THOUSANDS OF YOUNG JAPANESE CHOOSE TO SHUT THEMSELVES AWAY IN THEIR BEDROOMS
THEY DON’T WORK OR GO TO SCHOOL
THEY ARE KNOWN AS HIKIKOMORI
[Teruo]Do you often have dreams?
[Ito] Yeah, all kinds of nightmares. I remember the one where I killed my parents.
[Teruo]Which parent did you kill?
[Ito] Usually people kill their fathers in dreams
[Ito] My mother [Voice] Your mother?
[Ito] I dreamed that I killed her in front of my little brother
[Teruo]Did it feel real?
[Ito] I couldn’t make a sound, even though I tried to scream from the top of my lungs. I tried to
do something, few times, but nothing worked. And the brother held me. That’s the dream I had.
HIKIKOMORI. LOVELESS
[TERUO MIYANISHI, EMERITUS PROFESSOR, WAKAYAMA UNIVERSITY]A
hikikomori is someone who shuts themself off from society,
and shuns all contact with people If that behaviour
continues for 6 months, the person is considered a hikikomori
ITO’S STORY WAS RECORDED OVER FOUR DAYS WITHOUT EVER LEAVING HIS ROOM
[Ito]For the past few days I've woken up at 4 or 5 in the
evening, and gone to bed about 12 hours later, it seems...
[Ito]I wake up and simply lack the strength to get out of bed I don't even try to go outside
[Ito]This has been my environment since I was born
[ITO, HIKIKOMORI]This is all mine. Living here once felt good, and now the room is a shelter of sorts
[Ito]Something inextricably links me to this room
[Ito]I want somewhere of my own, a space that belongs only to me
[Ito]You make changes by selecting emotions for facial expressions
[Ito]You can choose between different
eyebrows... and the face changes
[Ito]Let's get on with it
[Ito]So many choices!
[Ito]Almond-shaped eyes would be great
[Ito]I don't have a set bed time or time for staying awake
[Ito]When I'm not asleep, eating or washing, I listen
to music, surf the internet or play video games
[Ito]That's basically it
[Ito]I have no real interest in the outside world
[Ito]As for conversations with my mother...
[Ito]She might ask me to do something or join them at the table, for example
[Ito]We don't communicate any more than that
[Ito]That's the only time I'll go downstairs
ITO FORBADE US TO TALK TO HIS PARENTS
[Teruo]In the economic boom times, men became completely wrapped up in their
work. Dads didn't participate in family life as they were always working
[Teruo] Mums, left to do almost all the parenting,
became obsessed with education, teaching their kids things
[Teruo]This became a common societal model for raising children
[Naomi]It started with him saying he didn't want to go to school
[Naomi]He was in his final year
[NAOMI TANI, MOTHER]It was summer, end of summer I think
[Naomi]I was getting ready for work when he came back from school, and said, I don't want to study anymore
RYOJI TANI, FOR EIGHT OF HIS 32 YEARS HE WAS A HIKIKOMORI
[Ryoji]Is it here? Where could it be?
[Ryoji]Hachiman Coco School...
[Ryoji]Portraits from a third grade field trip
[Ryoji]No... Didn't they take my picture?
[Ryoji]I was absent that day
[RYOJI TANI]They took my picture later, separately
[Ryoji]Yes, those who missed the trip had their picture taken later
[Ryoji]I look like a monkey here... Like a male monkey
[Ryoji]If anyone was bullied... they would try to avoid the bullies...
[Ryoji]Kids like that are often targeted
[Ryoji]Middle school memories...
[Ryoji]Memories, memories, memories...
[Ryoji]I was constantly bullied, mentally
[Ryoji]At a certain point, I stopped going to school I remember the
moment I made the decision not to go to school and to return home
[Naomi]I thought that he would resolve it all by himself,
prove that he was sufficiently independent
[Naomi]I was waiting, relying on him
[Naomi]I did nothing, to be honest... How can I put it?
[Naomi]I didn't try to talk to him I hoped he'd
resolve it, and there was nothing I could do
[Naomi]So I just waited
[Teruo]Good evening, everyone I'm from Iwata where I work in an office,
and I don't get much time to see each of you in person,
so I'm really glad to see you here. In the past year,
more than 100 new hikikomori came to my clinic
[Teruo]The government estimates that 600-700 thousand families have hikkis in Japan
[Teruo]How do you like those figures? Could anyone
here live without leaving home for six months?
[Teruo]After 2-3 years of such seclusion, all of a hikikomori's
friends, fellow students, all normal people, if I may say so,
will have graduated from college, got a job, and become integrated into society
[Teruo]Meanwhile, all hikikomori accumulate over these 2-3 years is irritation and
frustration They would probably like to overcome this seclusion, but they're
afraid that the world doesn't accept them, that people look at them strangely
[Teruo]They get looks if they go outside: 'There goes the slacker'
[Teruo]After a while, they'll only leave home to go to the shop
[Ito]I haven't slept for over two days
[Ito]These are the meds I'm on now, Brotizolam
[Ito]It's a thienotriazolodiazepine
[Ito]I take it as a sleeping pill
[Ito]It's a relaxant
[Ito]This is Ludiomil. I forget what it does
[Ito]There are so many, it's impossible to remember...
[Ito]This is... Penstan, an antidepressant. That's all it says
[Ito]Some ancient antidepressant, extra strong
[Ito]They can do whatever they want regarding treatment
[Ito]They can kill me for all I care
[Ito]I've even thought that killing me might make me better
[Ito]My parents don't acknowledge their faults, especially my mum
[Ito]She's forgotten what she did and now claims it's all my dad's fault As if she's suffering from memory loss
[Ito]Yes, I have a little brother
[Ito]He has it good, I was the one who suffered violence
[Ito]They yelled at me, beat me, choked me, threw me down the stairs
[Ito]On cold days they'd kick me out undressed, so I was freezing
[Teruo]He's sitting in his room doing nothing, but he's being fed
[Teruo]He communicates with the outside world via the internet, which is safe
[Teruo]He passes the time watching movies,
chatting online while playing video games, and so on
[Teruo]The time goes quickly:
two years, three years, ten years
[Teruo]His parents grow old and retire
[Teruo]Then they fall ill and it ends tragically
[Teruo]This is a typical scenario in cases of extended seclusion
[Teruo]Grab one if you want, and pass it on
[Man]Thanks a lot!
[Man]The ones with leaves are super fresh, just been picked
[Man] Have the green one [Man 2] Is that all I deserve?
[Man]It's delicious, try it
[Man]This one is definitely sweet, and that one looks good but...
MONTHLY HIKIKOMORI SUPPORT CLUB MEETING
[Teruo]Share your story, how long was it before you felt a desire to
step outside? How did you prepare yourself for stepping out?
[Teruo]If you've had such an experience, please share it
[Man]I only had one parent, and he retired
[Man]I thought that if I don't start working,
it'll be really tough for everyone
[Man]So that was it. I did it
[Teruo]How old were you when you realised that it was time to step
outside, that your parent's health was poor and he couldn't work?
[Man]35 or...36 years old
[Teruo]I see... Wow!
[Teruo]What do you think about the relaxing time you had?
[Man] It was nice!
[Teruo]How do you find spending lots of time at home?
[Man]It's as good as it gets!
[Man]I can do whatever I want I'm happy with my current situation
[Man]My parents support my lifestyle and even sometimes buy me presents
[Man]I have a computer to play my favourite games on Everything's perfect
[Teruo]You don't want to quit it?
[Man] No... I wouldn't know what to do with myself
[Mother]A middle school teacher and a psychiatrist told me about Mr Miyanishi
[Mother]My first consultation with him was last year, six
months after my son developed hikikomori syndrome
[Mother]Of late, I've often found him sitting motionless, staring intently at a calendar
[Mother]It's been 2 years since he shut himself off
[Teruo]It must be very hard for him...
to stare at the calendar and realise days are going by
[Teruo]He feels lousy, because it's depressing to know that time is running out
[Teruo]This problem needs to be solved
[Teruo]Attending high school or extramural programs isn't obligatory
[Mother]I agree. His rhythm of life has changed dramatically
[Mother]He gets up around noon or one o'clock
and has breakfast, or lunch, rather
[Mother]Before, he wouldn't even go downstairs to eat,
[Mother]I had to bring him food
[Mother]I didn't know exactly when he woke up and went to bed,
so I had to check to see if he was awake, then bring him food
[Mother]Maybe I raised him wrong or another reason is to blame
[Mother]I've been feeling really bad about it
[Mother]I don't know the reason, at first I blamed myself
[Mother]I don't know if it's the parents' fault,
whether it's just who he is, or if the environment is the cause
[Mother]Maybe all of the above
[Teruo]I once spoke with a judge who oversaw a case involving a
young gentleman The young man had cut himself off from society
when he was 22-23, if I'm not mistaken When he was 37
his father had a car accident and ended up bed-ridden
[Teruo]After a while his mother also fell ill, exhausted by taking care of her husband and son
[Teruo]The young man was completely dependent on his parents He didn't know how to take
care of himself or cook We try to teach similar kids cooking skills, by the way
[Teruo]So he lost all hope,
and, with no idea how to go on living,
he killed his father in front of his sick mother,
and then committed suicide,
believing it was the best way out of the situation
[Teruo]There have been similar cases all over Japan
[Teruo]It's become a serious problem
FORMER HIKIKOMORI PREPARE FOR A REUNION OF FORMER "RECLUSES"
[Man] Come in!
[Man] It's the leaflets - They've brought the leaflets
[Man] Put them in the middle!
[Man] There you are!
[Man] Let Tani-san open them
[Ryoji] Do you have scissors or a knife?
[Ryoji]Look, there are loads of them!
[Mamoru]Whenever hikikomori go outside, they look for a place to go
[Mamoru]They should have a few places to visit because often people just don't connect
[MAMORU ISHII DIRECTOR, KANSAI HIKIKOMORI SOCIAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATION]If they're scared off after leaving
their home for the first time, they'll decide it's so scary that they'll never go out again
[Mamoru]We tried to think of a specific way of helping these people,
so, despite being busy, I started a club for such people in my area
[Woman]I snapped out of hikikomori mode three years ago
[Woman]I had spent about two years in isolation
[Woman]My condition lasted about 8 years I started going out 3 years ago
[Woman]It first happened in middle school, I didn't go to school for 3 years
[Woman]Then I relapsed as a student It lasted another 3 years
[Man]Cool!
[Man]Great leaflets!
[Man]Hooray!
[Man] We did it! Congratulations, thanks everyone
CHILDREN INTERVIEWING TANI-SAN FOR A HIKIKOMORI SCHOOL PROJECT
[Student]Thank you! Thank you!
[Student]Yes, right…
[Voice]As for you personally...
[Voice]How long did you spend inside, how did you end up in this organisation, and what was the impetus?
[Ryoji]Let's imagine the journey in the shape of the letter U
[Ryoji]You go into a decline,
then you pull out of hikikomori mode
[Ryoji]There is a downward curve
[Ryoji]Later, there are certain points where you realise...
what you have to do and where you should go
[Ryoji]That begins the upward curve
[Ryoji]It's a series of small steps
[Ryoji]It was important to me to get involved with the organisation not to help others, but to help myself
[Ryoji]I was raised in an environment where my personality didn't exist, it was missing
[Ryoji]My father didn't know how to communicate with me or raise me Neither did my mother
[Ryoji]She wanted me to act the way she wished, so that's what she tried to achieve
[Ryoji]As long as I can remember, ever since primary school,
she was always angry because of that
[Ryoji]I suffered from a nervous tic until third grade
[Ryoji]I was under constant stress until fifth grade
[Ryoji]I guess that was why I kept wetting the bed
[Ryoji]Plus my grandmother... If my classmates' windows were lit up late at night,
she'd say they were studying,
so she made me stay up and study late, too
[Ryoji]Maybe that was the reason
[Ryoji]I was lacking love, I guess I never thought I was loved by anyone
[Ryoji]I never felt loved, nothing of the kind
[Ryoji]Especially when I was little
[Teruo] May I come in? - Come in
[Teruo]I'm so sorry for bothering you [Ito]There's a chair here
[Teruo]Is it working? Do you play games on it?
[Ito] Yeah, I play video games I bought this one as
soon as it came out, but I haven't got good at it yet
[Teruo]I was taking a walk in the neighbourhood, and decided
to drop by unannounced I was wondering if you'd let me in
[Ito] Would you like to take a seat? [Теруо] Sure
[Teruo]You said that your mother often hit you, and was cruel to you as a child, is that so?
[Ito]They told me that if they said 'lie down and die', I must
obey They kept repeating those words as they beat me
[Ito]They'd strangle me. That's why I don't feel human
[Ito]What did your parents want from you?
[Teruo]You were getting straight 'As'?
[Ito]I felt all they wanted was for me to be a success
[Ito]They envisioned no other future for me
[Teruo]Do you often dream at night?
[Ito]Not recently, but I did for a while
[Teruo]Do you often have nightmares or anxiety dreams?
[Teruo]Do you see your mother's angry face in your dreams?
[Ito]Sometimes. Occasionally I still do, and I immediately wake up
[Teruo]But you don't have dreams of your father?
[Ito]I think he has repented already
[Teruo]Did he?
[Ito]I don't know if it's genuine, but he looks guilty. My mother...
has memory lapses She won't admit to anything she's done
[Teruo]She won't admit it?
[Ito]She pretends not to remember anything
[Teruo]Are you hungry?
[Ito]To meet the outside world?
[Teruo] No, just to have something nice to eat [Ito]I'm ok like this
[Teruo] What do you like more, ramen or curry rice? [Ito] Ramen
[Teruo] Shall we go grab some? [Ito] Together?
[Teruo]Come on, let's go. I'm hungry
[Teruo]Let's go have some ramen
ITO LEAVES HIS HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS
[Teruo]Of course, there are many issues, but I believe it's a uniquely Japanese problem,
with roots in our cultural and societal peculiarities
[Teruo]It manifests in Japanese youths who want to fit in but can't manage it
[Teruo]Plus, society has a negative attitude towards hikikomori
[Teruo]Most people think they are work-shy slackers,
and that triggers feelings of shame
[Teruo]They want to live like normal people, but they can't cope
[Teruo]They can't relax... so there is no end to their torment