Hikikomori Part 2

Part Two Comment on the BBC film ‘The Mystery of the Missing Million’ [Found on the Internet] This was also shown on Belgium television. (Some punctuation, added). These stray comments generally support the approach I recommend:-

Sarah Hyde UK:- “I agree, that the education system can be partly responsible for the problem.”

Micheal Kingham, academic for 34-years:- “The potential for 40% of the population (given the right circumstances and triggers) to become psychotic.”

Michael Z. Kruszynski, UK:- “To call this behaviour uniquely Japanese is utterly naïve, shortsighted” {Apparently, entrenched in Italy, growing in Germany, that land of the eternal student.}

Anon UK:- a hikikomori:- “There is nothing wrong with my seclusion … if I became a monk, would that be a problem?” Michael Vaughan tells of his half-Japanese relative, who eventually came through it:- “A bright, intelligent and lively boy became very withdrawn.”

Anon UK:- “I wanted to know the meaning of life. I am only fit for cabbage brain jobs, even though I have a university degree.” James UK, age 13, taught himself history, world affairs, science, etc., all through books and television. “I only found I wasn’t being myself.”

Dr. Erica Warner, who is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist:- “My own son had locked himself away for the past two or three years.”

Anon UK:- “Not encouraging their kids to be themselves marks the greatest failure of Japanese parents.” Helen Hamilton, UK and concerning the TV and or PC are often found in 21st Century bedrooms:- “We only went there at night to sleep. Perhaps today the child is being conditioned to live in their room – literally!”

Eliza, UK:- “Cleared out everything, other than a mattress and a table where he eats all his food.”

James, UK:- “There needs to be more awareness, and subsequent education. To help young people cope with the changing world.”

A Graduate student studying history at CSU, Stanislaus:- “The sense that one is forced to behave under a suffocating series of prescribed rules, and the sense that withdrawing from these expectations is the only way to survive.”

James – an Australian, a former teacher in Japan:- “Wow! What’s going on with the Japanese school system? The whole idea of cram schools is insane, children at age 12-year shown in the docu should not be exposed to that sort of emotional and physical strain. If that had been me at 12/15 I would have crawled into my room and locked the door too! How many of these young people are ‘bucking ‘the system and trying to strike out on their own, to find some of their own individuality?”

“One more frightening aspect of Japanese culture found during my teaching experience is that most young people don’t have big dreams or aspirations. They are content with mediocrity. For example you ask 16-years old that their dream job is and more than likely they will answer an office worker. One major problem with Japanese education system is that the students never get chance to use their imaginations, creativity or analytical skills. At school all they need is an excellent memory to succeeded.” I surveyed this myself. {Meegan}.

I asked my Japanese student classes this, and wrote on the board. “It is said that Japanese students have the smallest spirit among any others in the world.” In most countries this would, I guess, be considered outrageous, indeed insulting. Not in Japan. Majorities, reaching up to the high 80s agreed! Sada: “Materials were already prepared. We had a house, car, PC so what else should we buy? Of course people work not only for money, but it seems to me true, that money encourages the working. What kind of dream can children have in such circumstances? That is the reality that Japanese society is encountering now.”

“Hikikomori does not start as mental illness, but with time it is just as debilitating. Other cultures use drugs. To cope with their dissatisfaction of society … As well as ease of access to any sort of information without leaving room. I sympathize with the hikikomori, the word is aspects of a terrible place and those that don’t fit in would naturally want to withdraw.”

Danish Human Arts student at Roskide University: “The Japanese education system and Japanese society and culture on the whole play a very important role.”

Kenneth: “I think that self system communication classes should be mandatory at high school. It is our societal obligation to prevent such terrible occurrence.”

Renae: “Chaotic atmosphere of everyday life, rapidly consuming people and their lives. The hunger for material possessions is becoming increasingly disturbing. The young are taught by their parents that to have money is to be successful. If we have then power to build the present then we can shape the future, the potential is endless provided we keep our eyes and hearts open.”

Lotus: “I believe that if we fail at school or anything that modern man is based open, there is nothing to fall back on at all.”