The image of Tokyo as a wealthy city where possibilities abound is certainly a popular one. It’s a perception not devoid of truth either. But at the same time, the idea that it’s some kind of Utopia where the streets are paved with gold is sadly very much an illusion.
Denton says
Homeless or too much to drink? Whichever, it’s sad for the guy.
Lee says
No idea to be honest. But yeah, terribly sad either way…
cdilla says
Was that just a back door delivery entrance, or the establishment’s front door. The gold was very clean. Quite a contrast. I wonder if the guy has his left hand on his wallet or a gun. The content reminded me of your LV-sleeping-homeless-guy photo.
I had a try at tracking down the location. The small wavy paving bricks are something I saw in Shibuya but an e-wander around some likely looking street threw up no gold. On the positive side I did came across an outpost of the british Hobgoblin pub franchise alive and well on the third floor of a similarly paved street. (http://tinyurl.com/zo7r3lv) . Another place to visit. It would be odd to enjoy a Wychwood brewery ale where it would be regarded as an unusual imported beer 🙂
Lee says
I’m not sure about that door to be honest. Have a feeling it’s the entrance, but can’t say for sure. Oh, and it’s in Ueno. One of the streets running parallel with Ameyokocho. The one to the south if I recall correctly.
Nice spot with the similar paving bricks. Do believe I’ve been there, but it was a long time ago.
Hans ter Horst says
Japanese culture will blame the homeless for their situation and I get the feeling that the homeless appear to become invisible to most of the Japanese as something they don’t want to deal with. It is a sad situation and the large number of homeless are frankly a black eye for the politicians spending millions of dollars on self-gratifying projects like the IMO ugly Skytree, IOC bribes and Olympic stadia that will only serve one summer or Tokyo governor public funds scandals….
Lee says
Yeah, it’s a terribly sad state of affairs. As more and more building work is done in Tokyo, a lot of the homeless have been moved away from where they used to congregate. And as they are now less visible, they are even more invisible…
cdilla says
Homeless and other street-people are much more visible in London, but largely ignored, and have been for as long as I’ve frequented it, (some decades now). I say ignored rather than invisible because it is hard to string a dozen paces in London without being targetted by people begging for money, sometimes quite aggressively: Something that I did not notice in Tokyo. I did see one, very passive, “Big Issue” seller, outside Shinjuku Station, but no other sign visible or otherwise that a homeless problem exists (though I knew it did).
In London, and other cities in the UK, the homeless, in leiu of the Government providing for them, “mine” the sympathy of the more well off.
I agree that the Olympics money whould be spent elsewhere, it seems like a vain agrandizement on a national scale and funded, without consent, by the people. But I’m afraid I disagree on the Skytree front – it serves a purpose with regards the communications function and the area does genuinely seem to be benefitting from the tourist yen and dollar, and, to add apersonal trivial viewpoint, I do like tall buildings with views. But it would be nice if everyone under it’s shadow, homeless included, received a slice of it’s skypie.
Lee says
There are definitely areas where the homeless tend to ‘live’ in Tokyo. Although that’s changing as building work is done.
Big Issue sellers are definitely increasing too. Not on the scale of the UK of course, but it’s much more visible.
And yeah, the Olympics will undoubtedly be a great event, but when there are still tens of thousands still in temporary accomodation in Fukushima, it seems a terribly vain decision for Tokyo to want and get the Olympics.