can you imagine? There is such a strange group in Japan. They close themselves in their bedrooms for a long time, not going out, working, or socializing. Except when their parents ask them to eat or go to the convenience store to stock up on food, they rarely leave their rooms, and this state of being housebound keeps them there for years, even decades.
Current situation in Japan
In Japan, this weird and wonderful group is called invisible, which is what everyone calls hikikomori today. In this strange group of people, almost 80% of whom are men, most of them have been closed at home since they were in their 20s, with nothing to wear but food to eat. All their daily expenses depend on their parents' income. Even if their parents are old and their physical condition is not as good as before, they cannot get out of their houses, join the society, and assume the responsibility of supporting their families. Japan’s official definition of a hikikomori is one who does not leave home or stay in a room for more than six months except for necessary needs. According to Japanese government statistics, the number of hikikomori in Japan has exceeded 1 million, accounting for close to 1% of Japan's total population. So, what makes these people choose to stay at home and not go out for a long time? According to the survey, the reasons why these young people become hikikomori vary. Some are due to work pressure, and some are due to psychological trauma. They are unable to face the world and integrate into society.
Ito
Ito is a member of the hikikomori family. He stays in his bedroom every day, either sleeping or playing games. He regards the bedroom as his safe zone and only moves around in the small bedroom every day. The outside world has nothing to do with him. He would only go out during meal time, have a meal with his parents, and chat briefly. This was one of the few verbal exchanges he had in a day. Other times, his parents don't see him at all. According to him, he had not left home for four days and had not slept for two days. When he lived an irregular life for a long time, his sleep quality became very poor. In order to change this situation, he would take some drugs to treat insomnia and antidepressants. He took a wide variety of medications, some of which he didn't even remember treating. Facing the camera, Ito told the reason why he became a hikikomori. His parents always quarreled together, but he became a "trash can" for venting. Whenever his parents quarreled, he and his younger brother would hide in the corner, afraid that their father and mother would beat them! This kind of violent behavior only became a psychological shadow for him, and he chose to close himself and no longer communicate with the outside world. Just like that, Ito locked himself in the room.
The Hikikomori
As time went by, his parents seemed to realize their mistakes. They acquiesced in Ito's solitary life and regarded it as compensation for Ito. Living in seclusion for a long time made Ito feel that he could have a comfortable life even if he didn't work. He doesn't think about how he will survive after his parents grow old. Not going out, not working, always having clothes to wear and food to eat, this is the current situation of many Japanese young people. They live in seclusion at home and rely on their parents to support them. However, their parents will also grow old and retire one day. When there is no source of income, , what will happen to these hikikomori?
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists who have been studying hikikomori for many years also have such worries. He once heard of a case where a man lived in seclusion since he was 22 years old. When he was 37 years old, his father had a car accident and was paralyzed in bed. The entire family lost its only source of income, and His mother had to take care of her paralyzed husband and her 37-year-old son who was living in exile at home. She eventually fell ill due to overwork and became ill. At this time, the son discovered that without his father's income and mother's care, he could not even have the most basic living abilities, and the long-term seclusion made him feel that his parents' efforts were taken for granted. Gradually, the son became resentful of his parents who could not take care of him. Finally one day, she killed his father in front of his mother and then committed suicide.
Current situation in Japan
In Japan, such heartbreaking cases are not uncommon.In order to reduce such tragedies, psychologists decided to help these hikikomori return to society. He will hold regular parent-teacher meetings to analyze with parents the reasons why hikikomori are reluctant to leave the house. He said that while these people are living in seclusion, their peers have completed their studies, entered the society, begun to accumulate work experience, and expanded new social circles. The hikikomori have accumulated only negative emotions during this period. They are afraid that the world will not accept them. They are worried that after entering the society, people will look at them strangely and say that they are people who avoid work. Therefore, many of them are afraid of meeting acquaintances and choose to go to convenience stores to buy things at night. In fact, some of these solitary people have overcome the reasons for their seclusion at that time, but they are afraid of returning to society and not being exposed. With this mentality, they have withdrawn into their own safety zone.
Party, speech
In order to help hikikomori overcome this mentality, the psychiatrist will hold a hikikomori party every month. He will gather the hikikomori who come for treatment and let them share their experiences. Some of them are worried that their parents will no longer be able to provide them with a comfortable life after retirement, and they even need to support their parents, so they want to change their seclusion. Some people haven't realized this yet, and they think there's nothing wrong with living without leaving home and having no worries about food and clothing. In order to help these hikikomori, psychiatrists have also invited many former hikikomori who have successfully stepped out of their homes and entered the society. They hope that they can share their successful experiences with those hikikomori who have not yet left home. These former hikikomori have also established public welfare organizations. organization, they are committed to helping those who are still in isolation. Hikikomori has long been a popular social phenomenon in Japan. More and more Japanese young people are unwilling to leave their homes. They are immersed in their own world every day and are afraid of communicating with the outside world. They can stay at home for several years or even decades. Household, there are family reasons, and many of them are psychological reasons, but no matter how you escape, you can't solve any problem.
What do you think of the hikikomori in Japan? Please talk about it! !
