For the first time, a large-scale survey was conducted on approximately 250,000 people aged 15 and over who may be withdrawn in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, which has a population of approximately 700,000.



As a result, it was found that there are more than 9,000 hikikomori people in the ward, including children under the age of 14 who do not attend school, most of them in their 40s, and more women than men.



Experts say, "The latent hikikomori has led to the administration, and it is also attracting attention as a new way of hikikomori support."

1 in 76 of 700,000 inhabitants is withdrawn

According to a survey by Edogawa Ward, out of about 700,000 inhabitants of the ward, except that information on school refusal can be grasped for those under the age of 14, among the inhabitants aged 15 and over, those who are not taxed on salary income and nursing care Last year, it was held for the first time last year for more than 246,000 people in about 180,000 households, saying that people who do not use administrative services such as disabilities may be withdrawn, and the results were announced on the 8th.



The survey was conducted by mailing a form, and households that did not respond were visited directly to ask for an answer, and more than 57% of the respondents answered.



As a result, it was found that 7919 people were hikikomori, and 9096 people were hikikomori in the ward, including 1113 children who did not attend school under the age of 14.

Most people in their 40s by age

The breakdown of about 7919 people who were withdrawn in the survey was 1196 in their 40s, 17.1%, followed by 1155 in their 50s, 16.6%, and 968 in their 30s, 13.9% in their 20s. There are 813 people, which is 11.7%.

More women than men

By gender, there were 3684 females (51.4%) and 3461 males (48.3%), showing that there are more females than males.

What the parties are looking for

In addition, the period of withdrawal is the highest at 28.7% for 1 to less than 3 years, followed by 25.7% for 10 years or more.



On the other hand, in the survey, we also asked about the living conditions and needs of the parties concerned, and when asked about the anxiety of daily life with multiple answers, their health was the most, 66%, income and living funds were 63%, etc. ..



In addition, when asked in multiple answers about what the hikikomori parties are looking for, "preparation for work, introduction of part-time jobs and work places" was the most common, followed by "workplaces that can work even in a short time" at 18%. In addition to 39% of the respondents regarding employment, 16% answered "Consultation with a specialized institution regarding physical and mental aspects" and 15% answered "Making friends and friends".



On the other hand, 32% of the respondents said, "I don't need anything, I can leave it as it is."

Challenges for the future

The survey also highlighted challenges for the future.



The ward cites grasping the actual situation of about 77,000 households that did not answer this survey as the biggest issue.



The ward wants to promptly conduct additional surveys on these households.



Also, in the survey, when asked what the hikikomori parties wanted, 32% said that "nothing is needed, it can be left as it is", and support for these people is also an issue. increase.



In order to support people with hikikomori, the ward wants to call for the utilization of a system that allows them to work even in a short time of 15 minutes, and to promote the creation of a place to stay, including online.

Mayor “The actual number is more ...”

At the press conference, Takeshi Saito, Mayor of Edogawa Ward, said, "We should reach out to those who are farthest from the administration. However, it is a result that I could see the face of a person who could not see the face until now, and I was able to get a chance to support, but since there are still half of the ward residents who can not answer the survey, the actual number of withdrawals is not this number. I think. I would like to continue to approach these people. "

Expert evaluation as "a new way of withdrawal support"

Masaki Ikegami, a journalist who is familiar with the withdrawal problem, said, "I think this is the first time that a large-scale municipality like Edogawa Ward has conducted a direct survey of all generations. It is also drawing a lot of attention in the sense that people's problems and needs have become apparent. It is also drawing attention as a new way of withdrawal support in that the latent withdrawal has led to the administration. " ..



In addition, "Urban areas have a weaker connection than rural areas, and the actual situation was hardly understood especially in housing complexes and tower condominiums. Because it is difficult to see from the surroundings, it has not become apparent in urban areas." It is said to be a valuable survey that approaches the actual situation of hikikomori in urban areas.



On top of that, "The most important thing is how the government will continue to connect. It is also important to develop specialized staff who can help each other, and I realize that there are still few people who can do that. "There is," he said, and pointed out that the development of specialists for hikikomori support should be considered by society as a whole, including the national government.

What is the definition of hikikomori in the first place?

Regarding the definition of hikikomori, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare states that "the state of staying at home for more than 6 months without going to work or school and without interacting with people other than family members", but the ward said this time. In the survey, except for the period of 6 months, it was defined as "a person who does not go to work or school and rarely interacts with people other than family members".

How to investigate?

The main method of surveys on government withdrawal that has been conducted so far is to target a certain number of people and then make an overall estimate.



Of these, the survey results released by the Cabinet Office on hikikomori in 2019 are a survey of 5,000 men and women aged 40 to 64 years nationwide, and the number of "hikikomori" people in this age group is about 61. I estimated it to be over 10,000 people.



On the other hand, in this survey of Edogawa Ward, among all 700,000 residents, excluding those under 14 years old who already know that they are not attending school, those over 15 years old who are not taxed on salary income. People who do not use administrative services such as nursing care and disabilities will be sent directly to about 246,000 people in about 180,000 households because they may be withdrawn, and if there is no response, they will visit directly. It is characterized by the fact that it was done.