[Kyodo News] Scavenging for recently discarded comic books and magazines and reselling them is becoming a popular way for homeless people to eke out a living -- and the trade is attracting mobsters.
The practice,termed "sute-hon-ya" or "discarded book monger," has become more noticeable as some dealers have begun using fourwheeled handcarts to carry and display magazines and comicbooks for sale near bookstalls.
Police are cracking down on the trade by applying a street use law,but sute-hon-ya shows no signs of diminishing. Those involved argue that their business is the "ultimate recycling" and helps homeless people support themselves.
Criminal gangs have been attracted by what they see as a potentially lucrative business that requires no startup capital,and have started either going into it directly or collecting money for "business locations," according to police.
Police who have arrested gangsters for selling discarded publications on the street estimate that proceeds from sales of used books and magazines around Tokyo's Shibuya and Shinjuku stations topped 100 mllion yen last year. Gangsters paid 150 homeless people 5,000 yen each twice a year as bonuses for collecting discarded publications, they said.
A 56-year-old man who was formerly homeless and two of his friends have gone into business in a pedestrian area near the southern side of Shinjuku Station, which is used by some 3.2 millon commuters a day. They buy books and magazines collected by 2 homeless people around the station for 30 yen or 50 yen per copy,and sell them to passersby at 100 yen or so per copy.
A36-year-old woman who bought her 10 year old son a comic book while going shopping said this kind of business hurts no one and prospers on the basis of supply and demand. "That can make you feel fortunate," she said.
A 24-year-old stationery salesman grabbed two weeklies and threw down two 100 yen coins. He said he comes there to purchase magazines twice a week."These are discarded copies, aren't they? l don't mind, because they're cheap."