A 52-year-old man in Fuchu, Tokyo, on May 20 received his first public assistance payment and paid off bills, including his rent, that had fallen into arrears.
"Now, I can make ends meet," he said as an expression of relief appeared on his face.
He had worked for a firm in the construction industry by cleaning houses prior to their completion.
The volume of work, however, began dropping off around February. His commission-based salary subsequently fell to just 50,000 yen a month in February and March. Work ran completely dry in late March.
The man applied for public financial aid at the recommendation of a citizens group after a consultation during a seminar.
He borrowed the maximum amount of money allowable through a bank loan, and his savings account had dwindled down to just hundreds of yen.
The man was having one lone meal per day, as a matter of course, and bathed every three to four days.
"If only I could get a job -- I'm still able to work," he said. "I want things to return to normal as soon as possible."
Another man, this one in his 20s who lives in Higashimurayama, Tokyo, had been bouncing from job to job. The positions included mover, sanitation worker and food service employee. Around February, the jobs ran out.
At that time, he was spending his nights at internet cafes. But in early April, when the government declared a state of emergency because of the new coronavirus, internet cafes temporarily closed.
The places where he could spend his nights began to fade away, and he was down to only about 2,000 yen in his wallet.
"I feared that if things had continued like that, it might be the end of me," he said, reflecting on that stretch.
Because of the assistance from the Tokyo metropolitan government, he has been able to find accommodations at which to spend his nights, but he is still unable to find work.
The man also applied for the public assistance, as an aid group recommended, and his application was accepted.
He rented an apartment unit in the city with the money provided and tried to make a fresh start.
"Due to the coronavirus ordeal, I hit rock bottom," he said. "But I finally can reset. I want to start over by finding a stable job, so I'd like to see things settle down as quickly as possible."
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