Japan's 'hikikomori' finding voice through self-determination
Japan is home to some 1.5 million hikikomori, the Japanese term for individuals who withdraw from society and self-isolate, often in their elderly parents' homes.
A new quarterly Japanese magazine, called "SHIP!" -- planned, edited and published by people who have experience either as or with hikikomori -- was launched in April. The publication seeks to shake up society to allow social recluses to live happily, by giving voice to those who have previously suffered in silence.
The national government, meanwhile, has also established new support guidelines that emphasize the "autonomy" of hikikomori and encourage dialogue that respects their choices.
Rika Ueda, 53, a member of the quarterly's publishing team, went through a spell as a hikikomori in her 20s. "I took refuge away from society," she said of that time.
After graduating from college, Ueda changed jobs two dozen times.
She was a part of Japan's "Employment Ice Age" generation consisting of those who struggled to enter the workforce in a decade-long period from the mid-1990s. Young graduates as well as those who lost their jobs due to the collapse of the "bubble economy" suffered economic and societal hardship when they were unable to secure stable employment.
Adding to the difficult environment, discrimination against women was also rampant, characterized by overwork, power harassment and the reduction of part-time and temporary staff.
Given these challenges, Ueda's inclination toward social withdrawal deepened.
Ueda said each time she became unable to move forward, she felt like "a nobody in this society." Her mother blamed herself for "not being able to put her daughter on the right track in life," and both shut themselves off from the outside world.
One day, at a family gathering in Tokyo, Ueda was shocked to hear a man who was also a shut-in talk about his experiences of feeling like society had become his enemy. Similarly, Ueda had suppressed her feelings while harboring distrust for anyone outside those close to her.
"I wasn't the only one," she thought, and the understanding that she was among others facing the same struggles gave her a feeling of redemption.
The quarterly is edited by people affected by hikikomori, parents and supporters who met at hikikomori-related events and family meetings around the country. SHIP is an acronym for Social, Human Rights, Inclusive, Peer -- a reflection of the group's values.
The special feature of its inaugural April issue was "Breaking Down Preconceived Notions."
The content included personal stories from individuals and their families, as well as interviews with experts, and explored the background of the difficulties people face in life, such as prejudice, lack of understanding and peer pressure.
According to a Cabinet Office survey published in 2023, there are an estimated 1.46 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 who are socially withdrawn in Japan.
Despite various triggers and circumstances, government support has until recently emphasized "independence" through employment and other means, and there have been many cases where individuals have been driven into a corner by a uniform response to the problem.
Feeling like there is no way out, some, particularly those who fall under the banner of the "8050 problem" -- referring to a situation where parents in their 80s are financially and emotionally supporting hikikomori adult children in their 50s -- have turned to shady businesses that remove shut-ins from their homes, often by force, at the request of parents.
These operators are known as "hikidashi-ya" -- translating literally to "one who pulls (someone) out."
It is believed they purport to take social recluses to "rehabilitation centers" and charge exorbitant fees for the service. There have been a number of civil court decisions in various parts of the country that have gone against them.
In January, seven men in their 20s to 40s who lived in the Kanto region among other areas successfully claimed in a class action suit that they were forcibly taken from their homes and confined in a facility in Kanagawa Prefecture by a firm purporting to support the "independence of social recluses."
The same month, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced a new guideline for use at local government offices, called "The Hikikomori Support Handbook: A Compass for Supporting Hikikomori."
It states that employment and social participation are merely a means to an end, and that the goal should be "autonomy" to allow people to decide how they want to live their lives focused on dialogue, including with family members.
The Tokyo-based network that publishes SHIP! held a series of events in May -- a total of 10 lectures introducing the perspective of shut-ins -- featuring specific examples from the newly published support handbook.
"Dialogue means not forcing the 'right' answer on the other person," SHIP!'s Ueda said. "I want to make it possible for everyone to feel that it is okay to value their own voice in the rough and tumble of society, and not have their voices silenced."
"SHIP! is a vessel that will continue to spread this message, think together, and ask questions," she added.
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