"I have no interaction with anyone except my family.
"I do not belong to any school or company.
"Someone like me cannot belong to society.
Such young people (at the age of 15-39) are so-called Hikikomori.

This is a social issue unique to Japanese society due to peculiar Japanese business culture.
Although there have been various non-personal causes, this issue has been considered to be solved within their own families. The number of youth suffering from this issue has never decreased for more than 10 years
Possibilities of the youth diminish the entire Japanese society, which is why we believe that all of us should solve this issue as a social problem.
Certified NPO, Sodateage Nets mission is to support for the former Hikiomori to work and continue to work.
Please help us out to create their second chances to be back to Japanese society.

Definition of Hikikomori
1. Spending most of the day and nearly every day confined to home.
2. Having marked and persistent avoidance of social situations.
3. Showing social withdrawal symptoms which causes significant functional impairment.
4. The duration of social withdrawal symptoms is at least six months.
5. There is no apparent physical etiology to account for the social withdrawal symptoms.

1Family Issue

Nobody wants to be isolated in society. Hikikomori s family, especially parents will have blamed themselves for their ways of raising their children until they die. We believe that there is no perfect way to raise children. For instance, one of twins became Hikikomori, the others didnt.
Given that, we repeatedly tell these parents not to blame themselves.

2Social Loss

Japan is one of the most severely aging societies with the lowest birthrate, so that it is social loss for the unemployed youth not to make the most of their youthful energy as workforce. If we compare a welfare recipient with a young adult working and paying taxes, their cost gap for Japanese government could be 150 million yen (about USD 1.5 million) per person (*Data from Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, 2012). Thus, we believe that it is social investment for us to support the unemployed youth until they obtain jobs. (It is socially worth USD 1.5 million to support a unempoyed youth.)

"Youth support is social investment"

I grew up surrounded by brothers and sisters who are socially difficult and not connected with blood. My parents were doing activities to support them while sleeping with young people who do not have a place in school, workplace, society. Tears when graduation by returning studies and employment is decided and tears when going on graduation, uneasy expressions when it comes to living together, the facial expression still remains in young memory.

When I was told young people support facility in Europe when I was a student, when it is said that "It means social investment" as a means of supporting young people, young people who are searching for a connection with society without whereabouts are near I struck my chest that existed.

Investment activities seek economic returns. However, social investment is a change that affects society by passion, time, knowledge and technology of individuals This is a return. Supporting and realizing participation in society desired by unemployed young people and realization of economic independence is that young people stand on the side that supports society as taxpayers, becoming a community-based presence as a living person.

With the word "support for young people as a social investment", I have launched a nurturing net and have carried out activities such as support for young people, support for parents, learning support, school education support and so on. We will continue to support young people throughout society as well as members of the nurturing net, handling corporations, governments and government, and everyone else.