＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
<Addition on 5/18/2023> Definition of “social withdrawal” and the latest statistical figures
According to estimates released by the Cabinet Office on March 31, 2023, there are 1.46 million “shut-ins” aged 15-64.
The survey defined the condition as “not leaving one’s room or home, going out only to a local convenience store or for hobbies for more than 6 months,” 20% of which were triggered by the new coronary disaster.
The Cabinet Office has conducted surveys targeting young adults (15-39 years old).
However, in December 2018, the Cabinet Office conducted its first survey targeting middle-aged and older adults (40-64 years old) due to an increase in the number of people who have been withdrawn for a long period of time and those who have withdrawn in middle age or later.
The results showed that there are an estimated 613,000 middle-aged and older social withdrawalers, more than the 541,000 younger people.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also defines it as “a condition in which a person generally remains at home for six months or longer in principle, avoiding social participation such as going to school, working, or socializing.
１．The 8050 Problem.
This is a family-related issue that is currently occurring in Japan. The existence of “withdrawn youth” has been a problem for some time.
Although not the same as a “social withdrawal,” the term “parasite syndrome” or “parasite singles” has been a problem in the past. These are unmarried people who continue to live with their parents after graduation and are dependent on them for basic living conditions.
To return to the original topic, after decades, the young shut-ins will be middle-aged and their parents will be elderly. As this happens, the parents’ income becomes scarce, while the issue of caring for them also arises.
The “8050 problem” is “the various problems that arise when 80-year-old parents have to take care of their 50-year-old son (or daughter) who is a shut-in.
２．Definition of “Hikikomori (Withdrawal)”
When you hear the word “shut-in,” you may imagine the morbid situation often seen in TV dramas, such as “a person who has stopped going to school due to bullying, etc., and stays in his/her room all the time, playing video games in the dark,” or “a person who shouts loudly and throws things around in his/her room, causing a mess inside the room.
However, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s definition, “withdrawal” is not a single concept of illness or disability, but rather “a condition in which the scene of social participation is narrowed due to various factors, and the person loses the opportunity to live outside the home, such as employment or schooling, for a long period of time.
Thus, a man who has stayed at home since retirement, does not participate in community association management or events, and does not interact with neighbors at all would be classified as a “hikikomori.
There are two types of “hikikomori”: those who withdraw due to friction with their surroundings caused by mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or developmental disorders, and those who withdraw due to biological factors such as illnesses or disorders that are unlikely to be the cause of their withdrawal.
The latter type of withdrawal is triggered by interpersonal problems that make it difficult to participate in society, and is sometimes referred to as “social withdrawal.
Although the aspects of people who become socially withdrawn are diverse, prolonged withdrawal is caused by a mixture of biological, psychological, and social factors.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) considers “Hikikomori” to be a target of mental health welfare, and in 2003 established the “Guidelines for Dealing with Hikikomori” for various measures by support facilities such as NPOs, in addition to assistance activities and welfare services.
３．The reality of “middle-aged and older social withdrawal
（1）Age and gender breakdown
①Breakdown by Age
38% are in their 40s, 36% in their 50s, and 26% in their 60s.
Perhaps because people in their 40s are in the “ice age” generation of employment, half of the “40s social withdrawalers” became social withdrawalers in their 20s.
In some cases, those in their 60s became hermits because they lost their place after retirement, and some of them became long-term hermits.
②gender breakdown
75% male, 25% female
（2）Causes
40% said they “resigned,” 20% said they “didn’t have a good relationship,” 20% said they “got sick,” and 20% said they “didn’t fit in at work.
４．Future Issues
More and more elderly parents with withdrawn middle-aged and older children will reach their financial and emotional limits in the future.
In addition, we can expect to see an increase in the number of cases of “isolated deaths of parents and children together” or “forced suicide” due to their isolation from society.
In this regard, it will be necessary for local governments to conduct “fact-finding surveys” and provide “ongoing support” such as “job support training” that can be undertaken by people who have withdrawn from society, including “light work that does not require the burden of human relationships.