Rise of Hikikomori, only in Japan or global?

[Nestharus]

Hikikomori has been something that has only ever been thought to take place in Japan. With family being permitted to be dependent on others well into their 30s, it is no wonder that some people may never have the drive to find work. hikikomori avoid social contact, typically out of fear that they are looked down upon and etc. hikikomori, when living with others, tend to sleep during the day and do things at night to avoid social contact as much as possible.

So, do you think that hikikomori might start appearing around the world, or may only appear in Japan?


I already know that I avoid social contact, so I must wonder if my future is that of a hikikomori : P. I do it because I enjoy watching anime though, and nobody around me likes it, rather they hate it and rage when I'm watching it if they are around. This has led us to eat at different times and is making me become more of a night owl. Is the isolation of a person what leads to a hikikomori?

Fun stuff.

 

[raaawrr]

Just wait a few decades and you will not have to ask that question again, as Japan will be global >:3

 

[Devine]

Ofcourse their will be. Some people are just nightpeople, like me for instance.
I don't fear social contact or try to avoid it. I just like to work in peace.
When I work that is :3

 

[raaawrr]

Ive actually reread your post (in its entirety this time) and then was reminded that anime is indeed Japanese, therefor i take back my statement, japan will NOT rule the world !

 

[Nestharus]

a hikikomori isn't necessarily a night person...

Also anime isn't mainstream Japanese culture, it's its own thing. The culture of otaku is a subculture of Japan that is still regarded as bleh by the mainstream culture. It never assimilated into Japan. It's economy is self-sustaining as well.

A hikikomori is someone who hasn't left their house for more than 6 months, avoids **all** social contact, normally out of ineptness with it, and is a NEET.

They don't socialize well, but they aren't a psychopath or mentally retarded, and they don't necessarily have a mental illness of any sort.

Many hikikomori literally lock themselves up in their own rooms for years at a time, sometimes even going into their 50s or to death. Most are 100% terrified of talking to other people. They don't deal with crowds well either.

In Welcome to the NHK, the main character is a hikikomori who has been in his little 1 room apartment for 4 years, talks to his furniture, is delusional about conspiracies, and has listened to the same song played by his neighbor day in and day out for all those years, but is too terrified to go next door, kick the door in, and scream at the guy to shut the music off. The music also happens to be an annoying anime theme song.

So Devine, are you a hikikomori?

 

[Tyranid]

a hikikomori isn't necessarily a night person...

Also anime isn't mainstream Japanese culture, it's its own thing. The culture of otaku is a subculture of Japan that is still regarded as bleh by the mainstream culture. It never assimilated into Japan. It's economy is self-sustaining as well.

A hikikomori is someone who hasn't left their house for more than 6 months, avoids **all** social contact, normally out of ineptness with it, and is a NEET.

They don't socialize well, but they aren't a psychopath or mentally retarded, and they don't necessarily have a mental illness of any sort.

Many hikikomori literally lock themselves up in their own rooms for years at a time, sometimes even going into their 50s or to death. Most are 100% terrified of talking to other people. They don't deal with crowds well either.

In Welcome to the NHK, the main character is a hikikomori who has been in his little 1 room apartment for 4 years, talks to his furniture, is delusional about conspiracies, and has listened to the same song played by his neighbor day in and day out for all those years, but is too terrified to go next door, kick the door in, and scream at the guy to shut the music off. The music also happens to be an annoying anime theme song.

So Devine, are you a hikikomori?

>>Scared of any sort of social contact
>>Mentally sane and healthy

Wat?

 

[Nestharus]

I read an 8 page psychology paper on hikikomori, and that's what it stated. They are classified into two states, a hikikomori with no known cause, and one that is mentally ill.

Nobody knows what causes a hikikomori to become a hikikomori as there are many possible causes and etc. There is also no known treatment.

 

[Kitabatake]

So, do you think that hikikomori might start appearing around the world, or may only appear in Japan?

It's already appeared in Finland for a few years.
At least according to the amount of activity on all the hikky boards on the four most active finnish imageboards.

 

[Ramza]

There are people like these all over the world. They just give it different names in different countries.

 

[raaawrr]

Once when I was asked by an old lady to take care of her dog while she went on a trip I, to my regret agreed.
Unfortunately the old lady, had died even before she got to the airport. As she did not have any friends/family i never was informed about this tragic event and loyally proceeded to look after her cute doggy named Spot.
About 3 and a half years later, still sitting in her 2 room apartment I think I started to develop symptoms of this (disease?).

On a regular basis I now have clanwars with 9 imaginary buddies. The bright side of this is that I never lose and I get the satisfaction of being a pro.

To keep those games realistic I often type random sentences saying something like "i fak your mador" and other ridiculous things in extremely broken English, to resemble the natural behavior of the actual community.

Does this sound like the topic of discussion? please let me know.

 

[Kuhneghetz]

I know that the English version of this is called "basement dwellers". =)

 

[FibSaSk]

Next time someone tells me that I have no life, I`ll say him it`s just hikikomori.
Seriously, I don`t think it`s nothing wrong? People want some peace in their lives...

 

[En_Fuego]

Just because you read it in a psych dissertation doesn't necessarily mean it's correct.

I don't care who you are, if you don't leave your house for 6 months by choice and just sit in your room watching anime, then you are definitely some brain dead introvert. I'm not even going to bother arguing with you about how mainstream anime actually IS in Japan. But btw, a majority of famous Japanese girls are 18 year-old idols who are popularized from their work on anime which jumps them into their careers.

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

You don't have to be Asian to be anti-social

 

[Skycraft]

No I do not, nor do I care.

 

[Nuclear]

Ugh, i don't want any more Japanese... things in west...
Well, of course, I am not saying that everything Japanese is weird, like Playstation 3 is really nice thing, but I have to admit... some things are creepy in there.... tentacles..

 

[En_Fuego]

Ugh, i don't want any more Japanese... things in west...
Well, of course, I am not saying that everything Japanese is weird, like Playstation 3 is really nice thing, but I have to admit... some things are creepy in there.... tentacles..

Quit bashing on my culture, tentacle erotica has been around since before your country even existed. Go eat some McDonalds and fight the Nazis, Captain America.

Honestly, this shit isn't limited to Japan. Don't tell me you can't imagine some introvert Korean playing Starcraft all day. What about the kid who died from playing WoW? Wasn't he from Korea as well?

Even the starter of this thread said he had the same problems as these people and he is white.

 

[Chizume]

I could actually believe this to be something caused by this thing called confucianism and similar theories. A sort of philosophy you are automatically taught when living in a country could for some people, under some circumstances result in becoming a Hikikomori.

I myself felt quite struck by this as I am heading towards this direction. Maybe I ought to do something about it before I don't want to anymore!

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

This just seems like obsession with an Asian word because it's Asian, and thus sounds more "exotic" to people of a western culture.

It's not like this hasn't existed outside Japan, it's not like it's a trend starting in Japan and spreading to other countries. It's just another word for social hermit, a type of person who is evident in pretty much any culture in the world.