An Analysis of Hikikomori in Haruki Murakami's Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage Through New Historicist Approach.

Abstract

Japan is renowned for its cutting-edge lifestyle and remarkable progress in sci-tech, becoming ahead of many other countries that sets apart on the global stage. Alongside this evident progress, there are unnoticed detrimental effects on individuals such as psychological suffering experienced by millions of Japanese due to extreme work pressure. Various stress-related problems are significant that greatly impacts their personal lives. One such agonizing concern is Hikikomori which means severe social isolation. The celebrated Japanese author, Haruki Murakami, offers insights into the contemporary life through subtle yet poignant narration that deftly captures the essence of society in his narratives. Although his characters do not directly reflect the people around him, they embody the broader difficulties and challenges in the society, hinting at potential solutions frequently. Steering through his novel Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, the current research paper delves into Hikikomori exploring its inferences of social isolation in Japan. By applying New Historicism, the study examines how Haruki Murakami's work highlights this rife issue and its repercussions on society, connecting to SDG 3. It furthermore investigates the cardinal causes of this issue among Japanese youth as observed in 2014, also discussing the effects of this issue today.