How To Be Homeless in Japan

Hi, I'm Karin, and welcome to Our Human Planet. No matter what country you're in you'll find one group of people who are practically invisible. Osaka city has more than 18,000 homeless and most are struggling just to make ends meet. They keep to themselves and don't ask for much. They've been effectively expelled from Japanese society and so are very hard for me to get to know. Until one day, on a street in Osaka I meet Nishida-san. He's 63. He specializes in collecting aluminum cans and he's hard at work three hours before most people get up. And he's not the only one. In the early 90s the Japanese economy went bust and dumped a lot of older workers out on the street. They don't all collect aluminum but still - if Nishida-san is going to make a living then he has to get up early and move fast. "Keep going straight," he says as he teaches me the ins and outs of the aluminum trade. Nishida-san can tell at a glance when an area has been picked clean and knows which houses are worth keeping an eye on and that in Japan, it pays to be polite. He can't possibly open every garbage bag so Nishida-san shows me how to take an educated guess based on the kind of garbage that we're looking at, what it sounds like, and how it feels. And sometimes with just a good swift kick. Nishida-san is homeless so everything he owns is on his bike. His lucky teddy bear, umbrella, and a cooler full of clothes. And though he says he doesn't need it the next time we stop I'm going to fix his brakes. Despite my endless questions his bicycle is starting to look like an overburdened bumble bee. And just in time - it's 10:00 a.m. Osakans like their streets to be squeaky clean. The recycle factory, it turns out, is on the other side of Kamagasaki. That part of town where most of the homeless spend the night. Where you can buy a week-old paper dirt cheap and people will do almost anything to make a buck or two. Or just escape. A place where old temptations are hard to resist. It's sake. A tenth of his daily income for glass of wine. Finally - the chance to cash in on his morning's work. All sorts of people gather here. This place clearly accepts a lot more than just aluminum cans. Bronze, copper, stainless steel. By now I've realized that you can't make it as a collector in Japan unless you've developed a specialty. In 5 hours pedaling Nishida-san has gathered 5 kilos - 11 pounds - that's about $8 dollars' worth. That's not much to live on in one of the most expensive cities in the world. He says it's just enough for two square meals. Day-old rice and fish and a cup of tea. Then, every afternoon, after he's finished work Nishida-san goes to the public library. Nishida-san is proud of what he does despite the lousy pay. He says his job comes with some unusual benefits: unlike most Japanese businessman Nishida-san has time to read.

Channel: Our Human Planet

Views: 1,241,673

Rating: 4.8185239 out of 5

Keywords: Japan, Osaka, homeless, recycling, recycle, Japanland, PBS, Karin, Muller, Homeless in Japan, homeless Japan, japan homeless, japanese homeless, people, poverty, streets, street, poverty in Japan, homelessness, homeless japan, Japanese, shelter, welfare, Yokohama, Kamagasaki, homeless Japanese man, japan homeless shelter, japanese man, 2019, culture, doc, documentary, series, National Geographic, Karin Muller

Id: LwPaAhcwuBc

Length: 4min 49sec (289 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 26 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/Goonswarmz]

The government here in Japan has a social safety net system. They will provide you a place to live and food as well as some luxuries. In return you do a government job until you are back on your feet.

These people for whatever reason reject the system, and overall there are very few homeless across Japan due to the government system.

[u/level81]

From the thumbnail I thought this was the latest Jablinski Games video

[u/Arcterion]

Step 1: be in Japan.

Step 2: don't have a home.

Congratulations, you are now homeless in Japan.

[u/therein]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[u/rafikiknowsdeway1]

"most are struggling to make ends me". most? they're homeless, i'm going to assume they're all struggling

[u/bacb]

Damn homeless culture is very different there than here. I wonder how it differs in different countries.

[u/Vexesf]

Does anyone know when this was filmed? It looks rather old.

[u/enelby]

Age old question, time => money?

[u/ObviousPatient]

COMING SOON Hobo: Tough Life - Japan Edition