There is a fairly unique problem that has been developing in Japan for some time now, which is beginning to gain attention both from the Japanese government and from other organizations (both religious and secular). The causes are still a matter of dispute, but the symptoms are easy to recognize.
Children and young adults, mostly boys and young men, are locking themselves away in their rooms for months and sometimes even years at a time, some of them only coming out for meals, some refusing even that interaction and are brought meals in their rooms by their parents. In one story we have heard, the boy stated that he made one trip a month to a comic book store near his house, and he always went after dark. Other than that, he was completely isolated in his room. These withdrawn young men are known as the hikikomori (引き籠もり).
Some estimates place the number of hikikomori at well over 1 million, with even the most conservative estimates around 100,000. There are a myriad of reasons given, few of which likely apply to all hikikomori, but I will attempt to lay out some of the more common reasons as I understand them.
The first reason is social pressure. In one story, related to us by Dan Iverson (our team leader in Japan), a mother told him that her son had been first in his class in Elementary School, first in his class in Jr. High, first in his class in High School, and first in his class in college. He got a good job, but it wasn't working out well for him, so he quit his job, shut himself up in his room, and refused any social interaction. The pressures placed on him to perform well, in order to bring honor to his family and to the Japanese people, were overwhelming, and when he felt as though he had failed them, he withdrew, unwilling to face those pressures any longer.
The second reason is bullying. According to one source, over 50% of Japanese boys have experienced serious bullying by the time they finish Jr. High. This can take the form of direct physical or verbal abuse, or often can simply be ignoring them and separating them from the group. This can go as far as completely refusing to acknowledge their existence, looking through them as if they are not there. For American children, being picked last in group games is a difficult thing to accept. For these Japanese children, they may not only not be picked, but actually driven away. In a collectivistic culture like Japan, not being consider a part of the group can be devastating. Many children have taken to staying home from school many days, and some then become hikikomori.
In both cases, what they most need is to be treated as though they, not their accomplishments or abilities, but as a person, have worth. In Japanese society, however, worth is often defined only by what you can contribute to the rest of society. They need to understand that there is a God who loves them just as they are, and the best way for them to understand that is for it to be demonstrated to them by Christians who love them just as they are. Knowing that someone cares about them, regardless of their accomplishments or lack thereof, gives a hope that can give confidence and joy. Pray that God would produce a mighty work in Japan, that these hikikomori, along with those who would bully, belittle, or cast them out, would come to know the love that Christ has for them.
(If you're interested in sources for any of this information, check out the book "Shutting Out the Sun" by Michael Zielenziger.)
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