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Dylan Reilly
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The phenomenon of the hikikomori, despite
appearing simple at first glance, is the result
of a variety of factors and cannot be easily
categorized
Its psychological, sociological, and cultural
roots must all be taken into account if a truly
successful method of treating the problem is
to be found
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A usually physically healthy person, from age
20-30, who refuses to leave their house
The concept may exist elsewhere but appears
most common in Japan, having appeared
more prominently since the mid-1980s
Derived from the Japanese verb hikikomoru
(引きこもる), “to remain indoors”
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Etic view
◦ Sociological factors
◦ Psychological factors
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Emic view
◦ “Filtration” in anime and manga
◦ Self-reported hikikomori traits
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Thanks to its prevalence in Japan, hikikomori is
believed by some to be a “culture-bound
syndrome”, a disorder limited to a specific
culture with symptoms that do not match other
illnesses
Seen by some as a response to stress generated
by “collectivistic values and emphasis on
uniformity in Japan” (Yoneyama, 2000)
Japan’s general emphasis on “the group” may
cause people to see becoming a hikikomori as
more acceptable than lashing out
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http://konibook.web.fc2.com/afb16--2.jpg
Family-based theories
are focused mostly on
parent-child
relationships
Pressure to succeed
placed on children by
their parents
First-born males
expected “to care for
their parents in old
age” (Fogel & Kawai,
2006)
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Amae – “dependent love” most commonly
seen between mother and child, supposedly
also in the majority of Japan’s hierarchical
relationships (Doi, 2005)
Possibly a part of nihonjinron, “theories on
the Japanese,” rather than a trait endemic to
Japan
A form of co-dependence, enabling both
parent and child
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Pressure to be “the good child” – it is possible
that the praising of children who always do as
they’re told can lead to children suppressing
their emotions
http://cache5.amanaimages.com/cen3tzG4fTr7Gtw1PoeRer/022660
05899.jpg
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Futoko – “school refusal”, where children
avoid school to escape bullying or parental
pressure; its relative prevalence may cause it
to be a gateway into hikikomori
Bullying – children that are seen as “different”
are often bullied, potentially leading to
emotional crises or becoming hikikomori
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While some hikikomori appear to be more
influenced by cultural or sociological factors,
some may be suffering from preexisting
mental illnesses
Individuals in other countries with symptoms
similar to hikikomori have been diagnosed
with several different disorders, including
avoidant personality disorder, schizophrenia,
and major depressive disorder
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Rehabilitation groups and counseling
programs also exist specifically for
hikikomori, with varying levels of success
This suggests that hikikomori may be
something to be “cured” or has some roots in
a psychological condition
http://ns-kansai.org/wordpress/wpcontent/themes/panorama20120405/header_images/newstart.jpg
Advertisement for New Start, a hikikomori rehabilitation
program
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Often, the hikikomori
is connected in
popular culture to
the otaku, or “supergeek”
Because of this,
portrayals of
hikikomori in anime
and manga are often
softened to avoid
alienating a potential
viewership
http://getnews.jp/img/archives/
sasami2.jpg
http://www.mediafactory.co.jp/fi
les/d000172/hikikomori1_7iyr_c
ov.jpg
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In Sayounara, Zetsubousensei (Goodbye, Mr.
Despair), a manga known
for poking fun at Japan’s
social problems, the
character Komori Kiri, a
hikikomori, appears
In addition to being treated
lightly, the character is
presented as cute,
nonthreatening, and even
desirable
Portrayal as female –
general “cute girl” appeal or
extra distancing factor?
http://moe.animecharactersdatabase.com/images/sayonaraz
etsubousensei/Kiri_Komori.gif
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For many hikikomori, the internet is the
single bridge of communication to the
outside world
Outsiders can use various websites and
message boards to get a glimpse into the
everyday life and thoughts of the hikikomori
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“When you wake up in the daytime, you think "I'll sleep a little bit more" and when you wake up
at night, you think "It's about time to get up..."”
“You stop looking yourselves in a mirror. You look at yourselves reflected
in a mirror after one year and wonder if the face in the mirror is sure that of yours.”
“You re-acknowledge that the world functions without you.”
“You feel inferiority complex even towards your pet. Before you stroke him/her, you pause and
wonder if a person like me is worth stroking him.”
“I dream of you playing with my friends. I wonder why because I decided that I don't need any
friends anymore.”
“You feel like crying when you wake up after such dreams. In dreams like that, people you may
be able to become friends with or you want to become friends with appear. That's so tough.”
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“Same here. In my case, friends I used to hang out with appear in my dream.”
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“SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY”
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Each case of hikikomori is different and may be
affected by these factors in different ways
Other factors – economic issues/lack of
employment – also exist
Regardless, each of them contribute to the
hikikomori phenomenon as a whole; if solutions
to each portion can be found, we will be much
closer to being able to treat and perhaps prevent
hikikomori in a holistic manner
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Doi, Takeo. 2005. Understanding amae: The Japanese concept of need-love :
collected papers of Takeo Doi. Folkstone, Kent, U.K.: Global Oriental.
Fukushima, Maki. 2012. What is it to be in hikikomori, an interpretative
phenomenological analysis. Ph.D. diss., Alliant International University,
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1269517688?accountid=15053 (accessed
February 3, 2014).
Jones, Maggie. “Shutting Themselves In.” New York Times, January 15, 2006.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/magazine/15japanese.html?pagewanted=
1&_r=2
Takimoto, Tatsuhiko & Oiwa, Kendi. “Welcome to the Project!” Excerpt from NHK ni
Youkoso! (Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten, 2004).
Zielenziger, Michael. “Retreating Youth Become Japan’s ‘Lost Generation’.” Excerpt
from Shutting Out the Sun. NPR, November 24, 2006.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6535284
http://4chanarchive.org/brchive/dspl_thread.php5?thread_id=965262&x=The+lif
e+of+a+hikikomori+ (currently unavailable – may exist in another archive)