Japanese underclass 'lives in internet cafes'

A new underclass of Japanese is living in 24-hour Intenet cafes across the country, using private booths to eat and sleep in after a long day in a low-paying job.

A survey by the health and welfare ministry indentified 5,400 “Net cafe refugees”, although critics say that figure underestimates the scale of the problem.

Around 27 percent are in their 20s and work in convenience stores or on construction sites, while 23 percent are in their 50s.

With the average monthly wage of a labourer at around Y110,000 (£600), more than 40 percent of the Internet cafe residents have also experienced spells of homelessness.

Other reasons they gave to the ministry included their homes being repossessed, being laid off from their regular work or discovering that their pensions were not able to cover their living expenses.