Condemned by economic forces and the prejudices of others to remain forever in the underclass, the homeless and day laborers in present-day affluent Japan struggle to survive in its cities. Japan's Underclass provides a poignant portrait of the conditions endured by these people. Whether they can find work at all, and the nature of any available work, determines their fate. The book examines men who die on the streets, the efforts of volunteers, officialdom's lack of understanding, and of passers-by pointing at these individuals to show their children where failure will lead. Japan's Underclass shows how it is not personal failure, but a variety of economic and life circumstances that has propelled these people into the underclass.

About Editors and Authors

AOKI Hideo is a Japanese sociologist who directs the Institute of Social Theory and Dynamics based in Hiroshima. His research centers on critical sociology. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, Kanazawa University, and received a PhD in Sociology from the University of Tsukuba in 2000. His research focuses upon the underclass, buraku communities, homeless workers and foreign workers.