Like my Father
“My father is in treatment for his cancer. For many months, he could not get out of bed because of his poor health. His weight fell by 20 kgs over a short time. One day I noticed how very small looked in his own clothes. He looked like a child trying to wear the clothes of adults – like when kids wear the clothes of their parents. I suddenly felt so grown up. Then I was reminded of the past, when my dad used to take me to the park and buy me a lot of stuffed animal toys. He also took many funny photos of me. I thought it was my turn to do something for my father, as he had done for me in the past. We both went back to the same park and played like old days. He had to try very hard to cope, even just for a few hours. I hope these pictures will be a big motivation for him. I hope they let him see that he is not as sick as he feels. In my heart, he is always a happy person and full of optimism.” - Maika Elan
It felt safe here
Everyone wants to retreat from the world sometimes. But some Japanese people find themselves spending months, sometimes years, of their lives in their bedrooms. Usually male and usually in their twenties, these are Japan's "missing million," otherwise known as Hikikomori— one of the biggest social and health problems facing Japan. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has defined a Hikikomori as a person who does not participate in society (particularly school or work) and has no desire to do so. These withdrawal symptoms must last for at least six months and the social withdrawal itself must not be a symptom of a pathological problem.
