Toyoko Kids in Japan: Young People Between Isolation, Danger and Solidarity

In Toyoko, in the Kabukicho district, teenagers and young adults gather to talk, spend time together or try to escape situations that have become unbearable. ARTE’s documentary follows several of them, as well as adults, parents and volunteers who interact with them. It does not portray a homogeneous group: the stories shared are very different, but they often converge around isolation, family breakdown, bullying or insecurity.

For some of the young people interviewed, Toyoko is both an unsettling place and a space where they feel they are finally being heard. This contradiction runs throughout the documentary: the area can expose them to drugs, exploitation, violence or situations of profound distress, while also serving as a substitute community for those who can no longer find their place elsewhere.

What does Toyoko represent for the young people featured?

In the documentary, Toyoko is described as a gathering place known for its bad reputation. Young people sometimes come there without realizing the risks they may face. One participant explains that people arriving there do not always know “what they are getting into” and that dangerous things can happen there.

But the place is not viewed solely through the lens of danger. Several accounts show that young people primarily seek human connections there. One teenage girl explains that when she arrived, people listened to her and allowed her to express what she had been keeping inside. Another speaker sums up this social role: according to him, they come because they find a community where they can play, talk and be together.

The documentary thus highlights a complex reality. Toyoko is not presented as a solution to young people’s difficulties, but as a symptom of a lack of support, listening and guidance in their usual environment.

Lives marked by breakdown and loneliness

The young people followed have not all experienced the same things. A volunteer from an association explains that some fled violence in their homes, while others left because their parents struggled with addiction. She also points out that many of them never felt heard by the adults around them and have lost trust in authority figures.

Mia, 18, says she experienced homelessness. She describes the bullying and violence she endured while at school: punches, kicks and behavior dismissed by those around her as mere teasing. She also explains that her family environment caused her suffering, particularly because of demeaning remarks from her parents. After cutting ties with them, she ended up in Toyoko.

Another young woman says she only lasted one week in junior high school. Feeling alone at a school where the other students already knew each other, she stopped attending classes and went to Toyoko, which became a form of refuge for her.

The risks mentioned in Kabukicho

The documentary does not downplay the dangers surrounding Toyoko. Accounts mention substance use, young people who are intoxicated or highly vulnerable, as well as situations in which minors or teenage girls may be approached by adults offering money in exchange for sexual relations.

One speaker states that many girls engage in prostitution in Toyoko and says that some start very young. Speaking from her experience of nightlife, she insists that money earned by selling one’s body can destroy a person.

The accounts collected also raise the issue of suicide. Several young people mention friends who died after jumping from buildings. A father recounts the death of his daughter, who died on March 27, 2023, with her partner, in what is described as a couple suicide. Through his story, he reflects on family conflicts, his daughter’s school absenteeism and his own working conditions, which prevented him from seeing his children regularly.

These accounts are particularly heavy. They do not allow each tragedy to be reduced to a single cause: instead, the documentary brings out the possible accumulation of personal, family, school and social difficulties.

Associations: providing a meal, a place and a listening ear

In response to this situation, volunteers reach out to young people and distribute masks in particular. Their aim is also to make their association known, so that teenagers are aware that a place for help exists. A cafeteria welcomes some of them with balanced meals and the desire to recreate a warm atmosphere, similar to that of a large family.

This approach requires time. The people supporting these young people explain that they can be distrustful, precisely because they have been let down by adults or institutions. The issue is therefore not only material: it also involves creating a relationship safe enough for them to speak out.

The documentary also shows conversations between a parent and her daughter. The mother expresses concern about her child’s stays in Kabukicho, following problems that notably led to hospitalization. The young woman acknowledges that her life has partly fallen apart, but also emphasizes the encounters and experiences she says she has gained. Their discussion reveals the gap between parents’ fears and the feeling among some young people that they have found connections in Toyoko that they could not find elsewhere.

Music as a way to tell stories and rebuild

Music plays an important role in the documentary. Young people see it as a way to share their experiences, raise awareness of the dangers of Toyoko and turn a chaotic life path into artistic expression. One of them explains that she chose rap in an attempt to help other young people avoid repeating her path.

The stage offers her a unique experience, different from social media: she finds a space there to address an audience directly. An adult attending a concert emotionally describes seeing young people who were once “at rock bottom” able to shine on stage. This recognition does not erase the difficulties, but it opens up a possibility for acknowledgment and for looking ahead.

Not erasing Toyoko, but understanding why young people come there

At the end of the documentary, one speaker says he has come to understand that the problem lies not only with the young people in Toyoko, but also with the adults around them. In his view, it would be impossible simply to make this place disappear, because young people find a community there. He hopes that, for some of them, it can become a step toward finding a place in society again.

The father of a young woman who died reaches an equally nuanced conclusion. In retrospect, he believes that his daughter should have been able to live her life. He says that if she wanted to go to Toyoko today, he would not necessarily stop her. These words do not trivialize the risks; rather, they express regret at not having found a better way to understand what she was going through.

FAQ about the Toyoko Kids

Who are the Toyoko Kids?

In the documentary, this term refers to young people who spend time in Toyoko, in Kabukicho. They have very diverse stories: some are isolated, in conflict with their families, out of school or facing significant difficulties.

Why do young people go to Toyoko?

The accounts indicate that they may seek company, someone to listen to them, a sense of belonging or a place to temporarily escape their daily lives. However, the place exposes them to serious risks.

What support is shown in the documentary?

Associations reach out to young people, distribute supplies, provide meals and seek to make them aware of places where they can ask for help. Music also appears as a means of expression and empowerment for some of them.

Video source: Japan: Toyoko Kids | ARTE Reportage