Hikidashi-ya: The Shady Business Disguised As Hikikomori Rehabilitation Centers

Hikidashi-ya: The Shady Business Disguised As Hikikomori Rehabilitation Centers

Want more UJ? Get our FREE newsletter 

Need a preview? See our archives

woman at home looking sadly out window
Hikidashi-ya are self-proclaimed hikikomori “rehabilitation facilities” that claim to be able to treat social withdrawal in children and adults as well as provide mental support and help finding a job. While this sounds like an answered prayer to many parents of hikikomori, the reality is frighteningly different.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labor defines hikikomori as someone who withdraws from society, school, and work for six months or more. The Japanese government estimates there to be over 1 million hikikomori in the country. However, many people incorrectly view these outcasts of society as threats to family, the economy, and even public safety. The result? The birth of hikidashi-ya, or fake hikikomori rehabilitation centers, that promise to “cure” hikikomori using questionable, dangerous, and oftentimes abusive methods.

Hikidashi-ya: Answered Prayers or Empty Promises?

Hikikomori, or extreme social withdrawal, puts pressure not only on the person themselves, but on their parents, as well. The term “hikikomori” was coined by Dr. Tamaki Saito, Director of Medical Service at Sofukai Sasaki Hospital in Chiba, psychologist, and the world’s leading expert on the hikikomori phenomenon. (Read my previous article about Japan’s hikikomori phenomenon here). Unfortunately, this pressure leaves many worried parents turning to extreme measures in the hopes of “saving” their children.

Takayuki was a young adult who withdrew from society at 26 after serving in the Maritime Self Defense Forces. He lived with his parents for 20 years as a recluse. He didn’t show any antisocial tendencies, spoke to his family, and even actively helped with chores. However, after quitting his job, he became resentful of society, and seemed unable to re-enter the workforce. 

After his father passed in 2016, his mother worried he’d become a classic example of kaigo hikikomori (介護引きこもり, “caregiver shut-in”). Kaigo hikikomori are those who withdraw in order to take care of their aging parents. Being in her 70s, she worried he would be unable to care for himself after she eventually passed away, too. Then one day, a promising advertisement appeared offering the solution she thought she needed. 

The ad was for a “hikidashi-ya”, a company that claimed to help social recluses reintegrate with society and find work. Hikidashi-ya literally translates to “one who pulls (people) out”. The company promised to provide housing, job hunting support, as well as reintegration support after securing employment. It was the answer to her prayers – or so she thought. 

a group of people working together with laptops
Hikidashi-ya promise to provide training and job hunting support, however the reality is often much different. (Source: Pexels.com)

“Those Who Pull People Out”

The worried mother called the company right away. However, she was not to alert her son that anybody would be coming to see him. She was also to remain downstairs quietly while they entered his room. Despite her reluctance to comply with these demands, and her insistence that they not use force, on January 18, 2017, five staff members violently dragged the boy out of his room, kicking and screaming, as his mother could only look on in shock.

The company was Akebonobashi Independence Training Center (あけぼのばし自立研修センター), a now-bankrupt facility that became infamous for violent extraction methods and inhumane treatment of patients. This article (Japanese) describes the facility in more gruesome detail. However, the mother was unaware of this at the time.

Advertisements

Despite the tremendous costs (13.04 million yen for two contract periods), correspondence was sloppy. A “no-contact rule”forbid her from speaking to her son directly under the premise that contact with parents would hinder progress. Instead, the center provided sub-par updates themselves. Sometimes they even neglected to mention important details, including one hospitalization period in which he required surgery. After about a year, updates ceased completely, with the last update claiming her son finally secured a job. Still unable to contact him herself, all she could do was wait around, hoping that the lack of contact simply meant he was too busy with his new independent life.

Two years later, a call finally came – not from her son, but from authorities. Her son was found dead.

What Happened To My Son?

At the time of writing, the 81-year-old mother is still awaiting a response to the letter she wrote begging to know what happened to her son. She received no details of what lead up to his death. Only a suitcase with belongings that she claims wasn’t even his. 

Authorities discovered the body of the thin, frail man in his room with an empty fridge and no savings. They suggest he died of starvation. They found that he quit his job 9 months earlier, and could no longer pay for rent or food. Where was the company that promised to be by his side as he adjusted to the working world?

An investigation into the sketchy hikidashi-ya revealed that they went bankrupt in the months prior following several civil lawsuits. Nobody bothered to inform the patient’s family. Nobody bothered to ensure that they would continue to receive support. The company simply disappeared from sight, leaving him on his own, with no access to financial nor mental support. Though it’s unclear whether he still had his mothers’ contact information, it’s possible he felt unsafe calling her, blaming her for his current situation. With no support and nowhere to turn, the patient withdrew back into his new apartment, unable to pay rent, find a new job, or even buy food, until he wasted away.

Hikidashi-ya: Rehabilitation Center, Or Prison?

This isn’t the first or only such business to make similar headlines. An Okinawan family hauled their hikikomori son off to a similar facility with the same goal in mind. Though this patient fortunately made it out alive, he is only one of the extremely rare hikidashi-ya “success stories”. And even this success is nothing to attribute to the company. The patient himself attributes his recovery to his own determination, and his desire to escape what felt like prison.

woman sitting in prison cell holding her head
Many former hikidashi-ya clients compare facilities to nothing short of a prison. (Source: Pexels.com)

The Shady Business of Hikidashi-ya

Hikidashi-ya are self-proclaimed hikikomori “rehabilitation facilities” that claim to be able to treat social withdrawal in children and adults as well as provide mental support and help finding a job. While this sounds like an answered prayer to many parents of hikikomori, the reality is frighteningly different.

These companies prey on desperate parents and demand exorbitant fees in exchange for the empty promise of returning their child as an independent, fully-integrated, employed member of society.  Investigations into some of these companies revealed false or virtual company office addresses, unprofessional management and correspondence, and operation under a pseudonym. Some even sent patients straight to psychiatric hospitals without informing their parents.

Many hikidashi-ya employ abusive practices from the moment they arrive. Breaking into a person’s room and dragging them off like animals is not uncommon. Prices can also run as high as tens of thousands of dollars, placing extreme financial burden on the family. Yet despite the extravagant price tag, many hikidashi-ya fail to follow through on their promises, neglecting even basic necessities. 

One such company even prides itself in its harsh conditions. Its founder claims, “Children will only appreciate their parents after living apart from them and experiencing a life of poverty”. However, constant reports of escapees running through the neighborhood and police reports of inhumane conditions at the facilities say otherwise.

Unsurprisingly, this approach actually exacerbates the situation, inflicting more trauma on the patient. Forcing them out of their homes can be too abrupt of a change, causing them to withdraw even more. So why do people turn to these companies?

Are Hikidashi-ya Companies Necessary?

There are two main reasons people in Japan see hikikomori as a potential threat in need of hikidashi-ya intervention. The first is Japan’s unique social and economic issues relating to the declining birth rate and aging population. Many people see hikikomori as lazy. They believe hikikomori contribute to this decline by choosing not to work, marry, or have children. The second is the negative stigma already associated with mental illness. Violent incidents perpetrated by hikikomori paint people with mental health issues as dangers to society, despite only representing a small minority of mental illness sufferers.

Unfortunately, the media further contributes to the stigma by inaccurately portraying hikikomori as threats and glorifying the aggressive approach that companies like Akebonobashi employ as a justifiable response, further encouraging the establishment and promotion of similar shady institutions.

However, aggression rarely if ever produces a positive result. Many patients of hikidashi-ya end up more traumatized than before, more resentful of their family than before, and less likely to reintegrate with society. In the most extreme cases, some patients tragically end up taking their own lives. 

Shifting the Focus to Mental Health

Recovery from any mental health issue requires a long, dedicated process – and plenty of support. For hikikomori rehab to be effective, facilitators must understand the reason for rehab in the first place – from the perspective of the patient. True mental health professionals steer clear of violence, fear, and criticism. Instead, they work carefully to establish trust and to build nurturing relationships.

Most hikidashi-ya place emphasis on finding work. However, the hikikomori issue is not one about employment. They aren’t jobless due to lack of opportunities. (There are a number of hikikomori with successful jobs as authors, manga artists, and game developers).

Dr. Saito believes one of the main causes of withdrawal is bad family/interpersonal relationships, not the workplace. Even workplace-related issues often stem from difficulties with social interaction. And while mental illnesses are separate issues, many are connected to relationships, as well. (For example, depression resulting from strained relationships with family, coworkers, partners, etc.).

Helping Hikikomori Without Hikidashi-ya

Dr. Saito promotes and teaches the “Open Dialogue” technique to patients and their families. This technique aims to help bring hikikomori closer to their families with guided discussion. It teaches parents to ask questions that focus on their child’s feelings, rather than their own concerns.

Since 2009, every prefecture is legally required to have a hikikomori treatment center (via the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare). There are many legitimate facilities that offer various forms of support, including health assessments, therapy, family/individual/group counseling, and medication or hospitalization when necessary. Other services may include group activities, training/mentoring, support for parents, and community education.

Here is an example of one hikikomori rehab facility that emphasizes social interaction and building a relationship with participants.

Inside A Rehab Center For Japanese Hermits [Hikikomori] | ASIAN BOSS

We had a chance to sit down with Yoshida Masashi, a man trying to rehabilitate hikikomori. Special thanks to Yoshida Masashi for having this interview with u…

There are also services such as rental families and friends that can visit hikikomori in their own homes.

Rental families to heal lonely souls in Japan

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for free here: https://sc.mp/subscribe-youtubeThey may look like a happy family, but this ‘wife’ and ‘daughter’ are only ren…

The reason one becomes a shut-in are as vast as the people themselves. But contrary to what many believe, most hikikomori do not want to remain shut-in their entire lives. What we need is greater awareness of mental health issues, as well as the societal problems that contribute to them. And what hikikomori need is a greater support network of friends, family, and community, dedicated to helping them overcome their struggles, not by force, but with education and understanding.

Hikikomori: A Path Forward for Japan’s Social Recluses?

Want more UJ? Get our FREE newsletter 

Need a preview? See our archives

Krys Suzuki

Krys is a Japanese-fluent, English native speaker currently based in the US. A former Tokyo English teacher, Krys now works full time as a J-to-E translator, writer, and artist, with a focus on subjects related to Japanese language and culture. JLPT Level N1. Shares info about Japanese language, culture, and the JLPT on Twitter (SunDogGen).

Japan in Translation

Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly digest of our best work across platforms (Web, Twitter, YouTube). Your support helps us spread the word about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime.

Want a preview? Read our archives

You’ll get one to two emails from us weekly. For more details, see our privacy policy