homeless
The “Harlem of Japan” may be losing the very thing that made it so popular in the first place.
Not having enough money to pay rent each month isn’t their biggest problem is securing permanent housing, though.
When store manager refuses to call the cops, man who can’t pay for his meal does it for him.
Revealing newspaper costume draws eyes and puzzled comments too.
After living in Tokyo for ten years, our Osaka-born writer Seiji Nakazawa shares some experiences from his hometown he thought were normal but actually weren’t.
For this fortunate man, honesty has paid off in the most beautiful way.
When you hear the story of Hachiko, the dog who waited for his owner outside of Shibuya Station for 10 years, your heart wrenches in pangs of sadness, yet is warmed by the thought that such love and dedication exists in this world. But, what if Hachiko had been a man and his owner was some girl who stood him up, is your heart still warmed?
You don’t just have to imagine this situation, because it actually happened, or, should we say, is currently happening. A Taiwanese man has been waiting outside of Tainan train station for his date who never showed up… 20 years ago.
When we picture homeless people, the images that usually come to mind aren’t exactly pleasant. While the social stigma of homelessness is brutal to say the least, the fact remains that being homeless is not something most people would choose for themselves.
And while most homeless people probably haven’t “chosen” their life, they’re not all necessarily suffering either. Some homeless men in Japan have a yearly “salary” that is down-right respectable!
Multimillionaire Chen Guangbiao, the self-proclaimed “most influential person of China,” held a massive event in New York City on Wednesday during which he handed out $100 bills to 200 homeless people at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park.
“He’s the man! He’s the man!” one man shouted, throwing his arm around Guangbiao and waving the three $100 bills in the air.
“I wish and hope that you will put the money into good use,” Guangbiao said in remarks delivered through a translator.
“I hope that you will use this money as seed money for whatever job training or job education you will receive so that you can help yourself,” he said.
Guangbiao, 46, then told the crowd that he would like to do this every year. They began to cheer and whistle.
Japan has an unspoken problem with homelessness in its cities. It’s not uncommon to see tent cities along the edges of recreational parks or to see leather-skinned men sleeping on newspapers around the train stations. These people are largely ignored by the public and will keep to themselves unless provoked by some means. The vast majority do not even beg.
Unfortunately, the problem of poverty is not the only issue that these people face. Mental illness is not uncommon amongst the homeless, and the combination of hungry people and unstable mental states can lead to some especially unfortunate circumstances.
Something attracting quite a bit of attention on the net at the moment is an incident involving a 25-year-old homeless man in Japan who put himself up for sale as an “item” on the Yahoo! Auctions website. Anyone winning the bid would in theory have been able bring the man into their home and provide him with accommodation.















Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】
Kuzo Makes an Egg on a Stick for Everyone in the Office
Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service returns to theaters with first-ever IMAX screenings and remaster
Survey finds that one in five high schoolers don’t know who music legend Masaharu Fukuyama is
Attack your hunger with Lotteria’s 10-patty Titan burger and bucket of fries
Beautiful blue apple jam is taking the Japanese internet’s breath away!
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Visiting the Kikyoya Shingen Mochi theme park takes some planning–but it’s a stop worth making!
7-Eleven Japan’s sakura sweets season is underway right now!
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Is Sapporio’s Snow Festival awesome enough to be worth visiting even if you hate the snow? [Pics]
Japan has trams that say “sorry” while they ride around town…but why?
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
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Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Gate and Yamanote Line stairway locations change next month
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Starbucks Japan adds new sakura Frappuccino and cherry blossom drinks to the menu
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Attack your hunger with Lotteria’s 10-patty Titan burger and bucket of fries
Beautiful blue apple jam is taking the Japanese internet’s breath away!
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Visiting the Kikyoya Shingen Mochi theme park takes some planning–but it’s a stop worth making!
7-Eleven Japan’s sakura sweets season is underway right now!
Osaka establishes first designated smoking area in Dotonbori canal district to fight “overtourism”
Can you eat lunch in Tokyo for less than 500 yen?
We followed Tokyo’s mystery walking map and ended up creating our own bar-hopping adventure
Saitama is home to the best strawberries in Japan that you’ve probably never even heard of
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Japan’s Top 10 Scenic Train Trips–according to two “densha otaku” train guides
3 rules to make you a more productive writer, from Japanese novelist who wrote 25 books in 8 years
566 million yen in gold bars donated to Japanese city’s water bureau