According to the Johoku Center for Labor and Welfare, Sanya has an area of about 1.6 square kilometers and is home to a large number of seasonal workers for construction sites. However, over time, the number of jobs becomes less and less, making their lives more difficult.

This is currently the poorest area of Tokyo, with a concentration of homeless people, elderly retirees or low-income workers. In 2019, this area had about 1,500 people living, most of whom were retired, aged 60-70.

According to a blogger who has come and experienced the atmosphere and life here, Sanya is somewhat "old" because the surrounding buildings and houses are badly degraded and have not been repaired. Along the streets are faded huts of homeless people.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), Sanya was a place where poor working groups had to take refuge in cheap kichinyado boarding houses. Later, this area became a residence for people who lost their homes because of the war. Nowadays, you won't find Sanya on a map. In 1966, the government ordered the name Sanya removed from official documents, and the area was divided into two districts, Kiyokawa and Zutsumi.

Sanya is filled with "jouhatsu-sha" or "evaporating people." They are residents who once lived everywhere in Japan, but now choose to leave everything behind, shake off the past and pursue a life that no one knows about. They literally cut themselves off from life, don't keep any contact with family or friends, and change their names so no one can find them. The people here are all in a state of directionless living.

Even though it is "bleak", the Sanya area still has a very unique character. The streets in Sanya are always quiet and the pace of life is slow. Convenience stores or hotels, vending machines are all much cheaper than Tokyo. Many tourists have chosen to rest here due to the cheap rent and other essential services that are relatively complete.

There are currently no accurate statistics on the number of people living in the slum, but since 2008, the number of people living here has been about 25,000 people, of which 1,300 are homeless. Most of them are elderly people. There are many people standing on the side of the road hoping to be hired for odd jobs.

According to the Borgen Project - a non-profit organization working to fight global poverty - urbanization is not the answer to the financial problem here. Local authorities have long opposed large commercial developments but have been unable to stop landowners from demolishing cheap motels to build more profitable ones. This means many residents will lose their accommodation and Sanya's unique atmosphere may disappear over time.

Although Sanya does not exist on the map, it is still a part of Japan's tumultuous life and history.

According to Internet