor of Osaka, improvements in the safety and environment of Nishinari Ward have been observed. Although it remains a town with a unique position, its existence has become nationwide due to the spread of SNS, and it is popular as a lodging destination for foreign backpackers due to its low accommodation rates. In addition, with the development of living infrastructure accompanying the opening of a new railway line in 2031, there has been an increase in the number of families with children moving in.
Redevelopment means they will push that little community out, scatter the 'family' they have acquired there, then they will die.
Don't mind the account with dog profile above. They are troll, spammers or just trying to spread bad feels
@@tapestry6455 That is a separate issue. What I was saying is that it is not a slum.
@@kurosu-samaklipleri7090 sorry, I read your comment after I already replied. Thank you.
@@realstage1925 no problem bro, keep eyes open for feds and weird partisans 👀
Staying here now...if this is a slum it is amazing!!! Come visit.
Even their Slum looks Clean 😂😂😂😂😂......amazing
I was in Japan couple of months a go and I was amazed how amazing that country is I will go back there for sure and would love to get to know any Japanese people there.
When visiting Nishinari I have never felt danger. It’s a great area that has a lot to offer. Lots of little restaurants, karaoke bars and great little shops.
❤ It’s nice to know that the people around their are prideful and cheerful 😄 just amazing
I absolutely adore those older fellows that hangout and chitchat while getting drunk everyday. They seem like a super friendly group of old timers.
"those older fellows" US culture fears the word OLD!
UA-cam keeps recommending this video... because I really appreciated Paranoia Agent 😂😂😂
Even the slums are proper and cultured.
I lived there for 2 years. Cheap rent, no guarantor needed. This was back in '94. Japanese people freaked out if you told them you lived in Nishinari. Only the older folks remember the Nishinari riots which happened in the 80's and sporadically up until the very early 90's. Things got so bad that the homeless started burning cars and the Loop Line train shut down from Shin-Imamiya to Tennoji station for a few days. Most of the homeless have moved up to a "hotel" just north of Nipponbashi Station. Many homeless could not get government benefits without a fixed address....but many homeless refused to be pinned down in what they thought would be a loss of their freedom. Now they can come and go as they please and get government benefits. There are still homeless around that area...but rarely to you see them. The other problem is the homeless that have serious mental issues which you still can see in many parts of the city.