Today's Close-Up

Supporting "Hikikomori": Social Isolation Amid a Pandemic (2020x35)

Air date: Jul 31, 2020

The number of people withdrawn from society, or "hikikomori," is estimated to be over one million in Japan. With movement restricted amid the pandemic, the support system for these people has been cut off. One expert says we could soon face a swell in hikikomori numbers similar to the one that followed the 2008 global financial crisis. We take a look at what is being done to help these people and their families amid these difficult circumstances.