Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss attitudinal problems that researchers tend to have in interview research, specifically in the context of doing research on ‘Hikikomori’ individuals. I consider this through an analysis of how I carry out interviews with ‘Hikikomori Tohjisha’ persons who regard themselves as ‘Hikikomori.’ In so doing, I focus especially on the narratives concerning the ‘beginnings’ of their ‘Hikikomori’ and on how I transcribe and interpret these narratives. In the conclusion, I suggest the importance of researchers clarifying their own unconscious assumptions about ‘Hikikomori.’
