This work investigates the emergence and evolution of the homeless movement in Tokyo during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, questioning how marginalized populations organize against systemic exclusion. Miki Hasegawa, a researcher specializing in urban sociology and social movements, utilizes a combination of ethnographic fieldwork and archival analysis to document the shift from individual survival to collective political action. The text argues that the movement successfully challenged the social stigma of homelessness by reframing the identity of the unhoused from 'garbage' to active political subjects within the Japanese urban landscape.

Experts in Japanese urban studies identify this text as a critical resource for understanding the intersection of poverty and political mobilization in East Asian cities. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the research and the author's ability to provide a nuanced view of grassroots activism in a highly regulated society.