Lost in Transition

In 1998 officials claimed there were around 3,700 homeless in Tokyo alone. In 2001, the government reported there were approximately 25,000 homeless people in Japan. All these are low numbers but the numbers are growing due in part to the loss of lifetime employment. Most of the homeless are men over 40 but there are so many marginal, disenfranchised young folks too, many living out of internet cafes too. Yet, youth is venerated and many older folks, while not homeless, are disenfranchised too. It is in many ways a sociological displacement playing out on the streets of Japan.