Many people in Japan and the world continuously question the cause of the population phenomenon, but the answer is deeply rooted within Japanese society. The debate about the low birth rates in the country tends to emphasize on the role of hikikomori that has been existing since the 1970s, but gained national attention in the last decade (Dynamics Research Japan, 2012). Hikikomori is a term used to refer to acute social withdrawal. Although physicians do not perceive them as depressed individuals, the hikikomori often spend their lives inside households and also cut contact with other human beings.  They maintain their lifestyles with support from their parents (particularly mothers) or guardians.  [Show Less]