Sanya - Tokyo’s Slum of Anonymity<br/> — sabukaru (2024)

FAQs

What is the largest slum in Tokyo? ›

Located within the bustling city of Tokyo is a hidden slum called Sanya — a place of hostels, displaced individuals and a dark past that lingers.

About 45,000 people now live within the area commonly referred to as Sanya. Most of them are normal working-class Japanese, but about 7,000 are “flophouse occupants”—derelicts, bums, and casual laborers who live in the many flophouses and shelters of Sanya when they're not living on the streets.

San'ya (山谷, San'ya) is an area in the Taitō and Arakawa wards of Tokyo, located south of the Namidabashi intersection, around the Yoshino-dori. A neighborhood named "San'ya" existed until 1966, but the area was renamed and split between several neighborhoods.

Minato Ward, Tokyo's crown jewel, hosts the most exclusive residences for Japan's wealthiest individuals. Home to CEOs and corporate executives like Hiroshi Mikitani (Rakuten), Takashi Okuda (Suntory Holdings), and Masayoshi Son (SoftBank Group), Minato Ward is a haven for high-powered professionals.

Top 3 Areas in Tokyo with the Highest Number of Violent Crimes. The number of violent incidents is high in areas with a lot of people, such as Shinjuku, Kanda, and Ikebukuro. It is said that there is a correlation between the number of incidents and areas where a lot of ATMs and pachinko parlors can be found.

In Tokyo, at least, it appears that the homeless sleep in places such as parks. Ueno park and Shinjuku Central park (behind the Tokyo Metropolitan gov't buildings) are two places where I have seen plenty of homeless.

Internet cafés and homeless

For ¥1,500 to ¥2,000 per night homeless people have been staying in Internet cafés or capsule hotels, where they get an individual room (space) and a shower, television, soft drinks and Internet access.

According to numbers published by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, there were only 770 homeless people in Tokyo as of January 2022. In a city of about 14 million people, that number seems hard to believe.

Yes, slums are particularly noticeable in the rust belt states of the midwestern United States. Cities like Chicago and Detroit are infamous for their slums. These areas tend to have high crime, poor public schools, and they tend to lack grocery stores.

The only continent without slums is Antarctica. However Australia does have the results of several decades of governmental urban redevelopment and public housing. This has not removed all housing that was called slums but it has changed these areas into what many see as being better.

What country has the worst slums? ›

Mexico. Neza-Chalco-Ixta in Mexico City, is a Ciudad Perdida, rated as the world's largest mega-slum in 2006.

Hainanese is the main local language spoken in Sanya. The dialect of Hainanese differs somewhat from the standard Hainanese spoken in Wenchang, making it a little tricky to understand even if you are fluent in standard Hainanese.

Guests can choose to hire a car, or take taxis and public buses to travel around the city. Taxis are the convenient way to travel around Sanya. For long distances, it's common practice to bargain for the taxi fare. However, within the downtown area, taxis are metered with fares starting from CNY 10.

Situated between Tokyo and Osaka, Aichi Prefecture has been a bustling hub for traffic and trade throughout Japanese history, and the region is often referred to as "the heart of Japan" because of its rich culture and flourishing industries.

Shibuya Crossing can be chaotic and dangerous if you're not paying attention. Best to avoid if possible. Tsukiji Fish Market is hectic in the afternoon, go early in the morning for a quieter experience. Kabukicho and other areas can become dangerous at night, best to avoid during those hours.

The poverty line in Tokyo is set at half the median household disposable income for a given year. More than 20 percent of the children in Tokyo live in what the government has defined as an impoverished household.