I considered to know that what do a politician think about poverty in Japan. The reason is the effect is different that what kind of ideas are based on policy. I asked to a member of my local location assembly by email. His name is Kimihiro Fukagawa.
I sent 3 questions.
Q１：How many is the children of poverty in Japan? When I choose the SDG, No Poverty, my teacher asked me why did you choose this topic? Because there is not a poverty in Japan.
I believe that politics ultimately solves poverty fundamentally. However, ideas for poverty differ between countries and regions. So I had doubts as to how many children can help in Tokyo where I live.
At the stage of the question “I asked in Tokyo”, he answered in numbers throughout Japan, not limited numbers in Tokyo.
according to Mr.Fukagawa comments, Japanese government introduced a lot of social welfare elements such as nationwide insurance system, introduction of pension system, elderly home construction, high cost medical expense system while advocating liberalism and democracy from the postwar period.
So the number of absolute poverty is ZERO due to a lot of social welfare elements.
The number of welfare is 2.09 million (2018, November). It is 1.66% of total Japanese population.
In the number, participation rate in employment support project 36.4% and working · increase ratio through employment support business 42.5%. It is thought that approximately 40% what working and increasing sales can work by themselves.
So 60% of 1.66%. Approximately 1% (1.26 million) can be estimated to be tax aid.
Through government-led ways of working, people wanting to work even after 66 years of age after the retirement age can work. Considering efforts at municipal level, it is thought that it will be less than 1.6 million people.
“About Japan’s poverty,” data on the survey analysis on relative poverty rate, etc. in December 2015 “is 16%, 1/8 or more data, Japan’s relative poverty rate is 1 in 8 it is said. However, I think that the poverty that I and all of you think are absolutely poor people. And in contemporary Japan I think that it is almost 0.
(from comment of Mr.Fukagawa)
Q2: Do volunteers lead to fundamental solutions?
Since relative poverty is present at more than 16%, it is a social problem in Japan, but I felt that he answered an absolute poverty is more severe.
His answer is ” to lead to fundamental solution”.
I was surprised it because I didn’t think a volunteer can not disappear the poverty. But I got his reason from him and I changed my opinion. There are many cause of hunger, no land to plow, no water, no seeds to sow, do not know how to raise, no equipment, no motivation
I think that concrete help that can not be covered with only major policies is necessary. “I think that we should do with the idea of doing from what we can do, not from where to start,” said Mr.Fukagawa. I think so too.
Q3. Do you think what percentage of poverty people in Japan can work on their own and what percentage must help with taxes?
1％
In Japan, there is a life protection system, and those who can not work on their own can offer welfare protection. As mentioned above,
approximately 1% (1.26 million) can be estimated to be tax aid.
It is now 1.26 million people, but it is expected that this figure will be further lowered by further working way reform.
I reached to my conclusion, ” Poverty can be solved by politics”.
In this way, “No Poverty” has been realized in Japan. I believe that politics ultimately solves poverty fundamentally.