- The Lobby - Extra Times The missing million in Japan They were
once called “the missing million”. The ‘hikikomori’ phenomenon
emerged in the early 1990’s in Japan when there were reports of
young people that began staying at home for months or even years
at a time. Authorities suggested that there were over a million
people suffering from ‘hikikomori’ syndrome, but some
researchers believe the actual number may be higher. In April
2010, one ‘hikikomori’ man, 30 years old, killed and wounded his
family members and set fire to his house. He had withdrawn from
society for 14 years. His parents had entrusted management of
family finances to him but he gradually became addicted to
Internet shopping and auctions and racked up about 3 million yen
in debt. He committed the alleged crimes after his father
cancelled the Internet connection. The man was sentenced to 30
years in prison last December 7 but filed an appeal against the
decision. Still, the definition of Japan’s Ministry of Health,
Labour and Welfare does