Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward plans to use metaverse technology to help socially withdrawn people, known as “Hikikomori,” to reintegrate into society. The district plans to hold a series of hybrid (virtual and in-person) meetings this year with the goal of reuniting people with social withdrawal issues and assisting them in the process of reintegration.
Edogawa Ward to Use Metaverse in Social Withdrawal Reintegration Process
Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, has announced that it will hold a Metaverse meeting as part of its social reintegration process for social withdrawal (*19). The meetings will take a hybrid format, allowing social withdrawalists to participate in person or online, where they can meet and discuss common issues in a safe environment.
The meeting will be held six times in 2023, hosted by the NPO Kazoku Hikikomori Japan, with a maximum capacity of 50 people on the Metaverse platform and 30 people at the designated venue, for a maximum of 80 people. The meetings will take place in a metaverse space designed by Kazoku Hikkomori, where remote users can hide their identities with avatars if necessary.
A ward office official describes the initiative this way.
We want to provide a place where people can ‘be with other people.
The hikikomori problem
The social exclusion (hikikomori) problem in Japan refers to a condition in which people are isolated from society and refuse to interact with others. It is estimated that this condition affects more than 1 million Japanese, and experts believe the number is much higher, closer to 2 million people.
These symptoms can cause problems for the family members who must provide for the person and place a financial burden on them. The inclusion of metaverse-based technologies to address this phenomenon could ostensibly help some of these individuals interact at least virtually with their peers.
According to a 2021 survey, 9,096 people in Edogawa Ward are withdrawn. Regarding the reach and significance of this action, Takeshi Saito, the mayor of Edogawa Ward, stated.
We do not believe that providing a metaverse will solve everything. It may help some people. We target people who can’t get out of their rooms and who don’t interact with others. We want to help them take the first step.
An initiative of this kind was announced in October targeting truants in Toda City. This too uses metaverse technology to prepare students to eventually attend regular classes by allowing them to walk around a virtual campus.
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