ago Mika Shibata’s youngest son returned to the family home and went wordlessly upstairs. He has yet to emerge from his bedroom. At the age of 26, he sleeps during the day and stays awake at night. His mother feeds and shelters him, hoping he will emerge from this state. But she frets he never will. “The longer this situation continues, the harder it is for him to step back into society,” she says.
The Shibata family’s pain is shared by many others in Japan. The government says there are more than 1m, or recluses, defined as people who have played no part in society for at least six months. Many have barely stepped outside their homes for decades. A handful of alarming crimes have pushed them back into public view. In May a recluse, aged 51, stabbed two people, including a child, to death in the city of Kawasaki before committing suicide.
When the phenomenon became widely noticed over a generation ago, few understood it. Recluses were considered lazy or odd. Mental-health care was scarce and official support nonexistent. Parents felt responsible and were too mortified to look for help. But even now, occasional crimes involving recluses stoke concerns that they are dangerous, says Morito Ishizaki, a recoveredwho runs a magazine for sufferers. In fact, he explains, they are rarely criminal.
Support groups are springing up around the country. Tokyo is among several cities with helplines and websites that try to reach shut-ins, who range from teenage school dropouts to salarymen who have been sacked. Ageing parents often come seeking help, says Ichiro Miyazawa of Tokyo’s metropolitan government. He says they worry that after they die, their, according to a Cabinet Office survey this year. That shocked the government, which had assumed the condition mainly afflicted the young.
Yet luring isolated people in their 40s and 50s back into society is hard, Mr Miyazawa accepts. The city can send counsellors out to homes only if asked. But often families themselves cannot communicate with their reclusive children. Mrs Shibata speculates that her son was bullied at work, but cannot be sure. He has not said a word since he returned. His two brothers cannot talk to him. One day the bright, sensitive man she knew will bounce back, she hopes.
It always amazes me how foreign media chooses to depict Japan. Always focusing on the weird or quirky. Nothing much about what life is actually like here.
Is this good news or bad journalism?
Why do you keep posting this?
I just wanted to read one article. Not sign up. Now days to read one article about basketball I need to give personal information to a newspaper I will never come back to. You are not the only paper/ magazine I am pissed at. I couldn’t even sign in just now to read about Japan
Then how many people in Wuhan can’t leave their home for a very long time. 🤔️
Well at least they don't have to worry about the coronavirus.
Japan Crimes 1m people?
😔
A growing number of Japanese become recluses. Not because of reluctance attitude to leave the home. It is because the pressure from society and work. Uber eats and convenient internet keep them stay at home and barely move outside.
Recluses with electronic devices that connect them with many social networks throughout the world. A recluse can now stay on the couch in a house and be connected to the whole world of interactivity and all the information that is available in it.
America probably has a higher rate compared to population. You’d be amazed how many apartments in big cities have shut ins. It’s creepy.
It's 150m nation.
Extreme capitalism crushes people, but they are 'happy' buying things.
outcasts are outliers to JapanGov draconian socialengineering, based on a bygone feudal social hierarchy out of sync with globalisation. entrepreneur programs may be a viable solution
Oo
é porque la n tem drogas, mas vo muda isso
Sad that your kids aren't enjoying the s&$* made world you put them in? Good! Now have the least of decency and apologize to them! 😄💕🎶
Ishtarnin_an_ak 😑
Same thing they're doing to the United States
Ahh... you should have read the 'Otaku' thingy from my Odyssey epic. Thank you for focusing in class.
I get out of home to go groceries, a couple of monthly strolls, mandatory chores, church mass and rosary. All else is unnecessary bull&$*t that will stress you and over expose you to the risks of s&$* made world, again, for no actual use whatsoever…Thankfully I work at home.
A world of abundance yet capitalism demands scarcity so markets can function, then we all become hamsters on wheels begging for theirs scraps
I completely understand. 😐
California’s homelessness is worse which Pelosi & her Dem followers gave a blind eye to fix the issue. Rather, They are busy wasting the taxpayers money to enrich themselves—eat, dress & travel lavishly!
i too am a hikikomori
Recluse with hentai manga sexy anime pillow
Wonder why its happening?
The Economist and BBC always attack Japan by reporting negative news as worst in the world. It is probably caused by their representatives in Japan, and they are aware of more serious problems in EU and USA. Certain racism there.
And what evidence do we have that this isn't a phenomenon in the UK and other countries. How can you reasonably accurately come up with such a statistic given the nature of the phenomenon? Is this a fact or just a guess? Gives the Economist something to write though.
Not just an American phenomenon I see
alllibertynews Never ever positive about Japan
That is a lot of otakus!
Hey, Americans have that in common too. It’s called “being human”. It’s a gene that goes back to the time people hid in caves. Moldy, dusty, guano infested caves. I had a great great uncle that was Gollum.
They just want to wake up in a world where money and sex is overturned by God, the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit.
hey man, I totally get it
mentalhealth
Nscooper8 they have unlimited anime, can you blame them
gRoW thE eConOmy Productivity increases aren't free y'all
Letterbox/email to recipients with offering of free entry, free food, free 2 nights stay accomodation and they’ll line up, guaranteed.
SoftBank will perfect assistedsuicide soon. Important we let them finish the work so we can sail into a brilliant future with no negativity.
paywall
Reclusives with tinternet ? cheaters lol
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: TMZ - 🏆 379. / 59 Read more »
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »
Source: TheCut - 🏆 720. / 51 Read more »
Source: Yahoo Lifestyle - 🏆 365. / 59 Read more »