Japan Has 3,600,000 Hikikomori!?!?!?

[BloodyAngel]

http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/pp238/gilms1/60347__468x_kiri-komori.jpg?t=1267726288


Wow... 3.6m Hikikomori... Thats Alot @__@




Japan's Minister of Internal Affairs has announced that the government finds there to be a total of 3,600,000 hikikomori in the country, and stressed the need to tackle the supposed problem.

The precise methodology the ministry used to come to this figure, and what it defines a hikikomori as, are however not clear, it would be far from the first time a government has manufactured dubious statistics in order to support its desired legislation.

It should also be noted that nobody has yet presented evidence (except perhaps the mass media and politicians) that the population of "hikikomori" in Japan is any higher than in other countries, socially isolated people exist in large numbers in any society.

[Pattehfilipino]

ahh I'm surprised that the number is that high o.o

It reminds of this section from my Asian History Class I took last semester. My teacher has written several books about the state of Japan, he can read Kanji and speak Japanese fluently, he was also called to Washing DC once to talk about the state of Japan. o.o

Though I'm not 100% sure of the accuracy but this is a bit of what I absorbed and still magically retain...

The job system in Japan is quite different from here. College in Japan is different from College elsewhere, in Japan it doesn't prepare you for a specific job. You dont go to such and such college for engineering. College is just higher level general knowledge. After they leave College, with connection/interviews/ how well you did in College, a company hires that individual. Its just that you are more likely to get hired depending on if you come from a well known College. Like "oh hey, a good chunk of our employees come from ___ college, we should hire you". When you are hired, the company will put you in a job then train you themselves from there. Then basically you stick with the company for the rest of your life .... rarely do people change jobs. (this is for the more city life jobs of course ^_^... )

If you lose your job its a big deal (I mean its still a big deal no matter what).. you were supposed to stick with that company till retirement.

If you can't get a job after College in Japan... it can get extremely hard to find a full time job. Most people find themselves stuck with their parents, and stuck with doing multiple part time jobs barely getting bye. >.<

Hence why going Hikikomori is how some people cope with not being able to fit in with that society. Its like a small window for a full time job ><

on an odd tangent, if you ever find yourself in a company that works with Japan, if you ever get a Japanese man's business card.. they expect for you to hold onto it forever. Throwing away a business card is like an insult. Also, if you are the person representing your company on a business transaction, the next time a business transaction happens, the Japanese side expects that you will be the one to come again for the meeting.

[ShadowsLiyte]

Blood is this from Sankaku? best international news source ever in my opinion xD

[MioAkiyama]

how can they live ?lolz
how bout their daily expenses?
didnt know that there are so many hikkikimoris there

[ShadowsLiyte]

how can they live ?lolz
how bout their daily expenses?
didnt know that there are so many hikkikimoris there

I dont remember the percentage, but a lot of hikikkimori say that if their parents, their source of income, were to pass away, they'd likely commit suicide. kinda sad really, but oh well.

[darkpoetry]

3.6 million is just lies!

The population of japan is 130 mil max. Considering that hikkomoris are only like ages 15-30 your talking about 1 in every like 20 for that age group.

That number is just way way too high. Like already stated, its just propaganda to get funding for their projects.

[xiety]

most of them are Otakus

[ZenNaari]

Cool, but aren't Hikikomori's really Zashiki Warashiki's? If they leave the house the foundation will collapse! Don't let them go!

[xiety]

>.> you watch too much SZS series
of course not they are not even spirits you know
they are just NEET + Hikikikomori

[arbel13]

3.6 million? Wow, I didnt expect this number^^

[takasuryuuji]

oh it's too many..
I can't believe this....
"If I'm in japan, I think that I'll be one of them."

[kuzi87]

maybe the information was purposely given out to make people panic about their country not having enough people to be out in the society instead of being otakus and hikkimoris hiding from the main stream population. anyway, tat number is kinda exaggerated.

[asaness01234]

3.6 million people? that sure is a lot hikikomori members there @_@

i wish i can be like that sometimes :D ...

[p0815554]

I don think the figure should be at 3.6m, tats 2 much its more than the population in my country.

[MaoChan]

I'm surprised that 3.6m people on Japan is a Hikikomori or NEET... =|

In this case, watch "Welcome to the N.H.K"

[mlcdl]

.....what the.......what a lot of hikikomori

[jeiru01]

woah. too many Hikikikomoris.. eeck. so, all in all, what is the percentage of Hikikikomoris in that country?ex: 30% .. . they need to learn how to socialize. by being a Hikikikomori, they're like retiring from life. I agree with xiety when he said that most of them are otakus. >:D.

[kimu07]

wah..3.6 m??
thats really a big number..
how can they live without going out of their houses??
O.o

[ravensoulx28]

Hmmm.... 3.6 Million? So there are more like me? LOL. That's a lot but I think that isn't true. That's propaganda if you ask me but it seems sensible to think as well with a lot of things going on.

[adiktdtololi]

I'm one of them^_^ Yey 4 Failure!

[visualcandyk]

O.o I don't know what a hikikomori is, but that's a big number.

[xiety]

errrr Hikikimori is society withdrawal doesnt want to meet other people and isolate him/herself inside the house

[ranmachua]

This explains why H-game & eroge are thriving & doing well

[jdsel]

3.6million... wow... I wonder if this is one of the contributing factors to japans birth rate being in a decline, so many anti social people...what a waste...

[wanderernyth]

aw! that's awful! T_T

GBUA! <^ ^>

[jfmarasigan1]

can't imagine that a progressive country like Japan have those numbers.

[bobobear]

what's a Hikikikomori? will I get my OS status revoked for even asking this question? Is it an unemployed person? If it is in which case, then they are probably otaku's..

[jdsel]

A hikikomori is a anti social person who has withdrawn from society and is isolated at home. usually living off their parents

[ZenNaari]

Hikikomori, one who withdraws him/herself from the outdoors and social life. English term: Agaroaphobia or Sociophobia. That's the basic...

But Hikikomori's are really Zashiki Warashiki's. Demons who reside in your house, playing mischief and such. But if you let them out, your house will collapse and your luck will go down...

[xiety]

But Hikikomori's are really Zashiki Warashiki's. Demons who reside in your house, playing mischief and such. But if you let them out, your house will collapse and your luck will go down...

and thats non-sense >.> Kafuka just making fun also she describe as Zashiki Warashiki, The name breaks down to zashiki, a tatami floored room, and warashi, an archaic regional term for a child. The appearance of this spirit is that of a 5 or 6 year child with bobbed hair and a red face.

[SubaSk8s]

yeah this is hard to believe considering how good japan is doing overall
how can they live like that how would they get food if they lived in the house without leaving for months???

[xiety]

parents/caretaker leaves the food outside of the (sealed) door

[Mipzter]

I would love to be a hikkiko if my parents have money for it ^^ but alas...

woots that hikkiko-meter's off the charts?!

one day they're gonna take over the world! mwhahaha

[xiety]

maybe not that just japanese lifestyle

[dothacked]

wew I know Japan has a lot of hikikomoris but didn't expect it to be this many..

[Kazeno Kazuha]

w0w..it really exist huh...thats too many..

[hokeymon]

Oh lol, maybe 1/2 of their country is :D

[marinne14]

they're from higashi no eden, they'll make a live-action of it.. haha

(- -,

well japans a rich country, so parents can support them, lucky.. too bad for the parents

[xiety]

maybe they are not full pledge hikikikomori maybe half hikikikomori

[hitman]

weird theres to many of them

[xiety]

Finally I found that source

geez in all Site WHY THIS ONE !!

i dont want to post this only 18+ Real Men can view
its forbidden, Myself and others can view just ask me

[Bindu1000]

I work with a lot of Japanese and I have to admit my initial expectations and perceptions have been proven wrong time and time again. However I do admit that even at 12 midnight they can still be found at home because the company expects them to do 5 peoples job. Its extremely frustrating for me coz I cant get the focus I need from them

I also know that this tremendous pressure to succeed means that for the unlucky lot that dont get into a good college or find a good job, they end up reclusive as this is their way of dealing with the pressure.

One other surprising thing I have learnt since I have been dealing with them - everyone of them look forward to a chance for their company to transfer them to their overseas branches and they actually hate to return to Japan.

That was a shocker!!

Oh and by the way you dont have to leave the house to get food, your family can provide or you can have it delivered.

[whitecloud]

I searched google for this the number is extremely high soo surprising

[coolpacket]

The job system in Japan is quite different from here. College in Japan is different from College elsewhere, in Japan it doesn't prepare you for a specific job. You dont go to such and such college for engineering. College is just higher level general knowledge. After they leave College, with connection/interviews/ how well you did in College, a company hires that individual. Its just that you are more likely to get hired depending on if you come from a well known College. Like "oh hey, a good chunk of our employees come from ___ college, we should hire you". When you are hired, the company will put you in a job then train you themselves from there. Then basically you stick with the company for the rest of your life .... rarely do people change jobs. (this is for the more city life jobs of course ^_^... )




This is not true. They even have specialization/ college courses that can't be found else where in the world... like sometime ago I saw in NHK "Dream Career" program that they have a course in college where they teach students on how to efficiently load containers on a cargo ship and plan shipping schedules. That course prepares them to be portmasters. There may be a course like General Education but they also offer different majors. Do you think doctors in Japan became doctors by simply training from a hospital without proper medical course?
;)

[darkpoetry]

They even had specialized schools when my dad was in highschool like 30 years ago. He went to a two year electrical engineering school

[Jarsha]

While I can say i would envy the life of the hikikomori it must be immensely hard of all of those parents. I like to be isolated myself, hell if I could I would work from home and never leave. Long as I have something to do at least =o. And you cannot blame the music they listened to as they were teenagers.. no one is to blame...
Oh well.. they have 1/10 of N.Y.C.'s population as loners =o

[Pattehfilipino]

This is not true. They even have specialization/ college courses that can't be found else where in the world... like sometime ago I saw in NHK "Dream Career" program that they have a course in college where they teach students on how to efficiently load containers on a cargo ship and plan shipping schedules. That course prepares them to be portmasters. There may be a course like General Education but they also offer different majors. Do you think doctors in Japan became doctors by simply training from a hospital without proper medical course?
;)

yes yes I was wondering about this, hence why I said I'm not so sure about the accuracy of what I was going to say xD... I was thinking about medical specifically but I was just saying what I remember.

[flamezaber]

that number is far too high. I cannot beleive that they are showing the true numbers...if they are, well dam O_O

[mlcdl]

can't imagine that a progressive country like Japan have those numbers.

Yeah...totally unbelievable for Japan have that many number of anti-social....

[AnkokuRyuu]

damn i can't even count that high, ... i wonder what they do all the time then

[KyonLelouch]

wtf thats cool o.o

[jadeliciousdk]

If Japan has really produced so many social withdrawn people, assuming they haven't used the term Hikikomori loosely, then there is something really wrong with their social system.
Sure some people would have chosen to withdraw from society no matter what, but 3.600.000 is not just some people, pff it is more than half the people living in my country.
The system might not be all bad, but it certainly lacks a safety-net for those who become unemployed and as such are unable to get a new job because of how the system works or people who just outright plainly refuses to be tied down one company for their entire life... In Japan it is easier to get a new wife than a new job :O

[demonstar3]

one day they're gonna take over the world! mwhahaha

lol, not if they cant/dont want to go outside :P
The thing about hikikomori's being a zashiki warashi might be true, we won't know unless they leave their houses.

[RedDeathX7]

Why am I not surprised for some reason -.-

[Haruya]

ok WDF IS A hikikomori

[flamezaber]

ok WDF IS A hikikomori

a socially withdrawn person who never or almost never leaves their homes.

[ravensoulx28]

If Japan has really produced so many social withdrawn people, assuming they haven't used the term Hikikomori loosely, then there is something really wrong with their social system.
Sure some people would have chosen to withdraw from society no matter what, but 3.600.000 is not just some people, pff it is more than half the people living in my country.
The system might not be all bad, but it certainly lacks a safety-net for those who become unemployed and as such are unable to get a new job because of how the system works or people who just outright plainly refuses to be tied down one company for their entire life... In Japan it is easier to get a new wife than a new job :O

Good point, I was thinking about this myself. If the said number is true, they should do something about their system. Oh, I wish it was easier to get a wife lol.

[Kamaitachi]

why is THAT a problem ?..i mean it isn`t like they DO any harm to somebody .....do no why but on a world wide basis governments shift the media attention on meaningless / harmless so called problems i`m sure japan government has more urgent issues to attend to :D

[DeathMaster0]

I have a feeling that this is a way for the media to scare them out of hiding or to try and get people to not become one. But still that is way too much to be true..

[Kamaitachi]

I have a feeling that this is a way for the media to scare them out of hiding or to try and get people to not become one. But still that is way too much to be true..

i think that is a mental sickness or something like that you don`t become by choice ... :20:

[IzumiChan]

why is THAT a problem ?..i mean it isn`t like they DO any harm to somebody .....do no why but on a world wide basis governments shift the media attention on meaningless / harmless so called problems i`m sure japan government has more urgent issues to attend to :D

Why, this is NOT a harmless problem. While they might not be a threat to society, they're harming themselves.
Humans are naturally social beings, and hikikomoris are people who suffer from diseases, like phobias. They shouldn't be "left alone", they should receive proper treatment in order to become healthy.

[flamezaber]

being hikikomori doesnt=mental illness -_- *facepalm*

[LimeX]

hmmmmmmmm..... OMFG how are they suppose to release "tension"
i mean... do hikikomori's go online find a "partner" and go hikikomori together? rofl...
they should at least find someone to be together at home so they won't be alone... teehee
and at the same time they can release tension...

Errr... i've got a really curious' question... what if you were a Hikikomori, a guy one, or girl... and you and your neighbor [same sex] decide to go hikikomori together... would you become Gay/Lesbian to treat your "tension"

Hmmm?

[ravensoulx28]

hmmmmmmmm..... OMFG how are they suppose to release "tension"
i mean... do hikikomori's go online find a "partner" and go hikikomori together? rofl...
they should at least find someone to be together alone at home so they won't be alone... teehee
and at the same time they can release tension...

Errr... i've got a really curious' question... what if you were a Hikikomori, a guy one, or girl... and you and your neighbor [same sex] decide to go hikikomori together... would you become Gay/Lesbian to treat your "tension"

Hmmm?

I am considered a hikkikomori. The question is lame but if I were to answer that, it would be a no. I prefer to be alone than be with someone else.

[Ceyrie]

Too bad...maybe their culture and work ethics are to be blamed...

[Kamaitachi]

@ Flamebazer ok mental illness it might be a strong term but i was to believe that they shut themself because they don`t cope whit the society or due something that went wrong ...
@Izumichan if you ``help`` someone against it`s will it ain`t called help..forcing a general way of life, health conception, or even whats is wrong and not on some one you could call it oppression no government person or organization should tell someone how to live thier live or how NOT to live it`s thier choice and we the others have no saying in it. As i said i fail to see the problem

[jzero99]

3.6million people in Japan are hikikomoris
*shock*

I'd probably be one too if it weren't for school -.-

[DarkOwl]

3.6M...?

That is a very high number... almost half of the estimated unemployed in my country...

[kaien011]

the number's just too many, it's sad..

[DarkOwl]

It might contribute to the economic collapse of Japan...

[akiyamayuki]

wow so many of them!!!!
how can manage they life
hope i'm not one of them so scary
living by himself!!!!!

[reneil26]

to0 many hikikomori!..

but for me, even I'm in japan, I won't go closed myself in society...well, life is sometimes good :smile:

[KissXsis]

W0w so many of them..
well japan is where anime is
anyways :D

[Hatsukoi]

Well this is the cause of the lack of confidence of one person. Before doing anything he thinks things will turn out bad already so to all the "FULL TIME" Hikikomori's out there have more confidence in yourselves

[riodaeka]

well that's alarming...living on just by yourself is very difficult you know?

you will just spend all your time alone..

*sigh* life is short man..haha!!

[jhai0603]

I agree with the previous posts, but sadly (or not), I'm also a hikikomori. :D

[flamezaber]

I would never leave the house unless:
A.To go to a friend's HOUSE
B.If I was forced to -_-
Other than that, I enjoy my house-life *lays-back*

[riodaeka]

i will just besing a hikkikomori if:

a set of computer in my room with internet

haha!! technically i living on myself but im not being too shy to get myself inside of my house ^_^

[summit900]

say it is true, well why dont they do a study in other countries, i would be one in the usa.

[qwertyuiop10]

wow

im surprise....

i dont know that there are many of them~~