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| The homeless in Japan |
#Tokyo2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2020 in Japan has a dark side of the homeless are desperate after being driven for the sake of making a clean city image in the eyes of the world.
Hundreds of homeless people in downtown Tokyo were forced out of the way during the world's most prestigious competition.
"The government wants us to go out of sight," said homeless Tetsuo Ogawa.
Ogawa has been homeless for nearly 20 years. He protested the unfair treatment of the homeless.
Since Japan was chosen to host the Olympics in 2013, the government has been tough on the homeless.
City parks are closed at night and lights are turned on to prevent the homeless from entering. Homeless tents around train stations and Olympic venues were removed.
Ogawa said he knew the homeless had to be evicted because of the construction of the Olympic stadium, but he and the other homeless were at a loss as to where to move.
"We don't know where we will live and sleep," he said.
Japanese authorities threatened to confiscate their belongings if they didn't move from the Olympic site soon, Ogawa said. So, like it or not, they left that location by helping each other move things.
"The homeless are desperate," said Ogawa, who led a demonstration by the homeless to demand justice.
Osamu Yamada, a homeless 62-year-old who used to sleep behind the Olympic stadium, resigned when all his belongings were marked with eviction signs by Japanese authorities.
"Now I'm in trouble," he said briefly facing fate.
A number of activists are trying to help the homeless get the justice of life and responsibility they deserve from the authorities, but the parties concerned are only adamant about evicting the homeless.
"I hope this Olympics doesn't exist," hoped this old man who has been expelled four times because of the Olympics, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the last he has experienced.
That night, Yamada finally found a place to sleep, not far from the Olympic stadium. Shelter under the bridge because of the heavy rain.
However, when morning comes, Yamada will again be expelled and again must find shelter.
"If you are homeless, you only have a tent as a place to live. This is the same as losing your house. They suddenly come to take your property," said Ogawa.
According to Japanese sociologist Masato Kimura, what happened to the Tokyo homeless was that the authorities tried to hide the poor people from the center of the city.
"They want to show a clean city to foreign media as well as athletes," Kimura said.
"The government wants to move (the homeless) very clearly saying, 'Hide yourselves during the Olympics,'" he explained.
Meanwhile, the government has denied forcing the homeless to leave because of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Japanese government has argued that it will transfer them to shelters.
However, the space is small with a bunk bed. In fact, most homeless people in Japan are in their 60s.
Homeless people feel safer sleeping on the streets to avoid Covid-19, let alone not getting a vaccine.
"Everyone needs a place to live. Public places and parks are where they usually spend the night, if there are no such places, it will be difficult for them to survive. Hiding the reality of the poor in the city and hiding them for the sake of the Olympics is unfair and inhumane," he explained. Kimura.