Hikikomori ministry in Tohoku

I suspect that ministering to hikikomori in rural Tohoku is probably pretty close to the bottom of the pecking order of desirable ministries. From a human perspective, the hurdles seem too great. For a start, how would you begin to make contact with people who hole themselves up in their bedrooms almost all the time and shun contact with others? Even if you were to succeed in making contact, the time and love you would have to pour into each individual to win their trust would be immense. And there would always be the threat that they might again retreat into their self-imposed exile.

But that’s exactly the ministry in which Roseline Yong is engaging. She’s not your typical missionary—currently an assistant professor at Akita University, she lectures on public health and environmental medicine as well as researches hikikomori, Internet addiction, and suicide prevention.

JEMA asked her some questions about her ministry to people who suffer hikikomori.

JEMA: How did you become interested in hikikomori?

Roseline: In 2006, I was praying about Japan and about what I could do. I was thinking of studying more about Japan and its social problems. At that time, hikikomori was featuring a lot in the news. So after consulting with my professor at my university in Hong Kong, I decided to start researching it.

JEMA: When did you first meet a hikikomori person?

Roseline: My first encounter was in 2005 when I visited Japan on a short trip, before I had started to think about research. I was staying with WEC missionaries in Shiga and someone told me that there’s a young man staying there who doesn’t speak to people. But he talked to me and helped me make a bagel for breakfast. It was only afterwards that I realized he was a hikikomori sufferer.

JEMA: Please tell me about a bit about your hikikomori ministry. Are the other staff all Christians?

Roseline: No, they’re not. Apart from me and another lady, Midori, the staff are all hikikomori sufferers or ex-hikikomori sufferers. We decided that people who avail themselves of the ministry have to become staff because we want them to feel that they belong. Hikikomori sufferers don’t have any attachment to a school or company, making it difficult for them to hang out somewhere. They stay in their rooms because they feel they don’t belong anywhere. By getting them to help out, they become attached to the ministry and eventually begin to feel that they belong.

JEMA: How many people with hikikomori are you ministering to?

Roseline: About 20 in total. Usually roughly a dozen come to the centre, but others come once in a while or I go to see them.

JEMA: Do they live in the centre?

Roseline: No, they visit the centre. Only Midori and I live at the centre.

JEMA: How do you make contact with hikikomori sufferers?

Roseline: They usually first hear about the ministry by word of mouth. Some hear about us through mental health care professionals. Sometimes we are featured on the local TV news. A local publishing company produces advertisements that help us let people know that we’re here. We don’t get crowds coming, but each time an article is published or we appear on the news, we generally get one or two newcomers.

These people deliberate for a long time before coming—quite a few took a year or so before visiting. We have a blog (http://h4j-hikikomori.blogspot.jp) to help them get to know us. When people in a hikikomori situation discover the blog, they keep reading it until they eventually decide to come to the centre. Once they come and find that they fit in, then they start coming regularly.

JEMA: What kinds of activities do you do?

Roseline: We talk a lot. Other people would probably call it counselling, but it’s really free talking. There’s no pressure; each person can speak as much or as little as they want. As they become more comfortable, they’re able to open up. It’s very difficult to set a topic and then stick with it because people who are socially withdrawn generally don’t talk very much. I think that’s because they haven’t really communicated with others for a long time.

We also have study groups. Even when we have themes for study groups, the aim is the same: we encourage them to talk about themselves. At first, one or two will talk just to me. But since the space is quite small, even people who are not initially part of the group see what’s going on and as they observe, they gradually feel safe and are able to join in.

We also focus on art therapy. By drawing a picture, they subconsciously express feelings that they have long been suppressing. Everyone then looks at the drawings together and we take turns talking about how we feel about the pictures. From that starting point, we explore the things that make them feel that way. It builds up a sense of mutual trust and promotes self-discovery.

Through these activities, participants open up their hearts. As they gradually become used to the activities, they start to participate in special events, such as meals together. For example, Christmas and New Year parties provide opportunities to mingle with each other and organise activities together. We encourage openness, so that even outside of their homes, they become able to show their real selves and speak their minds.

JEMA: Is there any way that people can be praying for your ministry and supporting it in practical ways?

Roseline: Yes, there are lots. Recently, I’ve been seeing lots of improvements in the lives of people we’re involved with. The speed of improvement has really exceeded my expectations. Sometimes it’s like everything just clicks and we see explosions of self-esteem and self-confidence. However, many of them still have areas in their lives that they not willing to open to us yet. I always feel that that’s the Devil’s influence. He’s trying to hold them back. I think only prayer can enable them to feel safe to open up.

I’d also love it if people would consider “adopting” one of our staff members. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. They could pray for them and their needs. And maybe write postcards to them.