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The truth is, I was scared to go out today... I stopped going to school 'cuz... I got scared of people.
"Hikikomori" (JP) is a term for characters who shut themselves away from the outside world by staying at home for months or years at a time.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Hikikomori (ひきこもり) means "pulling inward". It comes from a verb form "hikikomoru", compromised of two words: "hiki" (ひき), meaning "to withdraw", and "komoru" (こもり), meaning "to seclude oneself".[1][2]
It has been referred to as "withdrawal neurosis" and "school refusal syndrome".[3]
Origin
The term hikikomori was popularized by a Japanese psychiatrist Tamaki Saito in his book Hikikomori – Adolescence Without End published in 1998.[citation needed]
History
Cases of people secluding themself from society have been identified since the 1970s. Tamaki Saito highlighted the term hikikomori since there was an increased number of people living reclused from the outside world due to having financial issues during the "Great Recession" in Japan during the 1990s.[4]
Characteristics
By definition, hikikomori is a form of extreme social withdrawal by staying at home for 6 months or more.
Personality
The reason why hikikomori do this can vary from depression, anxiety, or states of schizophrenia, much like what utsudere characters are often dealing with. They may also had previous trauma or experienced failure at school or work, in that they will get nervous to leave the house and interact with people, sometimes showing social or anxiety disorders.[5]
Hikikomori do not go to school nor do they go to work. They usually live with their parents or live by themselves in a home afforded by their family. Some will manage to go outside and perform activities, such as running errands, but they generally avoid social interaction. They don't always stay at home because of laziness or disinterest, but rather because of several fears and insecurities.
They usually spend most of their time playing video games, exploring the internet, watching TV, reading, and sleeping. They may have similar interest and obsession to otaku in Japanese culture and related media, such as manga and anime.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Dandere: A term for characters who are silent almost to the point of coming across as emotionless most of the time, but will suddenly become talkative and sweet when they are around their love interest.
- Utsudere: A term for characters who are normally depressed and gloomy all the time but become cheerful and loving when around their love interest.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Umaru Doma from Himouto! Umaru-chan  Kaede Azugawa from Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai  Mihai Florescu from Kemono Jihen  Kiri Komori from Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei  Moriko Morioka from Net-juu no Susume  Jintan from Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai |
References
- ↑ What is Hikikomori. Pixiv.
- ↑ Hikikomori : Multidimensional understanding, assessment, and future international perspectives. Wiley Online Library (2019/05/31).
- ↑ Hikikomori, A Japanese Culture-Bound Syndrome of Social Withdrawal?. National Library of Medicine (2016/06/17).
- ↑ "How long am I going to keep living like this?" The Hikikomori. Medium (2021/05/21).
- ↑ Hikikomori Phenomenon in East Asia: Regional Perspectives, Challenges, and Opportunities for Social Health Agencies. Frontiers (2019/07/22).