Japan has seen an increasing prevalence in the “hikikomori” phenomenon following COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, with an estimated 1.46 million people isolating themselves from society by staying at home for an extended period.
A survey by the Cabinet Office found that about 20 percent of the total 1.46 million hikikomori—a term used in Japan to refer to people who barely left their homes for over six months—cited COVID-19 for their social withdrawal.
The poll, published on March 31, was conducted in November last year involving 30,000 participants aged between 10 and 69, Jiji Press reported.
It found that 21.5 percent of people aged 15 to 39 had socially withdrawn for six months to less than a year. Almost 21 percent of this age group cited interpersonal difficulties as their main reason, while 18.1 percent cited the pandemic….