The Hikikomori phenomenon in Japan

The thing that struck me about the second video (daily life) is the absence of the sounds of the outside world, and the maddening sense of “What am I going to do next?”as he moves from routine to routine. I’ve isolated before, and had only ticking clocks and televisions for company. It’s misery. Knowing next to nothing about Japanese culture, I’d have to say his issue isn’t a uniquely Japanese problem, although it may be much more prevalent there because of the “individual comes last” mentality that pervades the culture. The good of the country/business (or whatever) must take precedence over the wants and needs of the individual. Isolation exists everywhere. It’s horrible.