Helping Japan's reclusive hikikomori | Correspondents' Diary | Full Episode

Japan has one million social recluses known as hikikomori - people who withdraw from society and seek extreme degrees of isolation and confinement. Michiyo Ishida follows one man on a mission to help Japan's mentally ill.

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[lenaoxton]

Can you imagine chilling at home and one day cops come bursting in through your door saying you need to go to the hospital for not socializing

[HikikomoriItalia]

Most hikikomori do not suffer from schizophrenia

[littlebean]

How can someone be forced out of their home without committing a crime and locked away into a mental hospital? This is a horrific violation of human rights.

[Yeetus_Beetus]

"Yeah let's help this guy who's suffering from depression and isolation by dragging him out of his house and yeeting him back into society even though he's not used to it"

[djvj]

This is clearly targeted journalism, painting a black stain on a group of people who want to be left alone.

[Devilextremeful]

>Stays in-home all-day
>got called a danger to society
So now Hikkikomoris' trust issues with society as a whole seem reasonable enough to me.

[WrongWorld]

So you tell me it is illegal to enter someones home without permission, but it is alowed to kidnap him and drag him to a hospital without his permission? The methods of this ''convincer'' are sick. If he can't convince someone he abducts them with brutal force.

[nguyenn]

leave the poor man alone, you guys are harrassing and humiliating his personal life

[BalboaBaggins]

99% of Hikikomori aren't a threat to society. CNA: 'let's focus on the 1 incident where a hikikomori killed two people'.
Leave poor Toru alone, it should be illegal what you're doing, forcing him back into slavery society.

[mentallyfatigue]

this is sick, i feel sorry for Toru. he doesn't deserve this just because he's a hikikomori

[agent]

Lol you kidnapped an innocent man who was minding his own business, who is the real danger to society here

[matildabawden]

If he can feed himself, maintain his personal hygiene and independent living, then he should be allowed to be as reclusive as he wishes.

[kuroitchi]

This Oshikawa is really suspicious. It seems like he's using these marginalized people for his own selfish purposes and claiming that he's helping. To tell someone to cut their family off completely is literally cult behavior. He has a house full of men that work for him in exchange for "help". All very cultish if you ask me.

[messifpv]

That guy with colored blond hair, fancy clothes and a nice mercedes.. is the real problem in the society, not the hikikomori. He is abusing this and other families asking tons of money for a service that is basically a scam.

[jinvonastrea]

Something is definitely wrong with Japan as a society, people tend to get bullied more despite its low crime rate.

[Jalansun]

If i was "mentally ill" & went for a morning walk & came back to a man sitting in my
surely there is a better way to confront them..

[ShmuggumsMcGee]

I am skeptical that dragging people out of their homes and forcing them into an ambulance is even legal, even if the family agrees to it.

[randyj]

how is he a hikikomori if he takes an hour long walk every morning?

[hunniedae]

This made me uncomfortable. Their actions could cause trauma to Toru imagine walking home and there's an unknown person waiting inside his house to 'rescue' him without him knowing. He's basically minding his own life, does not go against the law. Well, i understand that they wanted to help especially mental health is a serious matter but what i dont understand is why force him? YOU CAN TALK TO HIM FORMALLY AND PROPERLY WITHOUT DRAGGING HIM ALL OF A SUDDEN. Toru's privacy was ignored. For me, it didn't help Toru :(

[PHOEBEE]

Most Hikikomori [like myself] are just done with dealing with people like this.