1.5 million Japanese in isolation post Covid pandemic; they don’t go out, order in food, don’t attend office

Tokyo: Around 1.5 million people of working age in Japan have slipped into isolation owing to pressures unleashed by the COVID pandemic. A survey conducted by the Japanese government shows that a large number of hikikomori (social recluses) began retreating from society after they lost their jobs or due to relationship issues posed by the lockdown. As per the survey conducted by the country’s Cabinet Office, the COVID pandemic was behind 20 per cent of these cases. An official warned that anyone can become a social recluse. The survey found that hikikomori – people who choose to live isolated lives by spending all or most of their time at home – accounted for two per cent of people aged between 15-62. The government surveyed around 30,000 people aged between 10 and 69 living across Japan. It found that more than 20 per cent of people aged between 15-39 had experienced issues in maintaining interpersonal relationships and another 20 per cent blamed the pandemic for withdrawing from society. Meanwhile, 44.5 per cent of those above 39 years of age said their behaviour had been altered after they left their jobs and 20.6 per cent cited the pandemic. How is Japan tackling rising hikikomori? To drive people out of their homes and to address a concerning rise of social recluses, a ward office in the Japanese capital of Tokyo decided to hold metaverse events to help people socialise. The initiative put forth by the Edogawa Ward will hold metaverse events in an actual and real venue where people will be allowed to join the metaverse using their respective avatars. Ward Mayor Takeshi Saito said, “We don’t think everything will be solved just because we offer a metaverse. It’ll probably be helpful for some people.” He added, “We’re targeting those who can’t leave their rooms and haven’t been interacting with other people. We want to help them take a step forward." How do _hikikomori_s survive? As per Big Think, most social recluses in Japan hail from middle-class families who are able to support them. Many such people are able to afford a living by depending on their parents for food and shelter. The government has flagged concerns about this style of lifestyle and has branded it as a “2030 problem”. The year 2030 will be the time when the first generation of hikikomoris will turn 65 and by that time their parents will likely die. However, there’s another group of hikikomoris who work at remote jobs and get their food delivered. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.