Housing Japan's Homeless (Part 3) 

Life Where I'm From Wow! I've watched Parts 1-3 and all I can say is this is a very well thought out and thoroughly researched video! Great job!👍🏻

Did you made all of these videos by yourself? Creative, filming, interviews, editing?

MrsWenB

Previously land was free. Whoever wanted to build a house anywhere, they would build it. But now you have to buy a land to build a home. If some land is just free and homes could be built at that place, then anybody should be allowed to build a home at that place. There are poor people's who live in footpaths beside a road and many who cannot pay rent as work has been shut down due to covid19 . They could simply build a mud house and stay in it. It would be cheap to build. Afterwards when at that place something has to be built, then they should leave that place and make homes in other places where homes can be built and that place is just not used at that time.

I was wondering why there is so little talk about the NEETs, the shut-ins who live at home and are mentally ill but not in institutions. I've heard it's a major problem but almost no one does videos about it.

@Fanny Annie they're still free to the viewer. A decent ad blocker gets rid of them. I've been using 1 for the last 5 years & not seen a single ad (apart from the sponsor ads, made as part of the video).

I can not believe the *world education* I am getting.

@@simonpreston1693 I don't think you understand how much data they gather on you outside of ads. It goes far beyond that.

@@BlownMacTruck you're probably right, but I was only referring to me not seeing the ads, that others complain about. From a personal point of view, I couldn't care less, about what they know about me. Most of what they want to know has been available far longer than Google et al have even existed.

Simon Preston It’s sad that you’ve become so complacent to an incredible invasion of your person.

Thank You!

Nice video, but it would have more interesting had the video been about something other than homeless people.

You should number the title so people can easily tell this is a series. Interesting video!

AJules A: the title is about homeless people and this is part of a series this channel is doing. What do you expect? O_o

"Please heck"

Just being polite, a pretty common thing to say in East and south-east Asia

Amazing culture

My same thoughts...And I'm fussing at my house😊

@Carl John Shutup.

@Carl John First off, he seems very knowledgeable, and secondly, I'll visit anyways and be sure to ignore ignorant fools like you.

That cracked me up!

Yea, america we think or want so much we dont need compared to japan they only have what need most and some luxury if any i guess. so that little bit of stuff seems like clutter to them at anytime. so i see they value space which is cool more then stuff.

"I am sorry it is cluttered." This kind of words we often use because Japanese are humble. We value to be modest, humble, not being arrogant. I think it's one of the virtues. Of course we want too much and buy what we want after Meiji era, though recently people are getting to know we should not buy so many things as well as other formerly industrial countries.

Yeah, drug abuse is a big difference. Mental illness as well. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eK--oCVP18A.html

Difference in drug abuse depends on quantity of VA.

As a fellow Floridian and someone who worked around many homeless people, I would say the key issues are lack of mental health and healthcare, affordable housing, houseless veterans and drug abuse. I lived in St. Pete which had a high homeless population, a lot of those people were displaced from mental hospitals or aged out of foster care. Many of them were nice and wonderful people who literally had no options or who were addicted to drugs and wanting to quit, but unable to take care of themselves enough to focus on that. Most of the people I met were mentally ill, lots of them Schizophrenic which requires constant care, but since the united states has no real mental healthcare system it means that all of these people are left to fend for themselves and often become violent or addicted to substances to deal with the daily mental assault...

We have a high homeless rate in America due to the high cost of apts and no real help from the government were as Japan cost less and helps the homeless

We knew and interacted with two homeless men in Tokyo. One was very simple and always created drawings to exchange for money. He appeared to be low functioning autistic because the drawings were extremely detailed. Both men were alcoholics. The second man rarely spoke but would nod a thank you when you left food or some warm clothing and blankets. Both were alcoholics. They lived in the parks near our homes.

I agree. When you think of flop houses, skid row, and public housing in America, far different than the equivalent in Japan.

"Just because I live in provincial housing doesnt mean I'm a slob" -a friend of my moms

They only should be less machist

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZtGIekin74w.html

Japanese people are discplined people they provide their people as human being not ANIMAL! They are discplined they loved the poor as human being to recover that is the Japanese People!

1000%.

highest suicide rates in the world.

@Warrior of Light among the lowest suicide rates in the world. even though your country is complete and utter barbarism.

In America they literally flooded the ghetto with drugs..

I would say that the culture surrounding drugs is more dangerous than the drugs themselves. The sanction on drugs is so high that violence often arises from the result of unregulated trade and lack of established standards. If drugs were legal and there were safe and effective means to buy and sell them, I doubt they would be entrenched in such a negative stigma. You don't often hear of someone dying in an alcohol deal gone bad, and it's because most countries remove the necessity for violence and shady-dealings by allowing alcohol to be sold with under an established quality, price, and means of sale. Of course there's always the potential for abuse, but getting help becomes easier when you dissolve the aforementioned stigma.

Yes quite, but it could be better.

not easy to keep clean sleeping on the streets remember some people become homless with only what they are wearing no cash no change of clothes ,, and re the drink and drug thing yes some become homless because of adiction but some also drink and do drugs to make life on the streets bearable and if thats the case they need rehab as well as re homed ps quite a high perentage of homeless also have mental health issues whitch need addressed but its just not a high priority for the powers that be who wd rather build anti homless spikes and other anti rough sleeper devices , to move and hide the problem ,, rather than fund shelters and build cheap afoardable housing that would solve the problem ,, but then again the homless are a good tool for government propoganda work hard and fit in or you will end up homless and despised sad but true

Maybe you have not seen Greg's earlier homeless video, in Japan there are not mental health issues with their homeless. The most likely addiction they have is gambling.

You should share and explain why you think so instead of just throwing out words with no backing information.

Me?

Because some people like drugs, alcohol and gambling more than they like housing. Not the only reason, and stuff happens to people visa via losing a job with little margin, traumatic events or sever depression; but a lot of homelessness has to do with the person not being willing to participate in life practices that would keep them housed, but rather get high or engage in a compulsion for which they refuse help.

It's called Key Money, even people with money have to pay it in Japan. But supposedly the trend is fading out since the last 5 years.

I think the rent gift is dependent on the place you go. I didn't need to pay it when I started renting, but it really depends. As @readyset commented, it may be something that's fading out. A reason why the Doya's (flophouses) are a popular option among the homeless/formerly homeless is that you don't need to pay that upfront cash, nor have guarantor checks and all that red tape. You just pay and get in. But for overall stability and a quality place to live, you'd really want to get into a proper apartment (at least that's my opinion).

Actually your buddy Eric and Kyde stayed in a Doya in Osaka, that supposedly turned into a Hostel. The one you filmed was actually cleaner than the one they stayed in while in Osaka.

readyset I know and understand about the gift but that's wrong!!!

Life Where I'm From happy new year Greg and the family!!!!

Richard Andrews nope don’t know where you live but I do see American homeless eating out of the garbage cans as well

HongoKanata1 Yes, obviously people eat out the trashcan worldwide. I was just telling my experience. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't implying it doesn't happen elsewhere.

Thank you for your kindness.

It's not too great for women there tho. They dropped to 114th in women's rights...

yes you cared enough to help this man , good on ya buddy , the world needs more people like you

I think my current room is just as the same size as that doya, also I have to bring my own fan. To think that doya is considered a living space for the homeless is blowing my mind.

You can actually have places like this in Japan that are so cheap and still aren't disgusting because the people living in them are all Japanese.

Great series. Very enlightening.

Life Where I'm From As someone who was homeless in America, I think the rent system/up front cost is similar to how it is in America. Usually you have to pay 2 months rent in advance or in other words "first and last months rent" plus deposit.

Skylar LacyBookworm same in the UK too.

Life Where I'm From Can you do a Q&A? Here's my question: do u speak in Japanese or English off camera? Thanks! I love watching your videos and hope to go to Japan sometime!

If I recall correctly I've watched all 3 parts so far. I hope at some point you decide to fully go in.We have been informed about the instituional, ethical and goverment approach and views of the the issue, which I find well delivered and seems to be an accurate cover of it. I hope you go in and listen to those people first hand so we can understand why they failed to be part of the society they were tossed at, so we can finally weigth both ends opinions on the matter. As always, good film, liked it very much!

You just introduced me to this concept. I never thought of charities as poverty business before but thinking about it now as you have said, you're right.

@@arrow1042 yup, yup, my letter-friend from another country is an economist. Soooo they must make something like a plan of a month income in any charity. I'm not that strong in economics & terminology, but it's the same documents they usually do for some company or something. Naming it poverty business is really accurate.

I've made three videos so far (and have two more on the way), so I don't know if this was published yet or not. But I did ask the professor about why there are still people living on the streets when there currently is room in shelters and there's the livelihood protection program (seikatsu hogo or welfare). Actually, I think those answers are in the next two videos, so you'll just have to stay tuned. I would agree that there are a certain percentage of people who prefer living on the streets.

But the US has a $900 billion dollar military budget so we can't have any social programs that help poor people.

Reading i see or guess they put most the military budget into the tech and weapons then they do making sure they paid good for putting their life on line when they get deployed. saw a movie about a mom and kid homeless and they try stay at a place and somebody stole their stuff so had less to use any cause no security around at time to make sure no one stole any. so shelters try help but if on street homeless have more control over their stuff unless they leave it behind then it taken and removed for any reason.

@@airmark02 and still we have a homelessness rate much lower than countries like Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, etc.

Maybe they said they like roaming cause they only get to damn weeks

The type of NPO the professor was talking about was a specific type. There are others that are probably more familiar to what you'd find in North America. In fact, some of them are actually founded by Westerners. In the next video I'll actually introduce you to one. I'd say they fit in line with what you wondered about, if there's a pro bono organization that doesn't take advantage of the homeless.

Life Where I'm From Thank you for the reply. I’m very much fascinated with this series. It’s nice to see how each country approaches issues such as helping the homeless.

This kind of agency (Professor Gill, or the narrator, start off by saying they are non-profit, so I don’t understand later Gill saying they “make a lot of money” and “exploit” the poor people) exists in the US, but people who have not lived in the social welfare system may not know or understand that. Many US cities/counties have a system that operates sort of like “Care Not Cash” in San Francisco, where if you want help getting housing, they will place you in a residential hotel and point you to many places in the city to get free food (that usually involve standing in long lines for an hour, so it eats up your time), some have one meal a day in the hotel itself or delivered to them, or food stamps or money on a card that can only be used for groceries (no alcohol) or in some cities, cheap restaurants like Subway. They give you only a little spending money for things like transportation, laundry,etc - some even give you bus passes instead of cash, and have free laundry facilities. Or if you have a check coming in from a government program, whether welfare or disability, you may have a “payee” who makes sure your rent is paid first and then gives you the rest in weekly installments so you can’t spend it all at the beginning of the month and have nothing left to survive on. So your basic needs are taken care of, but if you can’t get a regular job, you have to work on the sheriffs work detail cleaning streets or parks, and you only get $10/hr for that (and a living wage is two or three times that). If you want Medicaid coverage from California, or any welfare program, you can’t have more than $2000 in assets, including a car, computer, or money in the bank, so you probably won’t ever be able to get a job that lets you live anywhere but the subsidized hotels. The rent the “poverty businesses” collect in excess of their own cost to rent the building space goes into salaries for the people who offer the money management, job placement, and support services, including the basic meals. With the kind of jobs these people could get without much education, training, or experience, they would probably spend 90% of their income on rent and basic food, but be more likely to splurge on alcohol or something they impulsively want, and end up homeless or hungry again. For people who need an environment that is structured to support responsibility, it may be the best option for stability. If you want (and can handle) more freedom (without screwing things up again), you can rent in the Doya-Gai and save more of your money so that eventually you can afford a better apartment, but that will only work for people who have self-discipline.

It doesn't sound like the NPOs are forcing people into their businesses, so it's conjecture that they're being taken advantage of. It's important to consider that the profit motive encourages people to engage with the homeless and get them off the streets. It's a rare person who chooses to do this for free. For every one team of lawyer+consultant+landlord that volunteers to do this work, you'll get 100 to do it for profit. If you want to actually help the homeless, making it profitable to do so is the more effective approach.

Compared to downtown L.A or Miami, it's much much better. But still there are many problems. Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama are big city so people ignore there people and don't care at all as if they don't see anything. Japanese people used to be caring to others but not kind now. I guess lots of homeless might have mental health issues in Capitalist society where money comes first. Because young man came from countryside with lots of dreams but they couldn't get familiar with people who wants to beat others in a big city.

This is just my guess.

Maybe your apartment feels like a GARBAGE ROOM after watching how clean and tidy their apartment and houses.

@@louienge3100 Do you know her? Have you seen her apartment? No need for psychological projection.

True, thanks for adding this.

yes, perfect

This is true, I got lucky with my apartment (outside Tokyo). I did not need to pay the gift for the ooyasan. Just 1 month advance rent. Its nice, with digital lock, IH and aircon. :)

At least North America is in a much better situation than Europe.

I think in america it can be the same way, but some or many dont feel that way for any reason. i seen it around and some are decent while others are a wreck for any reason.

@@cable30 na it cant - In Japan the first years of school is how to be clean polite and respectful member of society. they start from the beginning so everyone (even homeless people) keep it tidy and recycle. USA is 300 million people all with "someone else will clean it up" mindset

@@Thabooka not everyone has the same mindset of waiting for others to clean a mess when they know it just look wrong to leave a mess unless good reason not to clean it any. some or many will try clean as u give right gear to do so at time. i tire when some or many get lumped in with rest of any who just sit and watch as others do right anytime.

Interesting. I was thinking about renting a room in the area to kind of see what the experience would be like from the perspective of a tourist or cheap business traveler. I talked to my sister-in-law, and she actually books some people from her work near the area, because the rates on the business hotels are quite affordable in comparison to other areas in Tokyo. I never heard about the Tokyo government trying to purposefully redevelop the area from flop houses to budget hotels/hostels. I know San'ya doesn't even officially exist as a proper area name. Purely from a business owner perspective, I can see why they'd be motivated to attract the tourist and business person crowd. You're right, the area does have a bit of a different feel. I don't think I explained it so well in the video. I've walked around many neighbourhoods in Tokyo, and I guess what I was trying to say was that if you took a small slice, like a particular street, you may not notice anything much different beyond some places may look a bit more rundown. But if you start looking at the details, like the signs for the businesses, see some guys smoking or drinking, or the amplitude of street level bike parking, you can start to see that it's different from other areas. I suppose my frame of reference is the downtown East side in Vancouver, where it's very obviously a poor area (the poorest postal code in Canada).

Definitely go for Palace Japan, while it's not a business hotel it does have its history, having been (and technically still is, as the flop house it "replaced" is still open right next to it) a flop house for so many years. Plus, the staff's pretty nice and you'll probably be able to get an interview from either the tourists staying at the hotel (most of which are from Eastern or South East Asia, there's quite a few westerners but they're not the majority - I was the first Spaniard they ever had!) as well as with the day laborers that congregate at the hostel's smoking area. Oh yeah, and I guess they'd allow you to take a look into the flop house. Another thing worth checking (or rather, reading) out, if only because of its cultural relevancy, is Ashita no Joe, a rather old (from the late 60's) manga about a orphaned young who runs away to Tokyo's slums (which apparently appear to be San'ya, as characters from the series adorn the local shopping arcade in the area. The manga came out at a period of socio-economic upheavel, and many Japanese (mostly working-class citizens) felt a personal connection to the series. One character's death had a real-life funeral organized at a boxing ring, complete with a Buddhist monk watching over it.

@@LifeWhereImFrom The "Shinsekai" and "Shinimamiya" areas of Osaka that used to be all flophouses, are going cool boutique hotels/hostels. "Airin" is still mostly hard core tho.

I recently spent a month in Minamisenju - had no idea it was Sanya! It was clean and organised like everywhere else in Japan with great transport links.

It's a good question about how exactly NPO's work in Japan. I don't know.

Generally in the US, there are workers in a non profit that do make money. The difference is that they do not keep additional profits beyond their salaries, and the organization as a whole generally works toward the benefit of society in some shape. It is entirely possible that the ones on top give themselves more than their fair share of money, or that they somehow skim the money, possibly by inflating operation costs such as having the lawyers they hire say they cost X amount when they actually cost only half that.

its a big difference in ideology in general. the japanese are just tidier than us.

I thought the exact thing when he said that. They just get it. It's like it is just instinct for them(which should be standard anyways). It blows my mind.

Uh no. This has little to zero to do with how "homeless" act, and is more a cultural thing.

I think in america even if homeless some or many still feel they need a lot instead of just the basics. where i live i seen hmeless and some have got help and others dont try for any reason and just nomad around city or town in their own mindset and all.

i was walking behind a homeless person in portland and they were carrying a bunch of trash with them and suddenly just dropped it in broad daylight on the sidewalk right in front of me. i hate it here

America is so multicultural it doesn't have a future. Give it a few decades and it'll be a third world.

Imagine being homeless and on the streets during a typhoon.

@-- the problem is the capitilize goverment makes the homeless problem already bad like why the goverment can't spend on state housing

I'd rather not be homeless.

@@yin6287 Wow....So the capitalist system (the government isn't capitalistic, btw), is forcing heroin, alcohol and opioids into these people to make them homeless? But I do agree with you, we should have forced rehab for drug addicts or make them be permanently locked up in state run mental hospitals that should also take the other half of the homeless that are mentally ill to be locked away for good. Could you imagine the parks and beaches free from homeless people with this solution? So nice.

That is just cruel. I wouldn't do that to people i hate. I guess it's no surprise for a government who went to war with birds.

At least there is much less homeless in America than in Europe.

The professor told me that some issue with housing is that it's not where the homeless want to be. So there may be cheap housing in the countryside, but it's not where their life is. There's a reason that the poor have congregated into certain areas in Osaka, Yokohama, and Tokyo.

@@LifeWhereImFrom Bingo! I've been friends with a number of homeless over the years here in Osaka, and they were happiest in the city.

Mmm hmmm🤔 I hear you. You're very strong to have put up with it all. All you can do, is continue to show him LOVE 💚✌️

europe is so diverse, not every country in europe treat homeless the same

Fortunate Talisman america is very generous when it comes to the poor, its just that alot of the poor take advantage. Just look at cali wherein it has the largest welfare programs in the country yet it also shares the lion share of homelessness.

In the UK you are just left to rot on the streets. We have sociopaths running the government who get a kick out of knowing that they are causing suffering.

They have a lottery system in England just like in Japan. I don’t know about ALL of Europe. You really should go and watch “The Great Benefits Handout” here on RU-vid and there are multiple other documentaries like “Benefits Britain” and “How to get a council house” that will show you all you need to know about the system for Brits.

@@CaptchaNeon Watching propaganda programs on tv channels owned and run by multi millionaires is never going to give you a balanced view. The agenda is to show a few cases of system abuse and make it appear as if it is rampant so that working class people vote for cuts in the very systems put in place to help themselves. Never believe anything which comes from a source funded by the rich. They have an agenda to protect their own interests.

One of the worst aspect of a capitalist society!

@@le0nz So,only a Capitalist society has homeless what about Socialist Societies I am sure they have homeless as well.

DK S Switzerland is a Social, Rich country..Swiss Constitution grants every citizen the right to minimum existence ( about $2’500 a month) the only homeless here are those who seriously choose to live outside ( mostly in summer) if you steal bread in Switzerland, it will usually be allowed because nobody steals bread unless they actually are so bad off that they need it. Anyway, I believe every government is obligated to provide their people with the bare minimum when they are in need, they can’t extract and extort our money at gunpoint/ threatening with being put in a cage without providing the basics when we are in need.

By the way this article was about Japan not Switzerland.

@@cattleNhay that won't help if the living cost is higher than that theres plenty of sources saying its rarely ever voluntary

A year late but tenants usually give a sum of money just as a thank you gift for allowing them to move in. It is a bit strange and crazy but I heard that some landlords are starting to get rid of that practice now. The tenant would still have to pay the other fees and deposits though. Hope this helps!

It's basically to prove that you are a decent enough person to save money and pay for the rent. Afterall, you are borrowing someone else's property and the property owner want to trust you enough. But with the recent economy situation, as the previous comment is stating, it is a practice becoming less but still pretty common.

I see it no different then giving a gift besides just paying for rent and all. unlike america and other places, different cultures live different ways. with respect and all.

In the Tokyo area, in addition to the rent, we will pay a deposit for one month. Normally, 100% will be returned when you move out. However, if the house is significantly soiled or destroyed 、It may not be refunded as a repair cost. This is also the role of compensation for unauthorized moving.

It's more of a cultural thing actually, If you want to help the homeless in the US, change the culture a bit

Yanks need to stop screaming "commie" every 10 seconds, that's where it all starts.

In USA we food pantry soup kitchen with drug use .shelters are full .we have alot of homeless that work ,trying to get out of shelters I work at a job and came across people trying to get it together. Donate to shelters Missions salvation army.. but be careful most likely they wont money. That's short versions

@@deborahking5692 im in the Netherlands, and im not even sure i ever saw an actual homeless person. That happens on tv, not in real life🙈We have a couple of junkies in the big cities, but i've never seen anybody actually sleeping on the streets

We actually do, for centuries, maybe a millenia. It's a common trait for everyone in asia, except for China

How can you never think about the people I'm sure you see ever day? Wow.

Japanese is improving, but slowly. My kanji is doing the best, as I have an app I use everyday. I did talk a bit to the formerly homeless individual, but it was very simple questions. My wife was with me for some interviews, as you'll find out in the next video.

Zhyrus Taylor Totoro!

Denell L. Bennett Survivor/Warrior Hello sweety Me too no fault of my own 😢but with many prayers to god I managed to get a small flat I was blamed too but wasn’t my fault ... one day sweety god will solve all our problems Hope you have found something