Hikikomori: the Japanese Hermits Who Stay in their Room for Years

By Guest Blogger Mitsue Karaman

Hikikomori or “social withdrawal” now impacts an estimated 700,000 to 1.5 million youths across Japan, who stay isolated in their rooms, and disengage from social activities such as school or work for months, years or even decades.

Typically the hikikomori is a young male, often the oldest son in an upper-middle class, nuclear family. Men are four times more likely to become hikikomori, and the onset of symptoms often occur in childhood as a form of school refusal which gradually leads to full withdrawal in adolescence. Hikikomori frequently present a profound sense of apathy: disillusioned by society at-large, these young men lack the motivation to engage with life and have difficulty developing their own identity.

While clinical cause is still unclear, studies from the past decade have begun to identify a correlation between hikikomori and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Hikikomori individuals have a developmental history of early childhood language delay, a severe shyness and preference to play alone, and a focused interest on numbers versus imaginative play. They have difficulty fitting in and often experience bullying, which may lead to truancy and trigger social withdrawal. Like people with high-functioning ASD, many individuals do well academically and develop compensation strategies to cope with social challenges in childhood; therefore, the earlier symptoms may go unnoticed and onset of hikikomori may sometimes occur in the individual's late 20s.

The theories on the etiology of hikikomori--which began to be noticed in the 1970's--are many, ranging from the depressed economy, a strict education system, to a culture where parents place immense pressure on their eldest son. While these factors may contribute to the increase of hikikomori in recent decades, I believe they are merely triggers for the onset of the condition and the true etiology is buried deeper in history. By withdrawing and isolating themselves from the world, I believe individuals with hikikomori are restoring their inner spirit – tamashii (Japanese for spirit/soul) – to reemerge stronger and better adjusted to the world around them.

Japan has a long history of isolationism, seen in its mythology and early Shinto and Confucian religious beliefs. Solitude and introspection is inherent in the Japanese spirit. However, the rapid modernization of post-war Japan dramatically changed the nation from its core. Rituals and tradition were lost as nuclear families became the norm, artisans and craftsmen disappeared with industrialization, and spiritual practice declined with less than 40% of the population now saying they practice a religion. I believe this created a generation of youths with little access to spirituality, who–triggered by the imbalances in modern society–are now experiencing a spiritual crisis. They are searching for spiritual richness in their lives instead of the material success society presents as self-actualization. They withdraw and isolate themselves into solitude that, for the first time, offers them space to explore their consciousness and purpose in life.

The rising popularity of mindfulness in young adults illustrates a culture in need of stillness, introspection, and a foundation to rebuild the Japanese spirit. This perspective also allows us to understand why hikikomori is now emerging in other countries around the globe. The loss of culture, tradition and spirituality is an impact of globalization that many nations face, and in this way, spiritual crisis is an issue affecting all modernized countries.

For a longer, in depth investigation of hikikomori, click here.