Nearly 1.5 million people of working age in Japan live outside society, and 20% of them attribute isolation to the covid-19 pandemic, according to a survey by the Japanese government.
The phenomenon affects almost 2% of people between 15 and 64 years old, ie 1.46 million people, according to the study carried out in November 2022 and published last weekend.
The reason why people live outside society is giving up their jobs after the covid-19 pandemic. This reason was mentioned by 18% of the respondents aged between 15 and 39 and by 20% of the respondents aged between 40 and 64.
Other reasons cited are depression or suffering bullying at school or at work.
These isolated people are known in Japan as hikikomoricitizens who avoid social activities such as going to school or work and who have only left home for at least six months to shop or work hobby.
“Some people came into our definition of hikikomori because covid discouraged them from leaving home and ended up having less contact with society,” Koji Naito, a government official who took part in the study, told AFP.
Source: DN
