Hikikomori: “What’ll You Do If Your Parents Die?” “Suicide”

That's too simplistic, everyone is ultimately responsible for themselves and thier failures. Yeah parents have an effect but people have to account for thier own actions or we would have people suing parents when kids grow up and become criminals. Life is unfair and sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to, so what. These people have chosen to give up and lay down just because everything didn't go the way they want? Maybe they just enjoy staying home playing computer games and being lazy? I can't speak to individual motivations but they have no one to blame but themselves in the end. I have seen parapalegics and people with md etc out working and they can really say life dealt them a bad hand. So, for people who are basicly healthy but lazy to blame thier parents rings hollow.

Really? And I thought just graduating in senior high school you can find a decent job.

I am sure they have plenty of demand for general laborers and tradesmen. Plumbers, construction workers, metal workers, different kinds of craftsmen and technicians, mechanics, fishermen, etc. etc.

There is demands for all kinds of work, if you are willing to get your hands dirty. There are many jobs for which you need to go into apprenticeship after high school. You don't need college to survive, if you are willing to work hard.

Every country needs people who do grunt work. If everyone was an engineer or doctor what would happen to the infrastructure of a country? Who drives the buses in Japan? Who operates the amazing subway system? Who shoves the passengers into the trains in Japan? (You've all seen the pictures...lol)

They might enjoy staying home screwing around, but who doesn't? Most people or their parents expect that they will go and earn their keep and take steps to do so. Hikkikomoris and their parents are seemingly content (or unwilling to push) with the kid staying home and acting as a sponge forever. It's both the child and parents' fault for allowing things to become this way.

I would say that part of it is mental illness, to say that it's solely responsible of the person themselves and not society or people is sort of society's way to make sure there is no guilt on their part. However it's not really anyone's fault, it's a set of circumstances combind by behavior of that person and the people who are appart of their life.

That doesn't mean that person is doomed to leech off their parents for the rest of their lives, but the ultimate reason of "why" isn't probably so simple of just because their "lazy". For all the argument going on, no one seems to be asking "WHY" these hikkomori are around, only how many there are and what's going to happen in the future. Instead of "how do we fix this mess, why do these people feel compelled to stay with their parents, are they afraid of something etc, etc"

Something tells me that it has something to do with the fact that people are afraid of what the answer is going to be, there's no question about it. You can't just sit back and hope somehow this will all work out.

@Domo-kun , Im a Japanese and graduated in Tokyo Daigaku which was 3years ago... but to tell you the truth even you graduated in a big collage and with a good degree , there is still no job in todays Japan. now here I am ended working on a small company with a lack on salary while doing a parttime job 6days a week. without doing this I need to get back to province and ended getting my self working with my parents on the farm . that is how hard life here in Japan and 90% of us need to do this kind of stuffs... looking Japan from outside looks like a good country but it is a big messy hell inside.

That does not sound very suprising. Japan's economy has been stagnant for over 10 years.

America will find itself with a similar socio-economic problem soon as Baby Boomers retire. This, plus America's excessive federal spending, is going to lead to Big Problems in the near and not-so-near future.

http://www.amazon.com/Shutting-Out-Sun-Generation-Departures/dp/1400077796/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266295043&sr=8-1

Shutting Out the Sun by Michael Zielenziger. A non-fiction book about hikkikomoris, parasitc singles, and other such fun Japanese problems (even their economy - the book was written in 2006 so it's not about the most recent 2008-2009 problem).I'd suggest picking it up if your library has a copy. Part of it goes on a tangent seemingly unrelated (and I admit I completely skipped those pages outright) but most of it is fascinating.

There are doctors attempting to treat hikkikomoris but at least in a few of the cases shown in the book they face opposition from both the hikkikomori himself (and their inability to deal with society) but the parents too (one parent pretty much flat out says that her child won't be coming back for any more meetings with the doctor because the child kind of freaked out once). Reasons like too much pressure (the dreaded "cram school" and whatnot) are given for why hikkikomoris exist. It is suggested that some parents might be hiding their problem child inside as to not show that they even exist to their neighborhood and the rest of the outside world.

I can't say I've done much followup research to see whether or not the problem has been looked into more in the last few years though.

I feel sorry for the parents, i mean if they were this bad does that mean they'd just let them be dead in their room without doing fuckall about it.

I'm confused, both by your internet comment and why my original post was downvoted to the degree it was.

All I was doing was asking for clarification on something... I don't recall being offensive or stupid.

You got downvoted for ignorance. People say it's a bliss, so I won't be the jackass to fill you in.

That's incredibly stupid, this isn't a matter of lacking common sense; this is a matter of trying to understand a lifestyle choice one does not live.

How do you justify condemning those that seek knowledge?

Those hikkikomori aren't simply seeking knowledge, Savantique... they're taking the easy (ie; lazy) way out of things.

They want to leech off Mom and Dad? Eventually that source will dry up, sad to say. And those who want to commit suicide or starve themselves? I hate to be the Devil's Advocate here, but good. That's less leeches to deal with overall in the course of things.

How many of them will contribute anything to the rest of humanity, either through hard work or volunteering time or money to some worthy causes? I'll probably be able to count how many on either my hands or feet.

Of course, I add myself to the number of 'shut-ins' that are out there. Although I have serious health issues (issues which could kill me if I wasn't careful) which keep me from the work I can do (and I'm still looking btw), I still feel bad enough that I chip in for chores around the house.

Some of you might understand where I am in my life right now, others of you will disagree. I really don't care if this gets downvoted or not, I'm just telling it like I see it.

Peace. ^_-

Don't kid yourself, you're just a leech as well. You make more than your parents, but still live at home and don't pay for rent or food? I only make $1200 CAD a month as a full-time student/part-time worker, but I always give my parents half my check. And I know damn well my parents pay more than that for food. You're just like my sister.

Oh and $400/$600 goes into my savings, and then I still have to pay for my cell phone, pet isurance, and I help with monthly tuition for my nephew's school. I'm left with about $60 usually to spend during the month.

Dude, look at what fucking website you're posting on.

What do you expect?

And for not realizing THAT, I see that you actually deserve to be down-modded.

Darkrockslizer, no need to make shit up... you're a hikki plain and simple. we can all tell you have no life; due to how quickly and frequently you respond to each article.

Feel free to make up justifications, but the evidence speaks for itself.

Oh yeah, just incase you haven't heard everyone is rich on the interwebs.

srsly I get 400€ from my parttime job and thats the only part of my time i can spare it's not even enough for my student apartment i got 2 more years to go till my masters degree germany fuckings suxxx

"Those hikkikomori aren't simply seeking knowledge, Savantique... they're taking the easy (ie; lazy) way out of things."

You've completely misunderstood things. I didn't say hikkikomori were the ones seeking knowledge, I was the one trying to seek knowledge and according to another poster's warped logic, this was worthy of downvoting.

The comment I responded to said this: "I can understand the need of some to stay at home all day" - I was trying to understand what they meant by that statement in relation to the content of the article, that was all.

To the anonymous who addressed me: last I checked, I thought the purpose of a public forum was for discussion.

People sure are ignorant about topics that doesnt concern themself. saying they are lazy, or just taking the easy way out.You gotta realise some people do not do it by choice. I for instance suffer from a incurable mental illness which makes me a withdrawn person with very low people skills by nature.

I just dont see the reason why people always try to trash others in less fortunate circumstances.

I would love to be a contributing part of society, but the truth is im not, and will probably never be.

Just try to think for a second before you wish people to die in a gasoline fire.

Wait why are you helping to pay for your nephew's tuition? Why can't your nephew's parents handle it?

Reality suck for those who have a mental illness.Thank you National Mental Health Association for fucking up Americans since 1909.I hope you don't find the cure because by the time you do the world is fuck.

If every hikikomori was as hot as the articles pic, i might have to marry one so that we could both always stay in~ <3

Now just finding one is the problem :|

@Savantique:
While I don't have any problem going out in public doing normal staff, I am a very introvert person that likes to be as much as possible in my home, spending most of my time alone. All these, in a country that it is considered "normal" to get out with friends to coffee shops, bars and clubs virtually "every day".

The way I see it, is that hikkikomoris are an extreme example of my introvert self (in part), that's why I said "I can understand the need to stay in home all day" but not the later part.

@ Anon 09:19:

The last I checked, I was still paying for rent and food, anon. I have been since I left college some twenty-odd years ago. The difference is that

I've worked for a good number of years at a union-paid job in the school districts and at other on-the-books ventures , so I've also paid income tax. And I was pissed with the way things were going, having illegal immigrants come to my country and sponge off the system without putting any of their own money into it first! >_< There may be those who enter America illegally who want to become part of our culture and contribute something. If so, God Bless 'em. The rest can hop on a donkey back to Burritoville.

Everyone's situation is different. The only problem is that we, as people, tend to pigeonhole others into comfortable groups. This 'hikkikomori' title is just that.... a title to identify people with. That's why when there's an inflammatory article here the Muslims attack the Christians, the Christians attack the Muslims, and the Jews guard against everybody. At the same time there are also the ideological lines being drawn in the sand.

................

How did this turn into a diatribe about individuality? O_O Fuck, I'm more sick than I thought.

Hikikomori means Hermit which any country you have your hermits.Its no surpise that the Japanese have their issues with Hermit's.Japanese want them to contribute something to society they have to realize Hikikomori have a issue society.

Hmmm?

Most jail's (no ghetto ones) and Low to Medium security prison's you get expanded basic cable and plenty of stuff to do.

Italy and China, that's all that comes to mind. Care to elaborate on what "most societies" entails?

Some are just not independent enough, some do it for the comfort, and some do it because they're parents could be sick and they need care. There could be a lot of reasons, especially that nowadays most of these people can barely make it economically, but people aren't going to take the time to dig further than the surface of what they see.

I'm still at my parents place, yet this Internet I'm using, I'm the one paying it, I pay my own bills, etc. It's like being out of here, only in a much more comfortable and welcoming place than an empty and small apartment.