The Hikikomori Phenomenon

The hikikomori phenomenon began in 1990’s in Japan, despite of that the condition itself is not new to the society - it has existed long before the term was created, in form of hermits. Tamaki, who is seen as an expert in this area, claims that hikikomori should not be a brand for a disease but more as a condition or a state (Horiguchi, 2012). There have been several conditions of social withdrawal in the past, and these conditions have developed and can be seen as the result of Hikikomori. The causes of the condition are multiple and a combination of biological, psychological and social factors according to The Ministry of Health labor and Welfare’s guidelines (Horiguchi, 2011).

This chapter will examine how the phenomenon has developed …show more content…
(Horiguchi, 2012) Why are hikikomori not taking the role of the spokesperson? An explanation for that is the condition is seen as taboo, and a majorities of families would feel uncomfortable having their son/daughter out in public calling themselves a hikikomori, especially because of the negative image there is connected to the hikikomori – which will be explained further down. (Horiguchi, 2012). A second explanation could be that since they suffer from social withdrawal, they have no incentive to partake in the hikikomori …show more content…
It is relevant to identify how the media portrays the hikikomori, and compared to Tamaki’s statements the image they give are not entirely correct, since they only portray them as a potential danger towards the society. A family, who has a hikikomori among them, will as mentioned before not talk about it publicly, especially after the media reports. The cultivation theory explains it as the media has a certain influence on the people, and can frame and create the image they want - and the people would unconsciously believe in it (Horiguchi,