Have you ever seen in some anime or people talking about hikikomori or NEET? Have you ever wondered what these words mean? In this article, we will try to explain in detail what a NEET and a hikikomori are, what the differences are, and how these terms originated. First, let's start by talking about the Japanese word hikikomori.
Hikikomori (引き篭り) is a term that literally means isolated at home, it is used to refer to people who have severe levels of isolation, usually young people between the ages of 13 and 39 who are often supported by their parents or work online. NEET is basically the same thing but has its differences.
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The Problems of a Hikikomori or Neet
It is estimated that there are over 1 million hikikomori or Neet scattered throughout Japan. This number cannot be counted exactly as they do not participate in anything in Japanese society, being true ghosts like the Johatsu who disappear without a trace.
These Japanese who live isolated inside the room is already a serious case of public health. Thousands of young people find themselves in this situation due to the high degree of perfection demanded by Japanese society. Many people end up being pressured too much to the point of creating psychological problems.
Most of the time the Hikikomori or Neet tend to have low self-esteem, fear of people, fear of leaving the room and in some cases even sociopathic tendencies. There are cases of people in their 40s who are dependent on their parents and live isolated in their room, living on social networks and in anonymity.
Many times young Hikikomoris socially exclude themselves even from their families, where mothers leave snacks at the door of their rooms for them to pick up. They interact with mangas, animes, games, and with the infinite amount of choices they can have with the world otaku.

What makes someone Hikikomori?
People tend to become a Hikikomori for the following reasons:
- The high level of perfection demanded by society;
- Low self-esteem;
- Many isolate themselves by preferring fantasy to reality;
- Psychological disorders;
- Traumatic experiences;
- Excessive shyness;
- Depression;
- Anxiety;
- Panic disorder; Bipolarity;
- Schizoid personality, among other disorders;
- The ijime (bullying);
Many have suffered bullying or traumatic experiences at work or at school, causing these people to end up being disappointed with society as a whole, generating a withdrawal from social interaction with all those around them. At least some of the problems listed above are reasons for someone to be a hikikomori or neet.

What is the difference between Hikikomori and Neet?
The word NEET (nitto;ニート) originated in the United Kingdom and has come to be used in other countries such as Japan. This acronym literally means "Not currently engaged in Employment, Education or Training" which translates to "Currently without employment, education (not studying) and vocational training."
Basically they are two words with different definitions. Hikikomori is used to refer to people who live isolated indoors and never go out..
The word NEET is very broad and is often used not just for bums but for people who work from home or are looking for a job. Basically NEETs are people who do not contribute to society, most often hikikomori.

Hikikomori Treatment Program
In 2007, the Japanese government implemented a program to assist hikikomoris, social workers establish contact with them through letters, phone calls and then invite them to go out to the cinema, squares, malls, stimulating social contact and, consequently, reducing the state of isolation..
These social workers are called "Super Sisters," for being female and managing to lift many young men in this situation. We can see a great example by watching the anime NHK ni Youkoso! In England, support groups for those suffering from the same problem have proven to be quite effective.
The treatment is carried out by encouraging the young person to participate in social, cultural and sports activities. The first step is to be a trustworthy person and show that the patient can trust her, as hikikomori are extremely sensitive to human interactions and got that way precisely because they don't trust people.

Anime that experience the life of Hikikomoris
In addition to the mentioned NHK ni Youkoso that we highly recommend, there are other interesting animes that show the life and personality of a Hikikomori. See some below:
No Game No Life - The brothers Sora and Shiro are inseparable, both in the real world and in the game world. Their combined individual skills make them an invincible team: Sora, with his amazing intuition and knowledge; and Shiro, with his intelligence that goes beyond that of a genius prodigy. In the real world, they are hikikomori, reclusive, and anti-social, but in the gaming world, the two are part of the 『 』 (Kuuhaku (空白?lit. “white space”)), a mysterious group of online gamers who win all games with an amazing score. Player account names are always left blank, so they are known as “blank”.
One day, after defeating a mysterious opponent in an online chess game, the brothers are offered by their opponent to be reborn in his world, Disboard - a fantasy world where everything is determined through games. When they accept the proposal, Sora and Shiro are summoned to Disboard by the God of that world, Tet, and get to know their opponents. Together, the brothers begin their journey to rescue the weak human race from Imanity and conquer the world, then challenge Tet for the title of God.
Kamisama no Memochou - This anime tells an investigative story where detective Alice and student Fujishima Narumi unravel mysterious urban cases with the help of various NEETs.
List of Anime by Hikikomori or Neet
Responsive Table: Scroll the table to the side with your finger >>
Anime Name | Year |
KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world! Movie: Legend of Crimson | 2019 |
No Game No Life | 2014 |
Re:ZERO - Starting Life in Another World | 2016 |
KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world! two | 2017 |
Bem-vindo à NHK! | 2006 |
ReLIFE | 2016 |
KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 OVA | 2017 |
KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world! | 2016 |
Eden of the East | 2009 |
Recovery of an MMO Junkie | 2017 |
KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world! OVA | 2016 |
Osomatsu-san The Movie | 2019 |
Mr. Osomatsu | 2015 |
Mr. Osomatsu 2nd Season | 2017 |
Recovery of an MMO Junkie Special | 2017 |
Heaven's Memo Pad | 2011 |
Btooom! | 2012 |
Neeko's VTuber debut | 2018 |
Mr. Osomatsu 3rd Season | 2020 |
Some isolated anime characters from our friend Thunderbout:
There are many other anime that have at least one character and show their life as hikikomori, some famous ones are:
- Denpa Kyoushi;
- Rozen Maiden;
- Sasami-san@Ganbaranai;
- ReLIFE;
- Chaos;Head;
- Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken;
- Btooom;
- Satou Tatsuhiro (favorito absoluto) - Bem-vindo à NHK
- Kaoru Yamazaki - Welcome to the NHK!
- Kuroki Tomoko - NHK ni Youkoso!
- Jintan - Ano Hana
- Oreki Houtarou - Hyouka
- Lain - Serial Experiments Lain
- Ryuunosuke Akasaka - Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
What do you think of Neet or Hikikomori? Know anyone? Do you know any anime or drama that portrays this situation? Comment and share with friends.