Pandhandling in Japan

Until today, I don't think I've ever seen a panhandler or beggar on the streets in Japan. The picture above is not the guy I saw, I didn't have my camera today.

Anyway, it's just rare to see homeless people in Japan begging. Most of them are too proud to do that. Also, it's not so difficult for homeless people living in a major city like Osaka or Tokyo to get by, because people throw out loads of great stuff every day in this country, so the homeless kind of serve as unpaid recyclers. Many homeless people gather cans, boxes, bottles, etc. to make pocket money, and build houses using stuff people throw out, which is usually good stuff. This is a country where people discard perfectly good electronics just because they want the latest and the greatest. So the homeless benefit from their carelessness and greed.

I'm not trying to say life is easy for homeless people here, that's not the case at all. BUT, many homeless people actually look like they're quite content, they probably became homeless because they didn't want to conform to such a rigid system.

I love Vancouver, but one of the worst things about living there is that there are toooooo many panhandlers. Most of them are either hooked on the booze or the smack, or both. In many cases, they're just lazy fucking punks who don't want to do anything and let society pay their way through life. Homeless people in Japan don't want to bother people or impose on people, so they just leave people alone, and people leave them alone. Also, drugs are not nearly as big of a problem as in Vancouver or NY, for example. Most of the homeless you see in Japan are over 30 at least, many being in their 40's, 50's and 60's. You don't see as many young people on the streets here like you do in Vancouver.

Anyway, I was a bit surprised to see that guy today. As an interesting note, he only had one single 5 yen coin in his hat. Don't know how long he's been sitting there, but it didn't look like he was doing too well.