Over half of Japan scholarship recipient households couldn't afford food at times
Ideas
It is a very sad situation that a so-called rich country like Japan has seen an increase in inequality to the point that some Japanese households can't afford to buy the needed food.
Most likely, and it seems to be common in Japan, most of the inequality is related to single mother households, as the mothers just don't have good enough jobs to pay for all of the expenses each month.
Japan needs to be more like the Northern European countries that have almost a 100 percent safety net that is able to takes care of everyone in a society instead of letting the less privileged, or the dis-advantaged slip through the cracks or society and not be taken care of.
A market economy is a very good thing, but at times it fails miserably in taking care of the poor, the less privileged, and the dis-advantaged in a society.
For the most part, the middle class, the upper-middle class, and even the rich never feel or see the effects of increased prices but the groups that do are the fixed income groups, the lower-middle class groups, and then the even more disadvantaged groups such as the single mother groups, the disability groups that can't find work or good paying work, and these are the groups that feel the increase in prices the most, while other groups might feel it every now and then they don't see or feel it everyday.
And then there is the invisible group in Japan being the homeless group which Japan tries to ignore like they don't exist. If Japan is such a rich country why does it have such a large group of homeless people. Most people in Japan try to ignore the homeless as if its their fault for being homeless and or they are labeled as being lazy or something else such as criminals.
Struggling to provide for growing children
Its a travesty that this situation exists in Japan, as again, a so-called rich country that can't come up with the needed safety nets that can take care of the basic needs of the less fortunate in Japanese society.
Some might say why its not the job of government to take care of everyone in society, but that is the exact reason for a government to exist is to take care of those in need or who need it the most when they are struggling.
The next paragraph breaks a person's heart that some people in Japan can't even afford decent meals or even decent clothes. For example eating only ramen once a day is not sufficient for anyone to live on and then to make matter worse they don't have enough clothes as one light long-sleeve piece of clothing just isn't enough for anyone.
And as winter is coming quickly to Japan the high cost of healing oil is going to be an added stress on many of these families in Japan.
Yes economics measures are needed to help the less fortunate in Japan, but it seems the Japanese government has not been up to task recently, as there hasn't been that much action to help these groups as if they are almost invisible to the Japanese government.
What is really needed in Japan, is for non-governmental organizations or NGOs to come together and help these families in need, but NGOs need a lot of donations from society but Japan, for the most part is not a donation giving society like some other countries are.
For example many in Japanese society seems reluctant to help those in need, as the reason seems to be some in society think those in need brought it up on themselves so what should help those who failed.
Funding shortages leave 40% without support
The next two paragraphs are good examples of society reluctant to help those in need as the high school scholarship program is in need of donations to help those families with high school students.
But the challenge is many in Japanese society are feeling the effects of the increase in prices and they might feel they just don't have any extra money to donate even though they might want to.
Again, its a travesty that a so-called rich country like Japan can't find the needed funds to help the 1,339 applicants that need some kind of help.
In a way its reflection what Japan really is which is not a caring society or a society that is willing to help those in need like maybe the Northern European countries that have decent safety nets that try to help all in need.
Article
To ensure more bereaved children receive scholarships, the Ashinaga fundraising office, composed of scholarship students, will raise donations at 136 major train stations and street locations across Japan's 47 prefectures starting on Oct. 18. Details on locations and times can be found on the Ashinaga Foundation's website at www.ashinaga.org/media/news/24894/ (in Japanese). The donation page in English is here.
Its very good and needed that the Ashinaga foundation is trying to raise money for those in need but again, Japan doesn't seem to be a giving society as they seem to think or many think giving money to those in need is like giving money to those either don't deserve it or they brought it on themselves or they are criminals.
The mindset of Japanese society needs to change to become a more caring society that cares about the less fortunate, the dis-advantaged, and even the disabled, and even the homeless groups in Japan.
Will Japanese society eventually change. Who knows exactly but there is always hope that change is possible.
Have a nice day!
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