Clothed, clean, and homeless in Japan (spin job)

[unhappycamper]

Katsunori Hamahara, 64, a former cabdriver, lives in a park in Japan, waiting for his pension to kick in at age 65. In the meantime, he is well fed and says no one bothers him. (BLAINE HARDEN/WASHINGTON POST)


Clothed, clean, and homeless in Japan
By Blaine Harden, Washington Post | September 23, 2007

TOKYO - Retirement comes in January. That's when Katsunori Hamahara turns 65, when his government pension kicks in, and when he will be able to afford a place to live.

Until then, the former cabdriver will stick with the life he has made for himself: He hangs out in a park and sleeps nearby on a bench.

By US standards of homelessness, it's not a bad gig.

~snip~

There are only about 18,500 homeless people in Japan, a country of 127 million people. That compares with estimates of 335,000 in the United States, with a population of 300 million.


Rest of this spin job at: http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/09/23/clothed_clean_and_homeless_in_japan/



uhc comment: Last November, the Department of Housing and Urban Development delivered a report on merika's homeless population. IIRC, they estimated that, on the average, there are at least 750,000 homeless people every night. One third of those homeless are veterans.

[fasttense]

1. Let's do the math.

If the Washington Post has the accurate numbers, then Japan has a homeless population of .015% and the US has a homeless population of .112%, almost ten times more. Using the Department of Housing and Urban Development numbers it is .25%, over twenty times more.

Isn't it great to be a US citizen where we can count on the government to ensure we are not left to rot in the streets. :sarcasm: