Japanese society and education can be very demanding of young people.
I live in Japan and have never seen so much brainwashing on the topic of the unemployed or uneducated.
Besides the term hikikomori there is also NEET (Not Employed, Educated or in Training).
Another shocking thing is whenever an upstanding pillar of the community is shown on TV they go out of their way to mention he is a "正社員", a full time employee.
But when they discuss a criminal they always trot out that he's either "無職", unemployed or at least "派遣社員", a temporarily staffed person.
Even within companies the treatment temps get from the full timers can be cruel and uncalled for.
Until this society is taught to be less caste based I don't think the hikikomori problem will go away.
I've always been startled by the word 社会人 which literally means "member of society" but AFAICS is used by people when describing themselves conveying the meaning of "I'm a full-time employee" (as opposed to student, part-time jobber etc.).
The implication being that people who're not working full-time are not considered do be part of society?
>The implication being that people who're not working full-time are not considered do be part of society?
If you're not working full time as a formal employee of a company, you are indeed looked down upon.
I have several friends in Japan who earn more from their side gigs (one is an indie musician, another is a designer, another is a programmer) but they all won't quit their day job, saying that it's vital for them to be part of their corporations to be looked upon positively by the rest of society. Hell if you aren't a full employee it's hard to even get married!
The same indoctrination exists elsewhere too. People are given respect for their degrees or position in the hierarchy. Business trainings teach employees to be good to their bosses. while stating that doing so is important if they want their careers to advance. This has become so prevalent that it seems normal and somehow good. I don't deny that businesses also teach other good things, but these heirarchial values take priority in practice.
I live in Japan and have never seen so much brainwashing on the topic of the unemployed or uneducated.
Besides the term hikikomori there is also NEET (Not Employed, Educated or in Training).
Another shocking thing is whenever an upstanding pillar of the community is shown on TV they go out of their way to mention he is a "正社員", a full time employee.
But when they discuss a criminal they always trot out that he's either "無職", unemployed or at least "派遣社員", a temporarily staffed person.
Even within companies the treatment temps get from the full timers can be cruel and uncalled for.
Until this society is taught to be less caste based I don't think the hikikomori problem will go away.