According to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare's survey held in January 2022 looking at the current state of homelessness, the total number of homeless people in Japan fell by 376 (9.8%) year on year to 3,448. This makes it the lowest figure recorded yet since the survey began in 2003.
Why is Japan's Homeless Population So Low? Worldwide, homelessness results from many factors, including drug addiction, mental health, housing options, education and government decisions. Japan's strict drug laws, mental health systems and housing options contribute to the countries low homeless population.
Homelessness in Japan (ホームレス, 浮浪者) is a social issue primarily affecting middle-aged and elderly males. Homelessness is thought to have peaked in the 1990s as a consequence of the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble and has largely fallen since then.
It is true that in Japan, the vast majority of homeless people spend their nights sleeping in parks and undeveloped riverside area. Compared to many other countries, the portion of homeless people literally sleeping on the streets, sidewalks, or in storefronts in Japan is very small.
Lastly, homeless people may also be those who live in unconventional properties such as caravans and camper trailers. However, what is certain is that Japan is the only country in the world with a homeless population rate of around 0%.
At 0.003% or roughly 1 homeless person per 34,000 residents, Japan is the country with the world's lowest rate of homelessness. Moreover, with a population of around 125.7 million people, the country also has one of the lowest numbers of homeless people.
Across Australia, SHS agencies provide services aimed at prevention and early intervention, crisis and post crisis assistance to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The two countries that handle homelessness the best are Finland and Japan. Therefore, we will look at how these two countries have approached homelessness to determine exactly which country handles homelessness best.
Most people experiencing forms of homelessness are hidden from public view. The remaining families and children without a home are forced to couch surf, rely on temporary accommodation such as hostels or caravan parks and many will seek shelter in a makeshift dwelling such as a car.
Only about 33 % of Japan's land area is inhabitable because it has many mountainous areas. This percentage is smaller than European countries. For example, the inhabitable area percentages of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are 68 %, 71 %, and 88 %, respectively.
Japan has seen a huge and sudden rise in poverty and poor economic conditions, especially since 2012. According to The Guardian, 3.5 million Japanese children live in poverty-stricken homes. Since 1991, poverty has increased as a systemic problem for Japan, reaching 16.3% this past year.
The poorest area in Tokyo, and Tokyo's most famous slum is San'ya. This neighbourhood is known for its issue with homelessness, having an estimated number of around 9000 homeless people located there.
What is the leading cause of homelessness in Australia? In Australia, domestic and family violence (DFV) is one of the main drivers of homelessness in Australia. Sadly, many children, women and men have experienced or have witnessed abusive and violent behaviour towards a partner, former partner or family member.
Japan has the lowest rate of homelessness in the world, followed closely by Thailand, then Switzerland and Costa Rica.
Japan's working poor
Several factors have been found to be correlated with the working poor including single-parent households, shortcomings of the Public Assistance System, unstable employment and minimum wage insufficient to cover a minimum standard of living.
The cities of Houston and Austin are amongst some of the best cities to be homeless, as they offer the most support to those who are down on their luck. In fact, homelessness has dropped drastically in the last ten years in the city of Houston due to their housing first policy.
Finland, in recent decades, has virtually eliminated street homelessness called “sleeping rough,” and reduced housing costs for all its residents at the same time.
Finland was an early adopter of the Housing First approach.
Housing First ends an individual's homelessness by moving them quickly into independent and permanent housing (a home) and then providing additional support and services as needed, and for as long as needed.
A majority of people experiencing homelessness long-term in Australia are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It is estimated that on any given night approximately 116,000 people will be homeless and many more are living in insecure housing, "one step away from being homeless".
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows homelessness is surging. New figures show nearly 123,000 people were without a home on Census night 2021 - around 6,000 more than at the previous count in 2016. It represents a 5.2 per cent lift in homelessness over five years.
Boarding Houses: Affordable boarding houses are available to those who do not have their own homes. Unfortunately, these dwellings are usually not safe and secure with many people sharing facilities. Other temporary lodgings: Some homeless people find themselves living in cheap motels and caravan parks.
Globally, approximately 1.6 billion people lack adequate housing, with 15 million more individuals being evicted on an annual basis. This situation is often profoundly worse in low- and middle-income countries like China. It is estimated that 300 million people in the country—home to 1.4 billion Chinese—are homeless.
Homelessness in Russia has been observed since the end of the 19th century. After the abolition of serfdom, major cities experienced a large influx of former serfs who sought jobs as industrial workers in the rapidly developing Russian industry.
Many travelers who visit Finland's capital, Helsinki, notice something that's very different from the other cities they've been to. There are no homeless people on the streets.