"I just stayed in my room playing video games, watching films and sports programs," Iwai told CNN. According to a Japanese cabinet survey released Wednesday, there are currently 541,000 young Japanese aged between 15 and 39 who lead similarly reclusive lives. Hideto Iwai, a Japanese playwright based in Tokyo decided not to leave his room for four years. He is currently working with a hikikomori support center in Fukuoka that provides therapy to people of all ages with this condition, helping them reintegrate back into society. Japan's virtual high schoolsFor those who can't yet face stepping out of their homes, virtual high schools offer an alternative.

Source: CNN September 12, 2016 01:41 UTC