Date : July 29, 2019
Video report: Middle-aged Hikikomori (Prof. Tamaki SAITO, Tsukuba Univ.)
post date : 2019.07.30
At the end of March this year, the Cabinet Office released the results of a survey that indicated there were a total of 613,000 middle-aged (40–64 years old)hikikomori[social withdrawal / recluse] and 541,000 hikikomori aged 15–39 years old in Japan (as of 2015). The most common reason to become hikikomori was losing their job, and one in three were found to be relying on their senior parents for financial support, demonstrating how severe the “8050 Problem” is. The 8050 Problem refers to people living in poverty when the parents are in their 80s and the hikikomori in their 50s. What kind of policies or support could deal with this problem of middle-aged hikikomori?
The FPCJ invited Dr. Tamaki SAITO, a professor at Tsukuba University and a leading figure in the research and treatment of hikikomori, to discuss this issue. Dr. Saito has worked with hikikomori for over 30 years as a psychiatrist, and 20 years ago began warning about the situation that would arise due to aging hikikomori.
The briefing had a total of 20 participants including journalists from China, Singapore, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, and the USA.
Distributed Material (in Japanese only)
- Date: July 29 (Mon), 2019, 10:30-12:00
- Theme: Middle-aged Hikikomori—Current Situation, Issues, and Outlook
- Briefer: Dr. Tamaki SAITO, Professor, Tsukuba University
- Language: Japanese (with consecutive English interpretation)
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