The Dark Secret Behind Japan's 0% Homelessness Rate

In the many ways that Japan stands out, there is one particular thing that makes it completely unique. Despite having a population of 125 million people, it is the only country in the world that has a homeless population rate of almost 0%, something that was previously considered impossible.

But if you look past the headlines, the situation starts to look very different. The reality behind this seemingly amazing success, reveals a disturbing and dark picture of what life in Japanese society is like and what is really going on under the surface. So how did Japan manage to have 0% homelessness rate and why is it actually not good news for the country?

0:00 - Intro
00:56 - Part 1: The Official Explanation
04:09 - Part 2: The Dark Reality

Credit for a clip used in the Part 1 (1m 23s - 1m 42) goes to @OrientalPearl, go check out her videos!

[americanedokko]

N.O.P.E. - 30 yr veteran of Japan here. Born and raised in 東京. There are PLENTY of homeless people in Japan. But, you don’t see them during the day because most of them make ends meet with menial jobs. After 1700hrs, you’ll see them in parks, under bridges, under the highway intersections and along 隅田川, the largest river in Tokyo. Most parks are filled with the homeless at nights in Tokyo. I’ve gotten to know many of them at night when I was a kid.

[RestrictedTWO]

I was homeless in Australia for 4 years, I lived out of an internet cafe for 95% of this time.
Started off paying 30 dollars a day for 18 hours of cubicle time, 5 dollars for 2 meals a day and unlimited water.
After spending 2 thousand dollars I was upgraded to VIP which was 24 dollars per day for 24 hours of time. 370 AUD and I had a roof over my head and 2 meals a day with uncapped internet service.

The owner of that net cafe saved my life by his care and understanding and not just kicking me out when I was sleeping, he and his workers would even tell police officers to stop waking us up when they came in for inspections. Jun you legend of a Human, thank you from the bottom of my heart mate, you not only helped me but you helped out dozens of us who just fell prey to a terrible government.

[nanayh]

hi, Japanese here.
homeless issue is deeply connected with life protection benefit (welfare benefit for poverty). The government provide life protection benefit 2million people max as if there is a quota, which means the government reject to provide help for some people who actually cannot stand by themaelves. these people who were rejected to be supplied life protection benefit by government will be likely homeless. this is the country, people in needs cannot reach proper information to get help. i must say why people become homeless has various backgroud but mental health(depression) issue is one of the biggest factor. homeless people in Japan does not talk or try to mingle with society neither try to escape to drug, but they are facing the potential risk of suicide. the reason why men tend to be homless more than women is women in poverty tend to work as sex workers. there is other hell with women. I trurely wish our society accept failure of life and supoort chance of rebuilt.
also wish people pay attention for mental health issue more seriously.

[samuelmontypython]

I lived in Okinawa for 7 years and would always use the manga cafes in large cities like Tokyo and Osaka as a cheap getaway (compared to a more expensive option like AirBnB). Everyone looked so clean and well-kept, it never occurred to me that they were basically homeless and using the cafes as a residence. I only had one negative encounter with a homeless person my entire time in Japan - it was a mentally-ill woman who followed me for 3 blocks in Osaka screaming at me "urusai!" (Shut up!) for no reason.

[hakimhayashi]

As a Japanese, I can confirm this looks throughly neutre and true. The homeless problem is omnipresent, but the government “hides” the real number to be the cleanest country. I have this acquaintance of which a family member was “homeless”, the family entirely disappeared one day because of the social harassment by neighbors calling them “shame of neighborhood” and socially isolating them. Japan is in a sense very disciplined country, but for me it’s too intolerant. You did one mistake, people treats you with that mistake for life…We are humain, we do mistakes🫡

[hobocyclist]

i lived in the mangakissa (cyber cafe) for 2 months. it was good and the people are nice. there is showers, water and food available. Its is safe and really good alternative to sleeping on the street

[Cyromantik]

One of the trippy things, as a resident of Japan, I see homeless camps everywhere, some even within city centers and fashions districts, for instance the Sakae area in Nagoya, there's a homeless community parked under the elevated highway with dozens of tents and ramshackle huts of plywood, corrugated metal and plastic tarps. There are metal bins for warmth and lots of litter. Japan is just really, really good at ignoring negative aspects of Japan, aggressively so.

[KryyssTV]

Asking any government to report on their own performance is like asking a student to grade their own exam papers. So regardless of what any official figures state, they'll never be trustworthy or accurate because even "independant" assessors can't risk upsetting the same people who appointed them to the role in the first place.

[mvanlamz]

Canada had very close to 0% homelessness until the 1980s, when all the mental hospitals were shut down. People asked “What will happen to the residents of the mental hospitals after they are closed.” No answer was given. However, after the mental hospitals closed, the number of homeless people obviously increased.

[vchanbrave]

I live in Nagoya, Japan. I’ve been in this country for almost 11 yrs, and there’s plenty of homeless people around. It’s really a sad sight to see. 😢

[anatabakayarou]

I used to volunteer to feed the homeless in Yokosuka. They were so nice when I gave them packets of noodle, they handed me gifts of origami crane, it was really sweet. I wanted to cry. It's too sad.

[jimijumjum]

I have been to Tokyo 3 times, there are homeless all over Akihabara and I have also seen homeless in other areas.

To say there is no homelessness is a lie by the government.

[PerfectSense]

Strict drug laws are not the reason why Japan has low rates of drug use. There's lots of countries with strict drug laws that have huge problems with it. There's low use rates there because Japan's culture very strongly emphasises being law-abiding and to not doing anything too far out of the accepted norm.

[FYTfaEjYHNXjChexsxmCpNEtz]

I saw a story on Japanese news a couple years ago that affected me strongly. There was a middle-aged woman who worked part-time as a food demonstrator (sample lady) in supermarkets. She couldn't afford an apartment, so she slept on a bus stop bench at night. She kept her lifestyle a secret from relatives because she didn't want to worry them.

One night a local man with mental issues came up and demanded she get up so he could sit down on the bench. She ignored him, probably hoping he would go away. This made him so angry that he hit her with a plastic bottle full of rocks that he was carrying, unliving her. He was eventually caught or turned himself in, I don't remember which.

What a terrible life she must have had.

[justinnewell]

I dont wish being homeless on my worst enemy.
I was homeless for about a month.
Worst time in my entire life.
I held a job for 3 weeks of the month.

I lost it because my phone died one night and I was 2 hours late for my shift, only a month into having it.
The misquotes and ants would eat you up at night so it was impossible to sleep.
Being in Tx you'd be drenched in sweat at night trying to sleep.
Simple things youd take for granted, like water, would be a hour walk away from a 24 hour gas station sink.
Was rough af.

[erxcbx]

I went homeless and was on the street for years, getting diagnosed with ptsd, and major depressive disorder got me the help I needed, but I'm one of the lucky ones

[twilightgardenspresentatio]

I was homeless as a youth and now live a relatively wealthy life. To forget how it felt, to become wasteful or ridicule the suffering of others would be to forget who I am.

There are very few legal paths back up from the gutter. Falling through the cracks can make you change who you are just to get by without humiliation. That’s no life.

A nation is judged by how they treat the least of their people.

[ZaGaijinSmash]

I volunteer at food bank charity in Tokyo, plenty of homeless and severely poverty stricken people lining up there. Your point about mental health issues being taken care of by the health system is technical correct, however mental health is a very taboo subject here and most people wouldn’t seek help which is obviously a huge contributing factor to the real homeless rate.

[SimpleLifeUwU]

Weird. The dark secret seemed lighter than my country.
I used to study at cafe located in train station near by where I used to study. I witnessed a lot of homeless people trying to rest in the public resting corner of the station. Some may be trying to sleep while sitting on a chair, and or some just killing times enjoying a safe place to stay, non of them beg for money nor bothering people.

One day, I found out that no more homeless people showing up in the station any more. It made me suspicious, but till one day, I found out what actually happened. The guard shout at a homeless person who was sleeping on a stool, and chased him off the station. He used the radio asking his colleague to make sure the homeless person didn’t return. At first I thought maybe the homeless person did something bad and is on the black list, but same thing happened to other homeless people. The weather report said there will be cold snap coming in, and it sure did, multiple times.

I kind of worry the homeless person will be freeze to death since I already saw him curling up like a worm shivering on the road trying to get some sleep for a while. He was very skinny, I could see his rib bones from the front.

I gave him a sleeping bag, a pillow, several clothes and jackets, pants, heat pockets and socks. Some money, food, and a big bag to carry these things as well. He thanked me, and that’s the last time we ever spoke.

After that, I got some problems in my life to solve, and not able to go to that area for months. When I finally went to that area again, I found out that many familiar homeless faces disappeared. I thought they made it and quit the homeless life, but when I asked one of the homeless person I’m familiar with, he told me the answer.

There was a big election around that time, and since it was a tourist spot, these homeless person and beggars were very kindly asked to move there ass, since they will make the major look bad. Himself returned there since the election ended a few months ago, and he thought it may be safe now to come back.

The homeless person that I gave the supplies, he didn’t make it. Many of the homeless people didn’t make it, since the cold snap was worse and longer than previous years. Only those who know how to survive as a homeless survived, and others were just wiped out.

And this, is our secret to how my city remain the homeless rate. You can’t be homeless if you are dead.

[BWT]

I was working in the US under a work visa and my job provided housing for me but very low monrhly pay. When the job location moved, they were unable to provide me with housing so I lived in my Bronco for 3 years on the streets of Los Angeles circa 2004. I met hundreds of people in a similar situation and about a dozen of us would communicate with each other on a daily basis about the availability of the best spots to park at night. It had its rough moments for sure but I'm glad I went through that experience as I'm much older now with my own family and a roof over our heads.