TOKYO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- As many in Tokyo prepare for New Year celebrations, long queues in front of relief distribution points tell an unsettling story about deepening survival anxiety among Japan's poorest residents.

Just days before New Year's Eve, at a food distribution site in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, volunteers handed out modest food packages to those waiting in line: an orange, a piece of fried chicken, a bag of sardine snacks, and a pouch of instant curry.

Among the recipients was 75-year-old Saito, who traveled an hour by train from his suburban home to reach the site. Since different charity groups only provided aid during fixed hours at specific locations, Saito began moving around the city early in the morning, timing his day to match the schedules of different groups.

Missing a single distribution, for him, can mean losing a meal for the day.

"In October 2025, the Takaichi government canceled our cash subsidies," Saito said. "The monthly living allowance was already very small. After paying rent, there's barely anything left."

At another distribution point in Ikebukuro, a single mother stood in line with other recipients. She works as a sales clerk at a department store, but as a non-regular employee, her income is limited. Meanwhile, she has to raise a child on her own.

"Any unexpected expense will immediately make life unbearable," she said.

Kenji Seino, who has run a Tokyo-based nonprofit aid organization for 25 years, told Xinhua that most recipients were elderly in the past; however, the share of younger people has risen sharply in recent years.

"Especially among those in non-regular employment, such as gig workers," Seino said. "When they run out of money, this is the only place they can turn to."

Seino said that his organization operates on an annual budget of about 30 million yen (191,150 U.S. dollars), roughly 90 percent of which comes from individual donations. Soaring prices are squeezing the group's ability to assist.

"Rice prices are just too high," he said. "We want to serve people more rice, but if we do that, costs rise sharply. In the end, we have no choice but to give up."

According to official statistics released in December 2025, the average price of a five-kilogram bag of rice in Japan has climbed to 4,337 yen (28 dollars), remaining near recent highs.

Seino pointed out that government support remains insufficient and that imbalances in the distribution of social resources have not been effectively addressed. The gap between the rich and the poor kept widening.

What troubles him most is the growing number of families with children now appearing in relief lines.

"You see children playing while adults try to comfort them as they wait," he said, "It's a heartbreaking scene."

Ren Onishi, director of another nonprofit organization, echoed those concerns, saying inflation has made hardship and shortages a daily reality for many. In his view, the government lacks a real understanding of how severe conditions have become for low-income groups and has failed to implement effective policies in response.

According to official data, Japan's Gini index, a key measure of income inequality, has climbed to a record high. More than half of households surveyed said their living conditions were "difficult" or "somewhat difficult."

Representatives from nonprofit organizations told reporters that, as the number of people struggling to make ends meet continues to rise, free relief packages will also be distributed at several locations across Tokyo during the New Year holiday period in Japan.

"We hope that one day people will no longer need to come here," Seino said. "But judging from the reality, the outlook is not optimistic. Many are just barely holding on." ■