Free Republic

In Japan, an estimated 1.5 million people — many of them young men — now live in complete isolation. The problem has grown so severe that the Japanese have a term for it: Hikikomori, one who literally withdraws from society. SNIP During a recent interview with Chris Williamson, a British podcaster based in Austin, Texas, the political economist Nicholas Eberstadt discussed the fact that 7 million men of prime working age are currently without employment and not seeking jobs. Many of these men, said Eberstadt, spend inordinate amounts of time indoors, totally withdrawn from society.

Lonely millennials, you are not alone! A new survey found that over half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 do not have a romantic partner. In spite of the recent rise of dating apps, more young people than ever remain single, according to data released by the General Social Survey from researchers at the University of Chicago.

... In Japan, hikikomori, a term that's also used to describe the young people who withdraw, is a word that everyone knows. Tamaki Saito was a newly qualified psychiatrist when, in the early 1990s, he was struck by the number of parents who sought his help with children who had quit school and hidden themselves away for months and sometimes years at a time. These young people were often from middle-class families, they were almost always male, and the average age for their withdrawal was 15. It might sound like straightforward teenage laziness. Why not stay in your room while...

'Hikikomori' bedroom hermits should be regarded as national crisis There are approximately 230,000 people who almost constantly shut themselves in their rooms except to go to nearby convenience stores, according to a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office. The number increases to about 700,000 if those who only go out to do something hobby-related are included. Moreover, there are an estimated 1.55 million potential so-called 'hikikomori' who have felt like shutting themselves in their own rooms. Most of them are young people. As the population of young people declines due to falling birthrates, the statistics have raised questions about the...

Bridget Jones in London, Ally McBeal in Boston, Carrie and her friends in New York City. Now Sakai Junko has published a best-selling volume of essays on singletons in Tokyo over the age of 30, like herself, whom she calls -- in a mix of ruefulness and pride -- makeinu (losers). In "Makeinu no toboe" (literally, "The distant barking of losing dogs"), Sakai examines the causes and characteristics of makeinu. Sakai herself first realized she had become a complete makeinu after turning 35, when a married friend -- a kachiinu (winner) -- praised another single friend for not being envious...