Culture

Hikikomori

The short answer

Hikikomori (引きこもり) are people who withdraw from society and stay at home for six months or more. Japan's government estimated about 1.46 million cases among people aged 15 to 64 in 2023.

Where

Japan

Category

Social Issue

When

Ongoing

Origin

1990s (term popularised by psychiatrist Tamaki Saitō in 1998)

What it is

A phenomenon of acute social withdrawal where individuals isolate themselves from society for extended periods.

Why it matters

A complex social and psychological issue. A 2022 Cabinet Office survey (published March 2023) estimated about 1.46 million hikikomori aged 15 to 64.

Fun fact

The term is used untranslated in English and Korean (히키코모리), and the phenomenon is studied worldwide.

Kungfucius says: Japan's most extreme form of 'working from home', minus the work.

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