Indeed, it is both haven and trap for the client, who describes himself as a hikikomori. |
A 17-year-old hikikomori sufferer killed a passenger after leaving his self-imposed exile and hijacking a bus. |
Visible in news reports and conjured in fans ' feverish minds, the hikikomori is now spectacle, exactly what he can't imagine. |
Western psychologists compare hikikomori with social anxiety and agoraphobia, a fear of open places. |
For now, Eastern and Western psychologists agree only that hikikomori is unique to Japan and has serious ramifications for both generations. |
While most hikikomori sufferers are merely anti-social, the condition has led to a number of violent crimes. |