Net cafe refugees

Nihongo|Net cafe refugees (or cyber cafe refugees)|ネットカフェ難民|netto kafe nanmin is a term for a growing class of homeless people in Japan who do not own or rent a residence and thus have no address and sleep in 24 hour Internet cafés or manga cafés. A Japanese government study estimated that over 5,400 people are spending at least half of their week staying in net cafes such as these. [Water Week. [http://waterweek.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/new-japanese-underclass-net-cafe-refugees-emerges-homeless-and-low-paid-living-in-cubicles-and-net-lounges/ New Japanese underclass, “net cafe refugees”, emerges: homeless and low-paid, living in cubicles, and net lounges] . 17 October 2007.]

While the premise behind such cafes started as the use of Internet, in Japan, services offered has boomed to include food, drink, and showers. These are often used by commuters who miss the last train, however the net cafe refugee trend has see large numbers of people use it as their home. [BusinessWeek. [http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2007/08/japans_net_refu.html Japan's Net Café Refugees] . August 28, 2007.]

It has been alleged that this phenomenon is part of an increasing rich-poor gap in Japan, which has historically been a very economic equal society.Breitbart. [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070815123710.uge33ya9&show_article=1 Japan investigating 'net cafe refugees'] . August 15, 2007.]

Economics

According to the Japanese government survey, those staying have little interest in manga or the Internet, and are instead using the place because of the low price relative to any of the competition for temporary housing, business hotels, capsule hotels, hostels, or any other option besides sleeping on the street. It was also estimated that about half of those staying have no job, while the other half work in low-paid temporary jobs, which paid around 100,000 yen ($950) per month - lower than what is needed to rent an apartment and pay for transportation in a city like Tokyo.

Some places offer showers/towel rentals for about 200 yen for 30 minutes. And even selling underwear isn't unusual.

ee also

*Kamagasaki
*Freeter

References