Yeah, very grim indeed. And just like many other cities around the world, it’s a far from rare sight The way things are going, it’s hard to imagine such scenes getting anything other than more common too…
Abenomics has failed, there’s a growing disparity in wealth, and an already large but still growing number of jobs are temporary or/and part-time, offering little security and wages that haven’t increased to match price increases.
A grim scene. Homeless and smokers. Not quite the city undebelly but a limbo-zone close by. The sleeping forsaken blends chameleon-like with his surroundings. But why choose to sleep there? There are far pleasanter spots. Perhaps because of the nearby source of tabs.
Why is it we unsee such people. A sense of discomfort, a reluctance to “get involved”, selfishness. In my younger days I’d sometimes chat to and sit with the younger homeless in London – occasionally go to a cafe or pub – and rarely strike up a brief friendsip. But if they were “working” anything more than a short exchange invited attention from their plot “landlords”, people neither I nor they wanted to mess with.
Nowadays I donate to the Centrepoint homeless charity – a hopelessly inadequate response to the issue.
Why there I don’t l know. But it is Shinjuku, which has more than its fair share of homeless.
That’s a very good question. Something we are all guilty of for sure. In the end I suppose there’s little you can do but help just a little. Any help really. Something that the Centrepoint charity most certainly does and then some.
When the station closes at night, the homeless are allowed to sleep in the corridors. For them it is a safe, dry and partially climate-controlled area.
Unfortunately, when he trains run they are kicked out onto the streets. Naturally, the weakest among them tend to stay near the station during the day. Just like we stay in, or near home, when we are feeling sick and weak.
Thanks for that info. Had no idea that was the system. Reassuring of sorts to hear that as desperate as their condition is, they at least have somewhere safe and sheltered to sleep.
That would certainly explain it. The few stations I’ve seen shut up at night had roll-down shutter which I assumed would be the same everywhere. It’s a good initiative if done for the benefit of the homeless.
These images are illuminating. however what is our response to the stimuli of such scenes. However rich an individual is, one man can’t take care of such situations. But there is democracy, there is local governments and wards. In an affluent country like Japan, which the other day was the second largest economy in the world, with a small population, certainly these people could be rehabilitated.
That’s very true. I think we are all guilty of ignoring such sights too. Probably because like you say, there’s little one person can do to solve the problem.
In a similar vein I do wonder whether I should take such pictures, as they don’t do anything at all to help the situation. But as I simply document what I see in and around Tokyo, it feels dishonest not to show something that’s sadly all too common. Still not sure if that’s enough justification though…
But yeah, Japan most certainly has the finances to help. Of that there’s no doubt. Sadly moving these people on seems far more common than moving them into accommodation or a shelter of some sort.
It’s hard to help homelesspeople more than giving them food or sometimes offering them somwhere to sleep or clothes. A homeless women recently asked for help and my roomates and I ended up making her sleep in our building (gave here a matteress and covers). and invited her in our appartement gave her clothes and abled here to take a shower. Even though we helped her out for one night it’s hard knowing that she will be out in the streets the next one. But on the other hand kindness and welcoming can keep someone going through another day. When I saw this women smile and even laugh it made me happy. And at least she had a good evening with people doing her shopping through our wardrobes.
But I don’t know how tokyo works and how much freedom people have. But in Belgium I found that sometimes people struggled with a lot of mental issues because of trauma and can at one point give up on life at the same time they lost everything (jobs, family etc…). At least we could sometimes stop and ask people if they need something to eat if we are near a shop or if we have extra clothes and covers at home or just seeing them, noticing them. It can always help.
Al says
That’s so sad……….
Lee says
Yeah, very grim indeed. And just like many other cities around the world, it’s a far from rare sight The way things are going, it’s hard to imagine such scenes getting anything other than more common too…
Manko says
Why?
Lee says
Abenomics has failed, there’s a growing disparity in wealth, and an already large but still growing number of jobs are temporary or/and part-time, offering little security and wages that haven’t increased to match price increases.
cdilla says
A grim scene. Homeless and smokers. Not quite the city undebelly but a limbo-zone close by. The sleeping forsaken blends chameleon-like with his surroundings. But why choose to sleep there? There are far pleasanter spots. Perhaps because of the nearby source of tabs.
Why is it we unsee such people. A sense of discomfort, a reluctance to “get involved”, selfishness. In my younger days I’d sometimes chat to and sit with the younger homeless in London – occasionally go to a cafe or pub – and rarely strike up a brief friendsip. But if they were “working” anything more than a short exchange invited attention from their plot “landlords”, people neither I nor they wanted to mess with.
Nowadays I donate to the Centrepoint homeless charity – a hopelessly inadequate response to the issue.
Lee says
Why there I don’t l know. But it is Shinjuku, which has more than its fair share of homeless.
That’s a very good question. Something we are all guilty of for sure. In the end I suppose there’s little you can do but help just a little. Any help really. Something that the Centrepoint charity most certainly does and then some.
Kjeld says
@cdilla:
When the station closes at night, the homeless are allowed to sleep in the corridors. For them it is a safe, dry and partially climate-controlled area.
Unfortunately, when he trains run they are kicked out onto the streets. Naturally, the weakest among them tend to stay near the station during the day. Just like we stay in, or near home, when we are feeling sick and weak.
Lee says
Thanks for that info. Had no idea that was the system. Reassuring of sorts to hear that as desperate as their condition is, they at least have somewhere safe and sheltered to sleep.
cdilla says
That would certainly explain it. The few stations I’ve seen shut up at night had roll-down shutter which I assumed would be the same everywhere. It’s a good initiative if done for the benefit of the homeless.
J Panda says
These images are illuminating. however what is our response to the stimuli of such scenes. However rich an individual is, one man can’t take care of such situations. But there is democracy, there is local governments and wards. In an affluent country like Japan, which the other day was the second largest economy in the world, with a small population, certainly these people could be rehabilitated.
Lee says
That’s very true. I think we are all guilty of ignoring such sights too. Probably because like you say, there’s little one person can do to solve the problem.
In a similar vein I do wonder whether I should take such pictures, as they don’t do anything at all to help the situation. But as I simply document what I see in and around Tokyo, it feels dishonest not to show something that’s sadly all too common. Still not sure if that’s enough justification though…
But yeah, Japan most certainly has the finances to help. Of that there’s no doubt. Sadly moving these people on seems far more common than moving them into accommodation or a shelter of some sort.
Travelkali says
It’s hard to help homelesspeople more than giving them food or sometimes offering them somwhere to sleep or clothes. A homeless women recently asked for help and my roomates and I ended up making her sleep in our building (gave here a matteress and covers). and invited her in our appartement gave her clothes and abled here to take a shower. Even though we helped her out for one night it’s hard knowing that she will be out in the streets the next one. But on the other hand kindness and welcoming can keep someone going through another day. When I saw this women smile and even laugh it made me happy. And at least she had a good evening with people doing her shopping through our wardrobes.
But I don’t know how tokyo works and how much freedom people have. But in Belgium I found that sometimes people struggled with a lot of mental issues because of trauma and can at one point give up on life at the same time they lost everything (jobs, family etc…). At least we could sometimes stop and ask people if they need something to eat if we are near a shop or if we have extra clothes and covers at home or just seeing them, noticing them. It can always help.