Number of homeless falls in Japan: Survey

Tokyo, Mar 31: The number of homeless people in Japan has fallen because of an upturn in the world's second largest economy, a Japanese daily reported today.

Citing a national survey conducted by the Health Ministry in January, the Yomiuri newspaper said Japan had about 18,600 homeless people, down 6,700 people or 26 per cent from four years ago.

Of the homeless people surveyed, more than 30 per cent of them said they had become homeless because of economic reasons including bankruptcy and unemployment, the daily said.

About two in five homeless people, many of whom lived in makeshift huts in parks and along river banks, had been full-time employees of companies in Japan shortly before becoming homeless, it said.

Health Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.

Reuters