How ‘hikikomori' shut-ins ‘start to have dreams for the future'
Yusuke Morishima is the vice president of Quietude, a company based in Nagano that provides services in everything from translation, interpretation, counseling and consulting to job recruiting. But as of 2019, he had been a hikikomori — a social recluse who rarely leaves their home or makes contact with others — for five years.
'Being in a large group was always exhausting to me,' says Morishima, 33. 'I was overly concerned about the people around me, and it really affected my mental health. Eventually, I stopped going to school, and then when I became even more tired, I stopped going out altogether and became a hikikomori.'
But after attending Samurai Gakuen (Samugaku for short), a school based in Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, that has been providing specialized education for hikikomori and troubled youth for 20 years, Morishima managed to not only overcome his social anxiety but earn gainful employment at Quietude — and then move up the ranks to boot.
He's not the only one to come out of the program with his life changed. Masahiro Minemura, 43, had been a hikikomori for 15 years and also served two years in prison. But after studying at Samugaku and eventually earning his high school diploma, he got a sales and delivery job at Yamato Transport.
School founder and director Hidetaka Nagaoka remembers attending university to become a teacher, where he recalls being fed a certain narrative by his professors: that all students were the same.
Samurai Gakuen accepts students ranging from teenagers to middle-age men and women who have withdrawn from the workforce and social activities. |
SAMURAI GAKUEN
'I was shocked by this so-called fact, and my desire to resist it grew stronger and stronger,' he says. After touring over a hundred schools and educational facilities across Japan, he founded Samugaku and its unique approach to education, providing tailored programs to all ages (current students range from 14 to 46 years old).
'We believe that it is possible to learn and grow at any age,' Nagaoka says. 'And since most of our students are adults, our educational goals are focused on financial independence and psychological independence, which we call 'basic life skills.''
In essence, the goal of the school is for its graduates to be able to live ordinary, self-sufficient lives in terms of their financial situations, mental stability, social networks and support systems.
Many students need assistance of the most basic level. Introductory-level classes help students wake up in the morning, eat three meals a day and adjust to a proper sleep schedule. Former student Tomoaki Ogawauchi, who now works full-time at Quietude, recalls that as a hikikomori, he ate and slept whenever he wanted, causing difficulties for his family.
'But coming here and living in the dorm, we have to follow the schedule and rules,' says Ogawauchi, 27. 'I had to learn the importance of following a routine to respect the staff and other students now that we were all together.'
Teaching former "hikikomori" shut-ins actionable employment skills can help them more easily reintegrate back into an active role in society. |
SAMURAI GAKUEN
The school offers seven courses, ranging from basic physical self-care to cooking and eating; house hunting and cleaning; self-exploration through psychology and philosophy; understanding others; social studies and interacting in public; and enjoying life through hobbies and passions. The last stage of schooling prepares students for graduation by assisting them with job hunting and establishing independent living situations.
Current student Yukiko Sasai says that special events such as a 15-kilometer walk have helped her with her determination.
'I used to think that school was purely something that I hated, but now I don't mind it nearly as much,' says Sasai, 28. 'Although at first I struggled to get along with other people, I've really improved those relationships.'
'Learning to think for myself was a big part of my experience at Samugaku,' reflects Minemura. 'I came to realize that I wanted to find something that I wanted to do for myself.'
The phenomenon of hikikomori was first identified in the 1990s. The condition is characterized as a severe form of social withdrawal, where individuals stay at home and refrain from social participation such as schooling, work or socializing for more than six months. The number of hikikomori in Japan is estimated to be nearly 1.5 million in total and over 2% of 15- to 64-year-olds. In recent years, the malaise is now manifesting in other countries such as South Korea, China, the United States, Spain and France.
Lessons at Samurai Gakuen encompass more than traditional classroom learning, broadening to outdoor activities that help students develop new interests. |
SAMURAI GAKUEN
Nagoya University professor Tadaaki Furuhashi, who researches hikikomori in Japan and France, says that modern science still hasn't identified the physiological cause of the syndrome or if it even is a pathological condition in the first place.
'This question will determine what kind of measures and responses are needed to help address it,' Furuhashi says.
'Hikikomori occurs in two stages,' he explains. 'The first stage is a 'trigger' stage that causes the individual to withdraw from normal life. Then, in the second stage, the individual finds the withdrawal comfortable and no longer wants to return to normal life.'
According to Furuhashi, in France, hikikomori are not seen as having mental illnesses or as being a burden on society — in contrast to Japan, where the media and politicians lament these individuals and treat them as serious issues.
'So long as society views the hikikomori condition in a negative way, it will continue to be difficult for individuals to return to society,' Furuhashi says, adding that the role of the internet and video games should not be discounted in helping the second stage feel more comfortable.
Lessons at Samurai Gakuen encompass more than traditional classroom learning, broadening to outdoor activities that help students develop new interests. |
SAMURAI GAKUEN
Students at Samugaku cited various 'triggers' for the start of their withdrawal: parental divorces, bullying at school, social anxiety, or simply the feeling of struggling to keep up with their peers.
Momoka Taira, a 14-year-old who lost her mother two years ago, was receiving social support from her local government when she lost faith in adults.
'Grown-ups started to scare me and I thought I couldn't trust them,' Taira says. 'Then the whole outside world started to scare me.'
Upon a recommendation, Taira joined Samugaku on a one-year trial period. Now she lives in the dorms and takes classes with the 10 other current students.
'After trying it out, I met a lot of interesting people,' she says. 'People have their own opinions, and we had all sorts of fun conversations. I've been able to reflect on my past mistakes and, even though I'm not really properly studying yet, I want to study for my high school examinations and try doing a part-time job, too. I've started to have dreams for the future.'
Samugaku, as a nonprofit school funded by donations and partnerships, struggles with funding and maintaining a large student-body. Coronavirus severely reduced the number of students down from 30, but the school hopes to return this previous size. And though Samugaku has produced plenty of success stories, hikikomori face a challenging road.
'Developing communication skills is particularly tough for students who have spent years avoiding social interactions,' says Chaa Chaa Ogino, chief fundraiser and PTA head at Samugaku and CEO of Quietude. 'Reintegrating students into local companies and society is (also) a gradual process that requires consistent support.
'If we can maintain a relationship through at least 20 sessions, we build enough trust to help them grow,' Ogino says.
For a long time, despite the invitations, Taira didn't want to go to Samugaku. When she did, her way of thinking changed.
'There's always going to be some place for you in society,' Taira says. 'But you have to go out there and find it.'
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