The principal documented forced-eviction incident in Nagoya during 2005–06 involved the removal of homeless residents from Shirakawa Park (Shirakawa Kōen) in central Nagoya, shortly before the opening of the 2005 Aichi World Exposition (Expo 2005 Aichi). (Japan Chemical Products Association)

Background

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nagoya, like other major Japanese cities, saw a significant increase in visible homelessness following the collapse of Japan’s asset bubble and prolonged economic stagnation. Many unhoused persons established tent communities in public parks and under elevated roads. (The Japan Times)

As Nagoya prepared to host Expo 2005 Aichi, municipal authorities intensified efforts to remove homeless encampments from highly visible public spaces. Contemporary critics argued that these measures formed part of a broader strategy to improve the city’s image before the international event. (Japan Chemical Products Association)

The Shirakawa Park Eviction (24 January 2005)

According to contemporary reports, Nagoya City carried out a forced administrative eviction on 24 January 2005 under Japan’s Administrative Execution Law. Approximately 600 city officials, security personnel, and police participated in the operation. (Japan Chemical Products Association)

The city dismantled eight tent dwellings whose occupants had refused to leave voluntarily. During the operation:

How Many People Were Affected?

The most reliable figure from the available contemporary reporting is:

The report does not specify the exact number of residents living in those eight tents. Because Japanese homeless encampments of this type generally consisted primarily of single adult occupants rather than families, the directly displaced population was likely in the single digits to low tens, but no authoritative source located in current searches provides a precise headcount. (Japan Chemical Products Association)

One reported resident was a 56-year-old man who stated that the eviction left people exposed to winter conditions and did not solve the underlying causes of homelessness. (Japan Chemical Products Association)

Who Was Affected?

The affected population consisted primarily of:

No evidence located in the available sources indicates that the Nagoya eviction specifically targeted ethnic minorities, foreign nationals, or any particular social group other than unhoused park residents.

Relation to Broader Japanese Eviction Campaigns

The Nagoya operation formed part of a broader pattern in Japan during the mid-2000s. Around the same period, municipal governments in cities such as Osaka conducted similar removals of homeless encampments from parks and public spaces, often in connection with urban redevelopment projects, international events, or efforts to improve the city’s appearance. In Osaka, documented operations in 2006 displaced approximately 22 homeless residents from two parks. (The Japan Times)

Assessment by Housing-Rights Advocates

Housing-rights advocates and homeless-support organizations characterized the Shirakawa Park operation as a forced eviction, arguing that authorities removed residents without providing adequate alternative housing and treated visible homelessness as a public-order problem rather than a social-welfare issue. Critics linked the eviction directly to preparations for Expo 2005 and to image-management objectives associated with the event. (Japan Chemical Products Association)

In summary, the best-documented forced eviction in Nagoya during 2005–06 was the 24 January 2005 eviction of homeless residents from Shirakawa Park, involving the removal of eight occupied tent homes by a large municipal enforcement operation. The exact number of persons displaced remains unclear in the contemporary sources currently available, but the affected group consisted of homeless park residents, principally single adult men. (Japan Chemical Products Association)

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