Nearly a million members of Japan's youth, mostly men, spend their days locked up in bedrooms. They refuse to interact with society, barring their families.
According to government surveys, Japan is home to more than one million hikikomori who rely heavily on their elderly parents for survival as they withdraw into a reclusive lifestyle. They trawl the internet, read manga and spend their days sleeping after long nights awake.
An increasing number of students are falling victim to this phenomenon, for which they blame a rigid school system and harsh parenting. Early intervention can help return these lost souls to society but Japan's unfortunate reality is that the success rate of this program has been slim so far.
Source: ABC News In-Depth.