Tokyo Refugees (2014)
Release Year: 2014
Nation: Japan
Alternative Title: Tokyo Nanmin, 東京難民, Tôkyô Nanmin
Director: Kiyoshi Sasabe
Writer: Takeshi Aoshima
Production & Genre
Awards & Similar
Awards: N/A
Similar:
Keywords
Keywords: homelessness, drop-out
Story
When his father flees from debt, carefree college student Osamu sees his life turn upside-down. Expelled from school and evicted from his apartment, he becomes one of Japan’s many ‘net cafe refugees’, barely scraping by each day with temporary and part-time work. Even though he’s still in Tokyo, his circumstances drive him to see and experience his home city in new ways. Trying to survive, Osamu gradually acquaints himself with the ‘invisible’ spaces occupied by the wanderers and homeless of Tokyo… people just like himself.
Summary
"Osamu's carefree life in Tokyo screeched to a halt when his father fled to evade debts. Expelled from college and evicted from their apartment, Osamu found himself among Japan's 'net cafe refugees,' scraping by with menial jobs. His circumstances thrust him into the hidden underbelly of the city he once called home, encountering fellow wanderers and homeless who navigated Tokyo's invisible spaces like him. Meanwhile, a series of misfortunes—from financial strain to poor decisions—left another young man grappling with life as an 'invisible' refugee within his own city, dodging yakuza thugs, police scrutiny, and the harsh realities of poverty."
