Over time, I began to feel that homelessness was not the most pressing concern in Tokyo, as I did not see any visibly homeless people in my everyday life for months.
My attitude changed when I received a special cash payment of 100,000 yen, which the Japanese government distributed to every household to mitigate the coronavirus’ damage to residents’ financial well-being. Every resident in Japan had to apply to receive the money, and this process required a certifiable address and an authorized ID.
Under the "Emergency Economic Measures to Cope with COVID-19" it has been decided to aid in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) while using the simplest possible means to provide swift and precise support to each household.
Beneficiaries will be those who are registered with Basic Resident. Registration System as of April 27, 2020, and each will receive 100,000 yen
(from Special Cash Payments Web site)
I remember one homeless man, whom I spoke with on the street in London, said he could not open a bank account and could not receive the payment. I then wondered if any homeless people in Japan were able to receive this benefit, which is intended for every resident in the country.
Wishing to further investigate the situation, I went to a street near the Shinjuku station east exit, one of the few places where pedestrians recognize homeless people as they often sit beside bowls in a silent gesture of begging. I could see some people sitting on the road, and I tried walking by them a few times, but the hesitation in my body prevented me from stopping in front of them. I found an intense oppression inside of my body. This oppression forced me to behave the same way as many people do. That day, I left there without saying a word.
Then I understood that I was regulating myself against transgressive action. I have been trained to be a "docile body" (Foucault, 1977), as ideal for the capitalist modern society as a soldier or a factory worker. For example, teachers train students how to behave in a ceremony in most state secondary schools in Japan. Girls are told to close their legs and clasp their hands when they sit. Boys are told to open their legs to the same width as their shoulders and set their fists on each knee. Hundreds of students are trained to synchronize the speed with which they sit down and stand up. As Foucault (1977) points out, ‘each individual thus exercis[es] surveillance over, and against himself.’ Through such trainings, I internalized regulation onto my body movement.
Reference
Foucault, M. 1977. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. New York: Pantheon Books.