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[starlagurl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNxcJkAQl9I...player_embedded

Some people in Tokyo are so desperate, that they are sleeping in internet cafes...so sad.

[rauri]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNxcJkAQl9I...player_embedded

Some people in Tokyo are so desperate, that they are sleeping in internet cafes...so sad.

It's sad, but these Homeless people present themselves a lot better than western homeless people. Not a bad lifestyle for homeless but it's still sad to realise that there is so many of them.

[starlagurl]

Yes, I find it very interesting how they can stay so clean and "put together". He's got it better than a lot of people have it, that's for sure.

[darrenstravels]

Weirdly, if I'm out late in London and miss my last train home, I pop along to an Internet Cafe and stay there until morning. I do go online, but try to get some kip too. I wonder if they think I'm homeless?

[starlagurl]

Do they have comfortable chairs there where you can sleep? I wouldn't even know where to go for that here.

[skylab]

Saves a whole lot of money on rent.

[starlagurl]

Mike, it's UNSUSTAINABLE though.

[kiwi_surfer]

When i was traveling through Japan. I spent a night out in ropongi(bad spelling) Tokyo. I had a great night out with some Japanese friends. at about 4am, after watching some locals do sick tricks on their kitted out motor bikes, me and my friends stayed the night in an internet cafe.

It was great and cheap. It cost about $15us for 6 hours(very cheap for Tokyo) you can order food into your cubical. Their are toilet's and showers just outside of the cubical. And each cubical has a really comfortable chair, pretty much made for sleeping.

I found it very humorous when i walked past other people's cubical's and spotted about 4 pairs of shoes outside their cubical door.... and funny sounds coming from the cubical, haha. Japanese people......... They definitely have a culture of their own that for sure.

It Was a good experience for me, one that i will def do again.

[uktokyoite]

Sorry I've been manically busy lately and not able to get on here.

That's certainly an interesting video although I feel the situation is perhaps a little over-dramatized. This has been the culture here for a long time - it's not a recent phenomenon. I think it is now that we will see the real problems kicking in with the number of lay offs happening as a result of the current economic situation.

When I was younger, ahem, I often used to stay out all night and grab some kip in an internet cafe, a coffee lounge, or a love hotel - they are the cheapest options if you've missed the last train home.

I'd also say that although the real estate was correct when she talked about key money, deposit, etc and needing to pay 6 months rent up front, this is a situation that is changing relatively rapidly - especially in Tokyo.

There are lots of what are referred to as gaijin houses - so named because the 'foreigners' (gaijin in Japanese) kicked up a stink about paying so much money up front. These were set up by enterprising Japanese seeing a market for people coming to work in Japan for a year or so and not wanting to fork out so much money up front.

There are now more and more of them and many young Japanese are also taking advantage of this option.

That's my 2 yen for you

[littlekate]

This winter in Tokyo I was told a story about special area occupied totally by homeless people. It's a ground just below the Metropolitan Governmental Building (a skyscraper occupied by governmental bodies with the observation floor on top). According to the story, a few years ago the government tried to kick them away, just to improve the view. But the homeless applied to the court and won the case! Incredible! Has anybody else heard anything about that?

[ScottWoz]

Good topic. I've seen many people who've crashed out in internet cafe's and have done so myself both accidentally and not so accidentally. It could actually be the way forward for budgeteers, especially if you're passing through an expensive part of the region. Well worth the saving to slump in a net chair for the night..

[uktokyoite]

littleKate you are right, there have been a number of cases where homeless communities have fought their ground to stay where they are. I think there are homeless communities in all big cities but in Tokyo they seem very organized and well run - if that makes sense.

I think wherever we are it is a very sad fact that there are homeless people but here they do look after each other. The blue tarpaulins you see on the video can be found especially along river banks in Tokyo - the Tamagawa river that borders Tokyo and Kanagawa sees blue tarpaulins all the way along.

What worries me is that the numbers are going to grow substantially (or have potential to) with the current situation and I wonder if they will be able to deal with the influx in numbers.

Homeless people here also have a lot of pride on the most part. 'Shame' is a big part of the culture so to take charity or accept clothes etc. from a stranger, especially a foreigner, is a mortifying experience for many. Trying to bridge that gap is the most difficult for those wanting to help.