"Eric Takabayashi" <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message

> 60 yen per kilo of empty cans in Fukuyama, or 2 yen per kilo of cardboard
in
> Tokyo in one documentary is hardly a productive or rewarding form of work.

Even cheaper in France. Well I did it when I was a primary school kid
(recycling newspapers). That seemed better than nothing. Our teacher was
always telling us "Les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivieres." (little
brooks make big rivers) Money has more value in certain hands. 10 kg of
cans, for 600 yen, that's feasable and they can make maybe 4 meals. But I
agree they could give them more. I've seen a web page saying homeless in
Osaka had their income between 5000 and 80 000 yen /month, in average 30 000
to 40 000 yen. That's not enough to lead a normal life, but more than I
thought. That's about the allowance poor people receive in France. With a
little help, they could get a modest stability.

> If only that were true. No, we are talking about trash.

So what ? Handling trash can be a job.
Do you know the story of the Emmaus in France ? That was a group of guys a
priest was trying to reinsert after picking them up in the street. He meant
to do it with charity money, but the homeless themselves told him they
prefered doing the chiffonniers (that was the traditional job of recycling).
Well, they have not eradicated misery in the country, that organisation has
helped many homeless to go back to normal life.

> > Everybody around me is aware of the existence of homeless.
>
> Good. They don't deny their existence like a sizable proportion of people
I
> have known in seven years here.

You have a certain way to ask questions. When people are embarassed they are
able to deny the existence of the moon to make you abandon a topic.

> Fact: For whatever reason including possible total lack of personal
> responsibility, there are people laying on the ground in broad daylight in
the
> busiest part of town. Observation will confirm that a number actually lack
> decent food and clothing, with winter fast approaching.
>
> If social services, local employers, any friends, and family do not act,
what
> other way is there to attempt to improve the situation?

I don't have the answers. That's good you're here. Maybe try to shake social
services, influent people that can create new services, people that have
closer relations with the homeless, the homeless themselves....shake them as
long as they don't react.

> > Do we live in the same Japan ?
>
> Yes. But you and Raj seem to know different people than the rest of us.

I don't think so. Maybe I see them under a different light. They are not
good, not bad, they be both.

> It's good you can afford 500 yen cups of coffee.

Not all the time. I drink a lot of water.

>I pay about 980 for a jar of
> instant

Yuck, I prefer water. For the taste and for not fattening the nescafe stock
owners. The question is not to spend more/less money, but to spend it
differently. I didn't do that before.

> I am well aware that Bubble Era spending was one reason for Bubble Era
> affluence for many, and tell people so.

That's the logic. How much do you ask for your work ? You have to be willing
to pay as much for services, at least for a part of your money. A world with
everything cheap except your salary is not possible. The French restaurant
employees buy my lessons, I sometimes buy their meals. We both get richer
than if both saved.

> > Japan has been idiot to obey the American ultimatum on foreign trade a
few
> > years ago.
>
> What ultimatum?

Complete deregulation of foreign trade. You don't remember the GATT  and all
the accusations against bad Japan blocking foreign imports ?

> Considering the small scale of the problem in Fukuyama (perhaps 80
homeless),
> and considering that it is little nobody me and my monthly allowance

I don't think you can do anything for these guys on the long run, even if
you had more money. Associations may direct your homeless friends to a
better situation, probably not a reintegration but a more civilised life, a
middle term goal.
You can probably find useful adresses and tips on "nojuku" associations'
homepages . If you show you have 10 persons with you in your action, it's
possible you'll get 200 other volunteers. Japan lacks of leaders, rarely of
followers. You're not a leader now as you can't tell people where you're
leading them. The fact you don't know what you are going to do of your
homeless next month is enough to deter people with not too much courage to
give a hand.

CC