An English translation of a Japanese bestseller on Hikikomori was published on March 1, 2013 by The University of Minnesota Press. The title is Hikikomori: Adolescence Without End. The author is Tamaki Saito, a clinical psychiatrist who has seen Hikikomori people for years.
Mr. Saito published the original work in 1998 and invented the concept of Shakaiteki Hikikomori. The book became a bestseller and made the public aware of withdrawn people.
According to the original book, the term Shakaiteki Hikikomori is a Japanese translation of a psychiatric term social withdrawal. As far as I read the index of the book*, the translator seems to use the term social withdrawal to describe Shakaiteki Hikikomori people.
Today we Japanese rarely use the term Shakaiteki Hikikomori. We simply say Hikikomori. The concept Shakaiteki Hikikomori excludes people who withdraw from society mainly because of mental disorders. But today, in many cases, withdrawan people with mental disorders are not excluded from Hikikomori except for schizophrenia.
Mr. Jeffery Angles translated Saito's original work. He is an associate professor of Japanese literature, language and translation studies department of foreign language at Western Michigan University.
The University of Minnesota Press publishes another Saito's translation Beautiful Fighting Girl. The book is about otaku culture not Hikikomori.
* Sorry, I have not bought the translation yet.
