Naomi Berman’s Conversation on Japan’s Hikikomori Epidemic

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Contributions as a youth sociologist

Naomi: Sure. So as you mentioned, I'm a youth sociologist, and I guess that makes me a jack of all trades, master of none. So I've always been interested in just random phenomena around young people and the kinds of issues that they're dealing with in their daily lives.

So, as you said, I've been teaching at university level, I've worked at NGOs, I've worked for local government of a range of different organizations, universities, in a research capacity and teaching. And then I've moved to Japan, nine years ago, started teaching academic writing and picked up my interest in young people with hikikomori.

And also, just campus design, I can't help but compare the way Australian universities are designed compared to Japanese universities and the implications for young people and their well-being, because there's lots of scope for improvement in the design of Japanese university.

From Home to Japan: Seeking Change and New Experiences

Naomi sought change in her life, so when offered a chance to teach academic writing in Japan, she quickly accepted. There, she became interested in hikikomori youth and began comparing campus designs between Australian and Japanese universities.

A curiosity for something new

Nick: So with that, how did you end up living and working in Japan?

Naomi: In Australia, it was kind of like, you know what it's like when you just get to take things for granted, and so I thought I was bored and needed a change. So a job came up, it wasn't teaching English, which is great, because my English is still pretty bad. So it was teaching writing, and so I flew over and did it.

Just great job conditions, only meant to be five years, but you know, it turned into nine, but I'm actually kind of almost ready to come home now. So it was not like I ever had a burning desire or interest in anime, I mean, there is this pre-existing kind of affection for the culture of Japan. It actually really wasn't on my late radar, I was just kind of interested in something different, a change.

And admittedly I did like Japanese baseball, and I was coming over for the snowboarding and Summer Sonic festival. So that was my interest, it was more entertainment rather than tea ceremonies.

Nick: That's Japan—it has so much to offer. So whether it's traditional culture, or the modern, quirky popular culture, or snowboarding, skiing, mountain climbing—it has so much.

What is Hikikomori?

Hikikomori, derived from the Japanese words hiku (to pull back) and komoru (to shut oneself in), describes a phenomenon and individuals who experience social isolation by withdrawing from society and confining themselves to their rooms. According to Naomi Berman, the Japanese government defines hikikomori as someone who has been self-isolating for six months or more.

Individuals who have been self-isolating

Nick: So today, we're not really talking about these quirky tribalism, or this sense of unity, actually, we're almost talking about the opposite. It's a sad and shocking condition, but it's also sort of fascinating at the same time. So I am familiar with this, to some degree on a personal level, involving one of my family members, and it's hikikomori.

So what is hikikomori? I should mention, you've written several papers on this, you've done your own research on this, and I think you've spoken to other researchers, and even spoke with your students to some degree on this thing. So what is hikikomori?

Naomi: So hikikomori, to really reduce it into a single kind of sentence definition, basically, it's social-isolation, they withdraw themselves from society, basically lock themselves in their room at mostly.

And according to the government definition, if they've been self-isolating for more than six months, then that constitutes hikikomori. There's so many negative ways to describe it, so it's hard to kind of, you know, especially with, well, as you mentioned, the things I've been writing, it's kind of critiquing some of the ways it's been understood and described, and the narratives surrounding it.

But yeah, the stereotype is often of the ‘otaku’, you know, gaming geeks just locked in their room. But it really is, there's a range of variability, but basically, an individual that locked themselves away, usually in their home, or mostly even in their room if they've got family that can take care of them and don't really leave.

Nick: I love exploring words, or the compound of the word; so hiku is the verb to pull or drawback, and then komoru is to shut oneself in, be confined to hideaway. And I mean, this is a problem. But starting in the late 70s, early 80s, particularly with boys, teenagers, men, who just [finds] schools too stressful, ‘I want to stay home’, or ‘This company is too stressful, I'd rather just stay at home and lock myself in my room.’

And then that goes from one day, to one week, to one month, to one year, to a decade. It’s a condition, I mean, the word hikikomori describes the condition but also the person who does lock themselves away. And we're talking decades, we're not talking a couple of weeks or months—years to decades. So it's sort of astounding that someone can even do that. Like I can't imagine wanting to lock myself in a room for more than a few hours.

Why Do People Become Hikikomori? Exploring the Causes

What causes hikikomori?

According to Naomi, hikikomori is driven by a range of factors, including neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD, mental health challenges often worsened by bullying, and life events like job loss. While it primarily affects young people, older adults, particularly men, are also susceptible.

The push-pull factors of hikikomori

Nick: So let's go a bit deeper into this condition, what are the causes of hikikomori?

Naomi: I know there's a psychological model. And the social model really isn't like the psychological model, or the medical model would be saying it's individual, they've got mental health issues, or they're broken, it's always focusing on the individual and pathologizing them.

So the cause is, they have something already a problem ADHD, often, or, like, they'll mention you’re neurodiversity, on the spectrum. Or that there's some kind of mental health issues such that they don't have the resilience to bounce back from, like school bullying.

I look at this as push-pull factors; so the factors pulling them to do this and the factors pushing them into it. And school bullying is the factor that's pushing them. School bullying in Japan’s schools are endemic. It's almost part of that cultural foundation.

And I guess the psychological or medical model will say, well, these kids couldn't cope with the bullying, and this is how they responded, they refuse to go to school. And that school refusal was a big precursor to hikikomori.

I guess social model is more—it's not more about choice, but more social behaviors and attitudes. It's different, it's more of a cultural dimension of ‘modern-day hermits’, as my colleague wanted to describe it.

So there's kind of two; and maybe they're not separate, I don't know. But there's different ways to look at the cause. But it happens in older people, as well, certainly seems to be more men, 40-year old men, like if men lose their job, they find it difficult to get back.

It's usually triggered by some kind of event, and then they set it off and getting back into or bouncing back from that can often be a problem.

Why Hikikomori Families Stay Silent

What prevents families of hikikomori from proactively seeking help?

The stigma around hikikomori stems from negative stereotypes and societal perceptions. Naomi Berman recalled a 1980s bus stabbing by someone labeled hikikomori, which fueled fears globally and framed them as societal threats. This media-driven shift has caused hikikomori to be seen as dangerous, making parents reluctant to seek help due to fears of social exclusion and safety concerns.

The social stigma associated with hikikomori

Nick: Why is that the case? Why don't families of hikikomori proactively seek help? What has your research revealed? Because I'm taking an educated guess here based on my life in Japan and relationships with Japanese.

Naomi: I think it is the shame and the stigma. I don't know, probably your area would be more able to even dig deep into what causes the shame and the stigma around it. I think it's that, and there's such negative stereotypes; one was this famous incident that actually really brought on to the public table internationally.

It was when a young person, there was a stabbing on a bus, I think it’s in the 80s or 70s, and the person that did it was considered hikikomori. And all of a sudden, there's this stigma and deviance label, actually.

All of a sudden, hikikomori went from being this possibly just a quirky kind of thing to possibly a potential danger or threat to society, which is completely media-driven—a media constructed narrative—but that changed, I think that might have shifted things a lot.

So more reason for parents not to mention that their child is hikikomori because now, not only they got someone that's not functioning or not participating in society, but potentially it could be a threat.

Nick: It's the irony or the dichotomy of Japan creates this harmony without going into too much detail about problems, and not burdening their friends with their issues. But then these problems go unaddressed for years and decades. And so many people seem to suffer.

For the full podcast conversation go to Exploring Hikikomori: Social Withdrawal and the Need for Connection in Japan