Park tent village moved to gov't building to accommodate overflow

There is very little chance any of my friends will end up in tent city. First, because blah blah blah....

One little thing shiuu doesn't take into account is the fact that not every one is born with his average-or-above IQ and superior academic capabilities. Not everyone is born with parents willing and able to support them through higher education (a necessity in Japan, where tuition fees are steep and taking a few years off to earn one's own tuition (via haken?....) is not normally indulged and puts a person at a distinct disadvantage. Not everyone is university material. Not everyone is born with good health and the ability to scramble up the career ladder. And let's not forget (as shiuu has done, or maybe he never realised it in the first place) people tend to make friends with people in similar circumstances to themselves, which means that if a man is standing in the soup queue for a bowl of soup, it's more than likely that his best friends are standing there with him.

The current overflow of jobless/homeless is the result of the economic climate, not the result of people being feckless or unwilling to work.

They need to try harder.

Loose translation = shiuu's all right Jack.

Shiuu, it was me who called you on it in the other thread. I'm sure your friends would put you up and vice versa, but would they do it indefinitely?

I understand your point. In the unlikely event one of my very good friends plopped down on my couch and said, "Well, I'm all done trying, now support me forever," things would likely be different. As long as they're making an effort, however, I'd help my friends out indefinitely.

Now before anyone jumps in with "Oh, but they are trying," then why don't they have one ... one ... friend who is willing to put them up while they're making a legitimate effort to get back on their feet?

They need to try harder.

Shiuu, it was me who called you on it in the other thread. I'm sure your friends would put you up and vice versa, but would they do it indefinitely? I find that hard to believe. I would open my home to my close friends for days, weeks but not indefinitely. After a month or two at most I'd expect them to make alternative arrangements. I'd be lying if I said otherwise.

Also this may sound harsh but there are 'levels' of friendship so to speak. In hard times you may find that some people you considered good friends only see you as an acquaintance. I hope for your sake you never get to find out.

Government did not...

“It is unforgivable that Japan’s major companies have thrown so many workers out on the streets at the end of the year,” he said.

Its unforgivable that the Government did intervene in the strong Yen early on but of course the rich that took full advantage of it duly paid their kick backs.

Jinseinosensei, you're offering shelter to a homeless family? How many homeless families have you seen in Japan? The homeless here are overwhelmingly single men. And say you did find a homeless family, would you really put the children to work? This isn't Dickensian London.

To shiuu at 03:38 PM JST - 4th January

"There is very little chance any of my friends will end up in tent city. First, because most are hard working and responsible and would never give up so easily. Second, because I would step up and take care of them before that happened."

Either you live in a small world or a dream world, I wish I can wake you up to reality. I can safely say that of the new number of jobless, most are "hard working and responsible and would never give up so easily."

Nobody here is worried about your friends or about you, because according to you nothing will happen to you. We all are posting about homeless people in Japan who is having hard problems, and we show our concern about it... at first you don't mind about japanese people, second about legal residents here and finally you dont mind about they both in case they turn to be homeless, then stop saying about "You Lucky" people will solve your situation, nobody here is worried about you, even you can leave the country anytime you want.

When all your friends are living in a tent city, who will you turn to? "Get a job" and "don't be lazy" don't really apply when there are no jobs to go around.

There is very little chance any of my friends will end up in tent city. First, because most are hard working and responsible and would never give up so easily. Second, because I would step up and take care of them before that happened.

How is it these homeless guys lived their lives such that they don't have one friend ... not one ... who will step up and give them a hand now?

They need to try harder.

Some people whinging about their tax are not well spent by government! They said they do not want to spend for unemployment or homeless. They are so naive & they do not understand about the how the economy works. Money or Tax or printed paper has no real value. It is just a legal tender or exchanging the goods. Government can print the money as much as he can even without the Tax. However printing too much will make money worth less. Government collecting the tax is not only for revenue but also maintaining the money exchange value.

When the economy going well or consumers consumption is high, printed money is well circulated. Goods & service are more demanded by consumers. Therefore employment & business opportunities are increased. Government will stop printing the money. Even government will increase the tax or interest rate for making less circulation of money. It means more monies are stored in the banks instead of consumption.

When the economy is weak, the government need to stimulate the consumption from oversea or domestic. Government may have trade or budget surplus for spending. If not govenment will print more money. Government will spend the public works for infrastructure projects or social service like Aged care, Disabled care & homeless & unemployment assistance. It there is more jobless & homeless, the government will get less tax or revenue. It is a national interest for helping those people for getting productive.

It is not one way traffic. Someone who got a job or accomodation or run own business, he or she will demand more goods & service. Beause of this demand, more business & jobs will be created. Government will get more Tax. Money circulation will be increased. If no one spend, everyone will lose jobs.

Economy is not born with silver spoon. Like a growing the plant, it needs to nuture, it needs to feed chemical, it needs to water & protect the sunlight. No economy will sustain for high growth forever because it is a life cyle. However we can maintain for long lasting effect with smart policies.

I'd love to get some help with my fixer-upper (an old Japanese-style hotel with lots of space), just west of Tokyo. How can I contact the organizers of that tent city-turned-gov. shelter group...? Room and board to a family in exchange for a little construction and repair seems mutually beneficial to me. Anyone have a suggestion for getting some shelter and meals to a homeless family who doesn't mine earning it...?

I thought initially that shiuu was trolling, but now I see that he's serious. The bailouts of 2008 are worth more (even when factoring inflation) than all other bailouts of the 20th century. It might be like the great depression of the 1930s all over again, except worse. When all your friends are living in a tent city, who will you turn to? "Get a job" and "don't be lazy" don't really apply when there are no jobs to go around. When the people in the states get re-hired to new positions, what kind of pay cuts are they taking to get any kind of work? The fact that people with means are buying gold and platinum shows that there are some serious problems coming in 2009.

In my view and strong believe is; Japanese lawmakers should turn around the table, and bring back manufacturing sector, instead making their products off shore. There isn't many products made in Japan like it was years back, also to mention with a good quality, and now slowly manufacturing sector is disappearing and bread and butter taken away from people, and rowing p[poverty by day. ‘Do not create fracas with poverty but love your own people, do not get your people to suffer from ‘mud phobia.’

This is historical year for 2009, and we will now we all wonder how 2010 can repair all this or even make broke the whole world so that we can turn back to 'stone age.' Will only 'CEO and DIRECTORS' survive to enjoy their privacy in apartments? This 'Yen' soup was boiling for a long time, but no one will look into it. And now all this poor workers are paying for it, because of stupidity of 'world economy watch dogs.’ ‘ALL OF YOU HOLD ON TO YOUR MONEY.’

And: Nutricycle Most of the foreign workers at Nova, where not long term residents in Japan, in fact they were people using Student Visa or Working Visa Holders, then if the relation between the company (sponsor of the visa) and the foreign worker is finished, at first there is no reason to continue in Japan, if they came to Japan only to work at Nova, or if they obtained that Working Visa to stay joining that company, because it had a "purpose" (work in that company), then if they lost their jobs they must go back to their countries (IF THEY ARE NOT LONG TERM RESIDENTS), because there is no "purpose" to continue here, then they won't be homeless, because when they've noticed about their laboral condition they should be ready to leave Japan and go back to their contries, they wouldnt have any reason to continue, because the sponsorship of their visas is over.

Maybe you ignore this... To be a contributor of the goverment certainly it gives you as taxpayer the right to be "supported" as you said, but not in the same way as you pretend, we are not talking about charity. The right to be "supported" is originated in the tax itself. Historically, if you DON'T KNOW, since the origin of the taxes and contributions, it served to be used in times of drought and famine in the Ancient Egypt and the Babylon Empire, the wheat and food received from the people, was kept to feed the people in case of need, almost the same was in Rome (the term "CONTRIBUTOR" is originated in an old latin word which means "COLLABORATE" "WORK TOGETHER")and in fact the concept of taxes was born in Rome under that conception, then, if these people, japanese citizens and foreign legal residents (NO WORKING VISA HOLDERS) turn homeless, they have the right to be supported by the goverment with THE MONEY THEY HAD PAYED IN TAXES ALONG ALL THESE YEARS, IT MEANS THEIR TAXES ARE BEING USED TO HELP THEMSELVES. Is it clear or NOT?.

wow, did the japanese government react so quickly to the 1000s of gajinists who lost their jobs at nova?

omarbabilon:

There's this word, "unlikely," it means ... "not likely."

Let's review. In another thread, someone tried to call me out by asking how long my best friend would take me in if I suddenly became penniless. See, I'm not penniless now. I responded that in the ... (here it comes) ... unlikely event I became penniless, unlike the homeless in these articles, I could rely on friends to take care of me indefinitely and vice versa ... that means I'd certainly step up and take care of my friends. Which, as I think about it, is a pretty basic idea. So basic, in fact, that I have to wonder what kinds of friends anyone who'd ask such a question really has. I also wonder why it is that these homeless guys lived their lives in such a way that they don't have anyone they could rely on before sticking their hands out to the Japanese taxpayer to support them.

Shiuu, yes.

I have a fellow co-worker who advised me, "Do the least possible without gettin' fired."

I can see his future has no limitations.

My advice: Try to be indispensable in your workplace. Be conscientious. Do more than the next guy. Have a good attitude.

That's good advice. Let me see if I can sum it up even better:

"Don't be lazy."

I'm glad that ain't happenin' my my country.

If someone gets canned, they go on the dole for awhile, and then get another job.

We do have a national media problem, though. They'll report how many folks lost their jobs, but they never come back and report how many got hired. It's a cycle.

My advice: Try to be indispensable in your workplace. Be conscientious. Do more than the next guy. Have a good attitude.

Mareo2, even though you asked another, I'd like to respond also. For me "global recession" means my gas is down to less than two bucks a gallon - a gallon - not a liter. I can't explain it. You?

Fair enough. That is your situation and your reality. Now, please let' me tell you what mean for me and most people in the lower class of the society we live on ie. blue collars in J, and most likely other countries to. It means that every week, the boss come and and say who is kubi. That factories close and unemployment rise. That is what global recession means to me. Global Depression is when the unemployment reach midle class too.

I can give them counseling too: "Get a job."

Captain Obvious, do you understand what the words ''global recession means''?

I would rather have them in a tent village or gov't building than in the station. Ikebukuro is literally full of bums sleeping when it gets late at night/early morning. I think JR should employ some night guards to deter it.

On the bright side, at least the government admits there is a jobless/homeless problem and will be giving them counseling.

I can give them counseling too: "Get a job."

Shiuu, who has said he can rely on his true friends to provide him a place to stay 'forever' (i.e. sponge off of them forever), doesn't want anyone else to sponge off of him, or the government, or volunteers.

I stated as much when asked how long my best friend would provide me food and shelter in the unlikely event I suddenly became penniless. If you check that post, you'll note I stated that I would certainly do the same for my best friends.

Not you. Not the bums.

Of course, it seems odd to me that these guys (and apparently anyone who has to ask such a silly question) have lived their lives in such a way as to not have anyone else to rely on in hard times. If anything, that only reinforces my idea that they are responsible for their current situation.

By the way, from Merriam-Webster's online dictionary:

sponge def. 3: one who lives on others

Sounds just about right to me.

Shiuu,

You would do well to remember Bob Dylan's song "Like a Rolling Stone" and hope that your words don't come back to haunt you.

I'm sorry. I thought giving these guys taxpayer money is what everyone has been crying about. Now it's wrong to point out that moving them into a government building will speed up the process of subsidizing homelessness?

Shiuu, who has said he can rely on his true friends to provide him a place to stay 'forever' (i.e. sponge off of them forever), doesn't want anyone else to sponge off of him, or the government, or volunteers.

The government full of gestures today: one day support for those thrown out of their jobs. Does the government also provide unemployment insurance for these workers? Will the government fine manufacturing companies who broke the law (hiring temporary workers)?

On the bright side, at least the government admits there is a jobless/homeless problem and will be giving them counseling.

Shiuu,

You would do well to remember Bob Dylan's song "Like a Rolling Stone" and hope that your words don't come back to haunt you.

Hibiya Park tent village moved to gov't building

Great. Now they can sponge directly from the public teat.

Helter shelter economics. When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide Where I stop and turn and I go for a ride Till I get to the bottom and I see you again

shelter for a day? Govt will have to workout long-term plan and provide temporary accomodation like they do for people affected by earthquake.