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Japan hikikomori survey

Japan Times and other news sources discuss a recent survey of hikikomori in Japan. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry places the number of social recluses at over half a million, a slight decrease since a comparable. The Ministry defines hikikomori as “people who have stayed at home for at least six months without going to school or work, or going out to interact with others.” The age group describes 15 to 39, where, however, the number of those aged 35 to 39 actually increased, with the period of time in social reclusion now increasing.

URLs: ttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/09/07/national/japan-home-541000-young-recluses-survey-finds/; http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201609090047.html; http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/11/asia/japanese-millennials-hikikomori-social-recluse/

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Indian sadhus at festival

The Daily Mail (UK) highlights the annual Maha Shivaratri festival in India, where the chief feature is the appearance of sadhus or religious hermits and holy men.

From the article:

The elusive Naga Sadhu holy men of India have been caught on camera at an annual Hindu festival in which they bathe in sacred waters in homage to Hindu God Lord Shiva.

In March 2016, photographer Siddharth Kaneria ventured to the ancient Indian city of Junagadh to capture the men worshipping Lord Shiva at the Maha Shivaratri festival.

The festival falls on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of the Hindu calendar month Phalguna.

URL: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3680993/Not-shy-Hundreds-reclusive-Indian-holy-men-shun-society-seek-life-solitude-come-colourful-religious-festival.html

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Maija Zlatic, hermit mystery

Maija Zlatic, a Serbian-Australian widow who inherited over $5 million but deliberately lived in apparent poverty as a hermit in a mud hut in Serbia, died without a trace of the money she inherited from her late husband. She had supposedly given away the first million dollars awarded to her by an Australian court, but the rest of the money’s whereabouts is unknown. Her fellow-villagers are curious, suspecting that caregivers may have stolen everything.

URL: http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/maija-zlatic-a-serbian-woman-who-inherited-1m-from-her-australian-husband-has-died-and-her-neighbours-are-curious-about-her-fotune/news-story/51df02ef9a6eeab4e171dcdb86f71113; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3681914/Serbian-hermit-woman-dies-months-Australian-husband-left-1million.html