Photo: Andrew Houston
What happens when you can't repay your gambling debt in Kamagasaki
Nestled in the shadow of Osaka’s gleaming high-rises and funky neon lights is a township of grungy alleyways, rusted metal shutters, and old men living in makeshift cardboard huts. This is Kamagasaki, Japan’s largest slum – and a “city within a city”. Once, it was a suburb for laborers catering to the construction boom that accompanied the country’s strong post-war economic growth. These days, the laborers are still there, but the steady work has dried up and the men are getting old.
Photo: Andrew Houston
A traditional gambling operation similar to blackjack. The man on the left, a member of the Japanese mafia, is the ‘oya’ – the person who controls the table.
“I walked the streets and met the people who live on them,” recounts Houston. “Japan's slums are inhabited by once hard-working people, and they maintain a solemn pride. Despite their grim situation, some remain cheerful and patiently await the next job, whenever it may come. Many others have succumbed to the vices of gambling, drinking, and drug addiction.”
Photo: Andrew Houston
A small Buddhist shrine to aborted babies
Naturally, a population with vices attracts criminals – in this case, the Yakuza. There are around 60 Yakuza syndicates operating in Kamagasaki, and their relationship with the local populace is complex. “The Mafia provides the large majority of what little work there is to be had here,” Houston explains. “And many of the local mobsters themselves have fallen on hard times and live on the street alongside the people to whom they provide work and entertainment.” Still, it is the gangsters who oversee the illegal drug and gambling trades, and they are rumored to prey on welfare earners.
Naturally, a population with vices attracts criminals – in this case, the Yakuza. There are around 60 Yakuza syndicates operating in Kamagasaki, and their relationship with the local populace is complex. “The Mafia provides the large majority of what little work there is to be had here,” Houston explains. “And many of the local mobsters themselves have fallen on hard times and live on the street alongside the people to whom they provide work and entertainment.” Still, it is the gangsters who oversee the illegal drug and gambling trades, and they are rumored to prey on welfare earners.
Slum
Photo: Andrew Houston
A cross-dresser putting on a performance
Houston thinks the situation in Kamagasaki is a reflection of Japan as a whole. “Their story is not only that of hard life in the ghetto,” he says. “It is the story of an aging nation and a tectonic shift in cultural values. In Kamagasaki I can see a faded reflection of the excitement and hope of post-war Japan on the move. I can also see a glimpse of a harsh reality on the horizon as Japan faces an approaching population crisis. To the residents of Kamagasaki, it's just another day.”
Houston thinks the situation in Kamagasaki is a reflection of Japan as a whole. “Their story is not only that of hard life in the ghetto,” he says. “It is the story of an aging nation and a tectonic shift in cultural values. In Kamagasaki I can see a faded reflection of the excitement and hope of post-war Japan on the move. I can also see a glimpse of a harsh reality on the horizon as Japan faces an approaching population crisis. To the residents of Kamagasaki, it's just another day.”
People of Japan's Largest Slum
Photo: Andrew Houston
An ethnic Korean woman
One of the possible differences between Kamagasaki and any other slum (besides the scarcity of women) is the incredibly high level of literacy here – which is about 95%, according to one source. “If you were to talk to the people,” says Shannon Higgins, a regular visitor to the area, “you would find that most people here would have a deeper knowledge of the Japanese economy, of the world market, and of world affairs, than your average Japanese businessman.”
One of the possible differences between Kamagasaki and any other slum (besides the scarcity of women) is the incredibly high level of literacy here – which is about 95%, according to one source. “If you were to talk to the people,” says Shannon Higgins, a regular visitor to the area, “you would find that most people here would have a deeper knowledge of the Japanese economy, of the world market, and of world affairs, than your average Japanese businessman.”
The Forsaken People of Japan's Largest Slum
LINK: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-japans-forgotten-ghetto?image=0
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