Over 1 million people are thought to be hikikomori in Japan, meaning they’ve remained isolated at home for at least six consecutive months without going to school or work, and rarely interact with people from outside their own immediate family.

Earlier this year, Andrew McKirdy interviewed several recovering hikikomori, and now joins Oscar Boyd to discuss the issue.

Links:

• Andrew McKirdy’s full article

• The Japan Times’ reporting on hikikomori

Artwork by Julia Nascimento