"Hide During the Olympics"... Japanese Homeless People Forced Off the Streets

On the 30th (local time), BBC reported an article titled "The Hidden Lives of Tokyo's Homeless." [Photo by BBC]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Foreign media reports that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics drove hundreds of homeless people off the streets have sparked controversy.

On the 30th, the British BBC reported in an article titled "The Hidden Faces of Tokyo's Homeless" that "Host countries try to clean up their cities. As a result, Tokyo's homeless people are under pressure to hide during the Olympics so as not to be seen."

BBC stated, "The organizers want to show only the positive aspects of Japan to overseas media," and "During the Olympics, there is no trace of homeless people nearby." It added that there are even claims that homeless people were explicitly told to "hide."

The media revealed that since Japan succeeded in hosting the Olympics in 2013, the authorities have taken a tough stance on homelessness. It reported that "Japanese authorities locked the gates of parks where homeless people mainly live and kept the lights on all night to prevent them from sleeping," showing scenes of tents near stations being dismantled and fences installed around stadiums to block homeless people's access.

Homeless and support organizations strongly opposed the Japanese government's homelessness policies as "inhumane and unfair." In an interview with the BBC, a homeless person said, "We were driven out without any plan on where to live," and "Because of the Olympics, homeless people were placed in very harsh conditions." He added, "We helped each other move our belongings," and criticized, "(The current government's response) is completely irrational."

Japanese sociologist Masato Kimura pointed out, "Japan drove out the most vulnerable group in society, the homeless, from Tokyo for a clean urban environment." The BBC also reported, "Most homeless people are elderly and unvaccinated against COVID-19," and "They believe the streets are safer than shelters."