That Time a Homeless Lady...

Here's something not talked about too often. In Japan, at least in the cities, there is a significant homeless population. Not exactly unique to a city. This isn't the homeless population that is talked about; the ones that live at internet cafes. No, these are mostly people over 60. I'll get into that later.

I was in Shinjuku. As usual at that point. Except for this passed Monday, I'm in Shinjuku every week. Have been since I arrived. (I live about an hour and a half by train away.) It's habit at this point.

Sometimes I wander around for a couple of hours. Others I go specifically to go to Kinokuniya to see if they got the manga I wanted in, since they carry some English. And, because it's a Monday, I usually go to the annex to buy the newest JUMP. Because someday I'll be able to read it.

So, I'm outside Kinokuniya at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change. I'm trying to shove my receipt into my bag, and I hear this little voice near my elbow go "need money". Now, I need to make something clear. English is unusual to hear. Not so much to see; you can usually find it on signs and menus especially in Shinjuku. But, hearing anything other than Japanese is odd. So, when you do hear it, you notice quick. In this case, what I noticed was a tiny, old, homeless woman near my shoulder.

I had about 1000 yen (~$10) on me so I could eat dinner. I'd spent the rest on manga and a shirt from the GUNDAM base in Odaiba (it was a full day). And dished out 1000 already for an earthquake charity that I'm not 100% sure was on the level. But, that's really on them. So, when this tiny elderly lady said "need money" I told her, "no, sorry, I spent it all, sorry". Showing my receipt and pointing to the store behind us.

She repeats "need money". So, again, I tell her I'm sorry (this time in Japanese) and then try explaining in simpler English that I spent it. Again, says, "need money" making it very clear her English is limited to a handful of phrases. I'm getting ready to try explaining again, but this time she pulls out 10 yen from her bag, and tries handing it to me.

Now, I'm really confused. I politely refuse, and wonder why the light hasn't changed yet. The woman pulls out a 500 yen coin, and says "this". That's about when it clicked. This teeny, old, homeless woman thought I had been digging in my bag, not to put my receipt away, but because I was looking for money. She likely assumed I was a lost tourist.

Understanding the situation, I try explaining that I don't need money. I lied and told her I had a card (at the time my debit card was still in processing, and I honestly never use it since some places don't accept them). "Card" or "cardo" is understood. She stops trying to offer me money. Then, "Canadian". I tell her I'm American. She gets really, really excited. Repeats in an awed voice, "American". And shakes my hand.

The light then turned. I waved at her. She waved at me. And I crossed the street.

And that was the time a homeless lady in Shinjuku tried to give me money.

I mentioned the homeless population being this kind of split. You have the one Western media has talked about, the ones that live in internet cafes. They have jobs, or some type of support, but because of the limited housing in Japan they just can't afford a place. In cities especially, a majority of housing is subsidized by the government, and that causes certain issues. But, that's a whole other thing. The less talked about homeless population is the elderly.

See, Japan has a mandatory retirement age. At 60, they no longer work and their pension kicks in. Except, this doesn't always act as the safety net it was designed as. Think of it like Social Security in America. We are constantly told there isn't much in it, and told that it might be difficult to get by with just this payout. The saving grace is that by the time they retire, usually the American owns their house and has no more mortgage. They are also not required by law to retire, so could work longer. They could even do like what my parents did and start up a business as their retirement.

So, here you have a mandatory retirement age, government subsidized housing, and a population with far more old and elderly people than younger people. There are other factors, of course, because there always is, but that's the short of it. It is not uncommon to see elderly people hidden away in the cramped back alleys digging through bins. And, you can usually find a food line somewhere. I found one under a bridge between Shibuya and Shinjuku, and watched people 60+ sprinting to form a line to get something to eat. That video is buried on my Instagram: martlet_yukata