JAKARTA - The Edogawa District of Tokyo, Japan, has announced plans to use metaverse technology to help people with social problems, known as "hikicomori", in the process of reintegrating into society.
In this effort, the district will hold a series of hybrid (virtual and face-to-face) meetings in 2023 with the aim of reuniteing people experiencing social exile.
The metaverse meeting is expected to provide a safe place for people with social necessities to meet and discuss their problems. Edogawa Ward plans to hold six such events by 2023, hosted by Japan's non-profit Kazoku Hikikomori organization, with capacities of up to 80 participants, 50 on the metaverse platform, and 30 in designated places.
This metaverse encounter will be held in a space designed by Kazoku Hikikomori and allows remote users to protect their identities using avatars if desired. An environmental officer explained that this initiative aims to provide a place for people with social problems to think "I want to be there with others".
The problem of social exclusion or hikicomori in Japan has affected more than 1 million people and experts consider the number to be higher, approaching 2 million. This condition can cause problems in the families of these people and cause economic pressure. In an effort to help overcome this phenomenon, the use of metaverse technology can help some individuals to at least interact virtually with their peers.
According to a 2021 survey, there are 9,096 residents who are hikicomors in Edogawa. The Mayor of Edogawa, Takeshi Saito, said that although not all problems will be resolved by offering only the metaverse, this initiative can help some people and they target people who have never interacted with others before and cannot leave their rooms.
Similar initiatives have also been carried out in Toda City in October using metaverse technology to allow students who are not present at school to roam virtual campuses and prepare themselves to return to regular classes eventually. With metaverse technology growing, it is hoped that it can help people in need to address the issue of social exile and re-integrate with society.
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