<div>Homelessness has been recognized as a serious problem in Japan since the 1990s but the dominant model of a &ldquo;homeless person&rdquo; has been that of an unemployed male laborer - a model that has largely excluded women who experience homelessness in different forms. This study gives the homeless women of Japan a voice at last.&nbsp;<br /><br />Based on extensive fieldwork the author paints a vivid picture of the unique experiences of homeless women living in a diverse range of environments. By introducing a gender perspective to the analytic framework and challenging the conception of the homeless individual as a rational autonomous subject the author invites a critical reconsideration of homeless studies and of public policy.</div>