Japan's Hikikomori Recluses Average 36.9 Years Old as Carers Reach 66

Japan has long addressed the issue of hikikomori, individuals who withdraw from society and limit human contact, sometimes for years. The phenomenon was previously viewed as primarily affecting troubled teenagers and young men. That perspective has changed as the recluses and their carers grow older.

The average hikikomori is now 36.9 years old, the South China Morning Post reported, citing the Asahi newspaper and a recent survey of 280 families conducted by an NGO that provides support to affected families. More than 43 percent of hikikomori are now over 40 and nearly 13 percent are past 50.

Their carers, overwhelmingly ageing parents, average 66.3 years old. The figures highlight a demographic shift in one of the world's fastest-ageing societies. More than 1 million people are estimated to live as hikikomori. The central question is what happens when the last person who cared for them is gone.

Parents in their mid-60s provide daily support that enables their adult children to remain withdrawn from society. As these parents reach advanced age or pass away, the hikikomori may face isolation without any remaining support network. Japanese authorities have grappled with appropriate responses to the issue for decades.

The survey results indicate the problem has expanded well beyond its original association with youth. A photograph from 2018 in Tokyo depicted a 55-year-old man who had chosen to shut himself away from society. Such images reflect the reality that many hikikomori have now spent decades in isolation.