This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Abroad from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.
While many cultures have people who live in solitude, Japan’s hikikomori ironically win the prize for sheer crowed size. The word hikikomori literally translates as “pulling inward” or “being confined”, and the 2016 Japan census revealed that at least 540,000 Japanese citizens between the ages of 15 and 39 had not left their homes in 6 months or longer. Because most hikikomori prefer to stay completely hidden, the number could be as high as 1 million. Their reasons for withdrawing are likely related to the strong pressure to succeed in Japanese culture coupled with fear of failure, especially for men. Hikikomori are now a well-known demographic of Japan. There are even hikikomori anime characters and a non-profit foundation with volunteers who build trust with hikikomori and let them know, oxymoronically, that they are not alone.
With thanks to Amanda Snider for this text, from the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.
Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2018/february/japan-hikikomori-isolation-society/
https://en/wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23182523
https://www.ranker.com/list/anime-about-hikikomori/anna-lindwasser
