I have wanted to right about this for some time. I have been reading about a problem that is amongst some young Japanese people. One leading Pscyhiatrist went as far to say there was as many as 1 million people who suffer from this. 1% of the population.
"a problem known in Japan as hikikomori, which translates as "withdrawal" and refers to a person sequestered in his room for six months or longer with no social life beyond his home. (The word is a noun that describes both the problem and the person suffering from it and is also an adjective, like "alcoholic.") Some hikikomori do occasionally emerge from their rooms for meals with their parents, late-night runs to convenience stores or, in Takeshi's case, once-a-month trips to buy CD's. And though female hikikomori exist and may be undercounted, experts estimate that about 80 percent of the hikikomori are male, some as young as 13 or 14 and some who live in their rooms for 15 years or more."
This is from an interesting article by a journalist who visited some shut in's.
Another issue that faces Japan is suicide. Last year around 30,000 people comitted suicide in Japan. That is an enourmous amount of people who have struggled with live to the point that they have given up. Not to count those who continue to struggle through life with out any saving hope or a way out; wishing they could die.
Everyday that we are here I pray that we might have an opportunity to share the Grace and Love of Jesus with people. Grace that says "You don't have to work hard to get life, just believe and recieve." Love that says, "I love you as you are."
Pray for us as we position ourselves as light in this country and pray for Japan that they may see God's love for them.
