A group of 24 homeless departed from Shibuya in Tokyo on 24th June walking, met the homeless of 17 cities of Japan, went to Okinawa during the time of the G8 Summit and safely came back to Tokyo-Shibuya on 29th July.
Nojiren (Shibuya Free Association for the Right to Housing and Well-Being of the Homeless) with other two groups (in Nagoya, Osaka) organized the march.
Nojiren is an organization formed by homeless themselves in Tokyo-Shibuya with some supporters. As a result of the recession there are around 500 homeless in Shibuya. Their presence is conspicuous in the modern and colorful ward of Shibuya where the number of homeless has doubled during the past three years.
For the last five years Nojiren has built companionship among the homeless, by soup kitchen activities and night patrolling. Nojiren has negotiated with the government administration in order to stop evictions and to obtain medical, job and welfare assistance.
From 1999 Nojiren began little by little began to create new jobs for themselves and to support the companions who obtain in the first weeks. (loans, provision of shelter)
Homeless increase in Japan
Due to the recession the homeless are increasing in most Japanese cities. It is said that the number of homeless in Japan is between 20 thousands and 40 thousands. The government finally started to consider them as a national issue in 1999, but almost nothing has yet done.
However in spite of the presence of many homeless, the homeless organization is very weak excepting Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. In other cities the organization is week or not existent and the homeless are isolated.
The purpose of the March
The first purpose of this March was to establish contact with as many as possible homeless and supporters, exchange experiences and try to generate a solidarity network to overcome their present problems.
The second purpose was to voice their complaint and appeal to the society about the terrible conditions in which they are by marching throughout the country into Okinawa, focusing on the G8 summit.
The homeless in Japan, want also to join the movements of the poor in Asia, Africa and all over the world and walk together into the future in solidarity.
What remains from this March?
During the long daily journeys the men learned to walk together at a common pace, accepting differences among each other.
The members of the March met with many homeless and groups in 17 cities (Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama, Fujisawa, Chigasaki, Odawara, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Takatsuki, Osaka, Amagasaki, Kobe, Hiroshima, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Naha) and exchanged experiences fruitfully.
Through these exchanges, the most important things that both the homeless of this March and the homeless welcoming this March in each city obtained seem to be "self-confidence" and a "wider view of the reality".
"Self-confidence":
Many homeless themselves were under the impression that they were a failure for loosing their jobs and being in the street and that they could not do anything about. However now the homeless have carried out this March which ordinary people could not do and see that their efforts could succeed.
A "wider view of the reality"
The homeless during the March met many other homeless in isolated places who were suffering under their similar conditions. By this, they realized that the cause of becoming homeless was not in themselves, but in structural problems in the society. Meeting with each other and exchanging their experiences nourished the feeling of solidarity and compassion among themselves.
The homeless of the March felt much compassion in some cities like Kitakyushu and Fukuoka seeing the number of homeless, their isolation and how neglected they were.
Through this March many homeless and their support groups in several cities realized that similar exchanges could provide new possibilities and power of negotiation to the homeless.
The homeless by receiving messages of support from all parts of the world were encouraged. These letters were very heartening for this isolated group of homeless.
From the time they arrived to Okinawa the Government was threatened by their presence. Police was waiting for them in the pier, and several times were restricted in their actions. In one occasion as far as 200 policemen were deployed.
The homeless seeing the police felt threatened by them felt their strength and reduced their own fear to the police.
Nojiren next steps
The contacts done in several cities during this March will be concretized in the formation of networks around common issues.
The urgent issues are:
1) To pay more attention to the housing rights and to stop the evictions,
2) To promote proper programs of assistance for self-reliance of the homeless, including shelters and jobs in national level.
3) To cooperate with eviction watch movements in Asia and Africa.
4) To start common projects among different groups.
In May 2000 the FOOD BANK JAPAN project started Until then, each homeless support groups separately purchased rice for soup kitchen for the homeless in each area with much costs and efforts. At the time several homeless support groups (including our Nojiren) organized a network called FOOD BANK which is open to every group, which work for the homeless. The FOOD BANK Network, through direct negotiation with farmers organizations, is obtaining two tons of older rice four times a year. From September it will get four tons. The homeless themselves are involved in the project. The FOOD BANK Network intends to explore partnership with Government and other organizations. The network dreams also to start common income generating projects, like recycling .
Nojiren intends to participate in the eviction watch program in solidarity with the housing movements in Asia .
Finally Nojiren is planning for the beginning of 2001 to initiate field level exchanges. among homeless people and support groups in East Asia (Hong Kong, Korea and Japan).
Concluding Remarks
This homeless people's march was an "interesting" and unusual among the recent events of the poor in Japan. The homeless people themselves felt it "interesting" and enjoyed it and did it by themselves. There are many possibilities in furthering the horizontal exchange among the homeless and in the power of networking.
For further information:
http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/keyaki/zenkokuangyaingles.htm