Tojisha Activities of Hikikomori Perceived as a Social Movement

A Collective Strategy for Regaining Self-Value

Abstract

This paper examines the tojisha activities of hikikomori, who have become increasingly active socially in recent years. First, we examine the activities of hikikomori as a social movement of minorities（Section 2）. Based on the fact that the focus of research shifts from the “receiver” of support to the “bearer” of the activity（Section 2.1）, we confirmed that the collective activity of hikikomori is a social movement oriented toward society（Section 2.2）, and we considered a personal strategy（ “impression management,” “compensation effort,” “deprivation of others” ）and a collective strategy（ “regaining self-value” ）as a way of proving the self-worth of hikikomori（Section 2.3）.

Next, while examining the narratives of hikikomori activists, we considered that the state of discourse supporting the activities of the parties changed from selfreform in the 2000s（Section 3.1）to institutional change in the 2010s（Section 3.2）. Then, the rise of parties transmission to convey the real image of hikikomori （Section 4.1）, shift to an interactive event to achieve the transformation of the hikikomori image through a dialogue（Section 4.2）, and network formation by connecting related activities（Section 4.3）, we discussed the process of expanding the activities of the concerned parties as a social movement to regain self-value. In this paper, it was made clear that the activities involved in hikikomori have an aspect of a social movement, which changes the image of the former deviation of hikikomori, as well as the values of existing society.