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Thursday, July 7, 2011
"Communication abilities" is a key word of Hikikomori problem in Japan.

A lot of people believe Hikikomori people lack basic communication abilities. And they think that is the one reason Hikikomori people withdraw from society.

According to a research by the Cabinet Office, 37.3 per cent of Hikikomori people answered "yes" and 32.2 per cent answered "rather yes" to the question "Are you worried about your poor communication abilities?" On the other hand, 13.1 per cent of people who are not Hikikomori answered "yes" and 30.7 per cent answered "rather yes" to the same question. Yusuke Takatsuka, chair of the research project, says the research team concluded the main reason of Hikikomori is the social trend that regards people who can not communicate effectively as "defective products" and exclude them (Cabinet Office, 2010).

Some Hikikomori people have developmental disorders, and that hinders them communicating effectively. For instance, according to research group of Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, out of 184 Hikikomori people who visited Mental Health and Welfare Centers, 52 people were diagnosed as having developmental disorders (Kondo et al, 2010). MHWC provides consulting services to Hikikomori people and their families.

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I do not know whether it is true, but a lot of people believe today's young Japanese's communication abilities deteriorate.

On the other hand, people who lack basic communication abilities are more likely to be socially excluded today. Service sectors have increased their shares in Japan. Working in service sectors need more communication abilities. Keidanren, Japan business lobby, conducts a survey of its members every year. According to the survey, increasing number of companies take communication abilities into careful consideration when they employ new graduates (Keidanren, 2010).

If so, it is no wonder increasing number of young Japanese feel worried about their communication abilities.


[References]

Cabinet Office. (2010). Wakamono no ishiki ni kansuru chosa (Hikikomori ni kansuru jittai chosa) Retrieved July 7, 2011, from http://www8.cao.go.jp/youth/kenkyu/hikikomori/pdf/gaiyo.pdf

Kondo, N., Miyazawa, Kiyota, Y., Kitahata, Y., Kuroda, Y., Kurosawa, M., H., Sakai, Fujinomiya, H., Inomata, N., Miyazawa, H., & Miyata, R. (2010). Shisyunki hikikomori niokeru seishinnigakuteki shougai no jittai haaku nikansuru kenkyu. Shisyunki no hikikomori wo motarasu seishinka shikkan no jittai haaku to seishinnigakuteki chiryou enjo system no kouchiku nikansuru kenkyu, 49-63.

Keidanren. (2010). Retrieved July 7, 2011, from http://www.keidanren.or.jp/japanese/policy/2010/030.html