Common myths about hikikomori

The chances are that you’ve never met a person with hikikomori (although you may well know someone who has a family member in this category). This hidden nature of hikikomori makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction, and consequently several myths have sprung up regarding it. Tamaki Saitō, the psychologist who first publicized the phenomenon of hikikomori, defined sufferers of the disorder as “those who withdraw entirely from society and stay in their own homes for more than six months.”¹ Here, we explode four of these myths while considering the partial truths they contain.

Myth 1: Japan has a million hikikomori sufferers

The secluded nature of people with hikikomori behaviour makes it notoriously difficult to even roughly gauge their number in Japan. This difficulty is reflected in the huge range of estimates given in the literature: anywhere between 200,000 and 1,000,000—a five-fold difference.²

The figure of 1,000,000 is often bandied about in the popular media in regards to the number of sufferers in Japan. This is due to the influence of Saitō. In his clinical experience, he encountered similar numbers of people with hikikomori and people with schizophrenia (who make up about 1% of the population).²

But this is most probably an overestimate. Andy Furlong notes that labour force statistics indicate that about 640,000 people in the age range 15–34 are economically inactive.² Based on this figure, he concludes that “there is no credible basis for any upper level estimate that exceeds half a million and it would be surprising if more than half the inactive [i.e., 320,000] could be described as hikikomori.”

On the other hand, a national survey by the Japanese government estimated that about 696,000 people under the age of 40 are hikikomori sufferers (including those who only leave the house for specific reasons).³ So the actual figure probably lies somewhere in the range 300,000–700,000.

Needless to say, even the lower estimates represent a major social problem that has large economic and social repercussions. It also has important implications for evangelism—a significant proportion of the Japanese population cannot be reached by traditional means (see the next article, on page 26).

Myth 2: Hikikomori is a uniquely Japanese phenomenon

English borrowed a Japanese word to describe the phenomenon, which was first reported in Japan. Both these facts have led to the myth that it is unique to Japan. But evidence of hikikomori-like cases has been found in other countries. A telephone survey suggested that 1.9% of young adults (12–29 years old) in Hong Kong had been socially withdrawn for more than six months and 2.5% had experienced social withdrawal for less than six months.⁴ One study sent two profiles of typical hikikomori sufferers to overseas psychiatrists and asked whether they had encountered similar cases in their countries. Psychiatrists in all the surveyed countries (Australia, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the US) reported that they had.⁵

Even though Japan might not be the only country to have hikikomori, there does seem to be something about Japanese society and culture that makes it particularly conducive for young people to escape the problems of life by secluding themselves.

Myth 3: People who suffer hikikomori never venture out of their homes

The popular image of a person with hikikomori behaviour is that of a young person shut up in their home, spending almost all their time in their bedroom. This image is reflected in Saitō’s definition quoted above. In 2010, a work group supported by the Japanese government modified this definition to, “A phenomenon in which persons become recluses in their own homes, avoiding various social situations (e.g., attending school, working, having social interactions outside of the home etc.) for at least six months. They may go out without any social contact with others.”⁶

“If they go outside, they won’t talk to others,” notes Roseline Yong, a Christian community health specialist who researches hikikomori sufferers. “There’s another pattern: they might go to a library or convenience store, but if the same librarian or shop assistant is always there, then they’ll probably stop going.”

Myth 4: Hikikomori sufferers have poor social skills

Along with the image of these people being shut up in their bedrooms, they are often viewed as having low social skills. But based on her experience with people in hikikomori situations, Yong says “Some of them have very highly developed social skills. In fact, I find that unless they are co-morbid with developmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or pervasive developmental disorders, they normally have very good social skills.”

The reality behind hikikomori is more complex than popular notions of it. “I think people have one kind of definition when they think of hikikomori [sufferers]. They tend to view them as people who are stuck in their rooms and who can’t communicate with others at all. But it seems like it’s much more complicated than that. There are different kinds of hikikomori [sufferers],” Yong adds.

This brief look at the phenomenon of hikikomori gives a sense of how complex a problem it is. Hikikomori sufferers represent a sizeable group that desperately needs the love and support that the body of Christ can give. 

1. T. Saitō, Shakaiteki hikikomori: owaranai shishunki. (Societal hikikomori: unending adolescency). (Tokyo: PHP-Kenkyujo, 1998).
2. Andy Furlong, “The Japanese hikikomori phenomenon: acute social withdrawal among young people,” The Sociological Review 56 (2008): 2, 309–325.
3. Director General for Policy on Cohesive Society, Wakamono no ishiki ni kansuru chousa (hikikomori ni kansuru jittai chousa) (An attitude survey of young people: the actual situation of hikikomori). In: Cabinet Office of Policy on Cohesive Society, editor (2010).
4. P. W. Wong et al. “The prevalence and correlates of severe social withdrawal (hikikomori) in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey study,” Int. J. Soc. Psychiatry 61 (2014): 4, 330–342.
5. Takahiro A. Katō et al. “Does the ‘hikikomori’ syndrome of social withdrawal exist outside of Japan? A preliminary international investigation. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 47 (2012): 1061–1075.
6. K. Saitō, Hikikomori no hyouka-shien Ni kansuru gaido-rain (Guideline of hikikomori for their evaluations and supports). Tokyo: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2010).