Their Chatting That Lasts Until Dawn... A Lonely Boy Saves Lives [Youth Isolation 24 Hours]

Founder of 24-Hour Online Anonymous Counseling Platform
Interview with Oozora Kouki, Chairman of Anatanobaasho
Spent a Lonely Adolescence Due to Social Isolation
"70% of Users Are in Their Teens to 30s"

"In Korea, people who form relationships only online through social networking services (SNS) or games are criticized as being 'addicted.' But isn't it more important first to understand what kind of social networks these people can actually reach?"

On June 20, Koki Oozora, director of Japan's Anata no Ibasho (あなたのいばしょ), emphasized this point in a video interview with Asia Economy. Anata no Ibasho, meaning 'the place where you belong' in Japanese, is an online anonymous counseling platform operating 24/7, 365 days a year. Anyone feeling lonely can send a chat message and share their loneliness and worries with a counselor anytime, without needing to call or visit a counselor in person. To start chatting, users must complete a scale assessment that includes their age, employment status, and how often they usually feel lonely.

The platform's founder, Director Oozora, introduced himself as someone who has personally experienced both youth isolation and loneliness. Growing up in a single-parent family, he endured his father's violence during elementary school. From high school, he lived with his mother, but the family’s financial situation was tight, so he worked part-time and attended school late into the day. Although he could not confide in anyone at the time, the affection and attention from his high school senior homeroom teacher helped him enter university. Drawing on this experience, he established Anata no Ibasho in March 2020 while still a university student.

Currently, Anata no Ibasho collaborates with various entities, including the Japanese government, administrative agencies, schools, and companies. Recognized for these contributions, Director Oozora also serves as a member of the Planning Committee under the Cabinet Secretariat’s Office for Measures against Loneliness and Isolation, participating in multiple policy proposals. He also gives lectures sharing his experiences with students and repeatedly emphasizes, "Since severe forms such as hikikomori or lonely deaths begin among young people in their teens and twenties, it is crucial to implement policies tailored to this age group."

Oozora Kouki, Chairman of Anata no Ibasho. (Photo by Anata no Ibasho)

-What achievements have been made since the launch of the Anata no Ibasho service?

▲Since the service started in 2020, over one million counseling sessions have been received in just four years. The staff now exceeds 1,000 people. In short, the organization is growing every year. The team consists of managers who handle partnership projects with private companies and local governments, regional coordinators who collaborate with local counseling centers, supervisors who oversee counseling on-site, and specialized counselors who focus on high-risk suicide clients and train other counselors.

-Are there any characteristics of young users in their 20s and 30s compared to other age groups?

▲More than 70% of all users are aged between 10 and 30, making our platform predominantly used by younger people. This is an overwhelming proportion compared to other platforms. Consequently, most counseling requests come in during late-night hours, from after 10 p.m. until early morning the next day. Young users often have disrupted daily rhythms, with their days and nights reversed, so they are usually active at night and request counseling during these hours.

Most notably, many users are classified as high-risk for suicide. The reasons vary for each person, including worries about school, family, friends, studies, and future prospects, but ultimately, many send messages driven by extreme impulses after grappling with these complex concerns.

-What has been the response from those who have used the counseling service?

▲A survey of users who went through counseling showed that about 80% reported being 'satisfied.' The counseling effect is measured based on how much the desire for extreme choices has been reduced, so this indicates significant success. Online chat likely provides faster immediate responses than phone or face-to-face counseling, which may explain this outcome.

Chat page of Anata no Ibasho. To receive counseling, you need to answer questions including your occupation category and the usual degree of loneliness you feel. (Photo by Anata no Ibasho)

-There are many claims that isolation and loneliness worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. How is this perceived on the ground?

▲Since Anata no Ibasho started its service at the beginning of the pandemic, exact data comparisons are difficult, but the number of counseling sessions has steadily increased every year, indicating that loneliness and isolation have deepened post-pandemic. The pandemic caused even those who previously had social connections to become isolated and worsened the situations of those who had no connections at all.

Especially for young people, frequent lifestyle changes during their life cycle make isolation and loneliness more acute. This is the age group facing marriage, divorce, moving, and employment. The same applies to students. With classes held online, it becomes harder to make friends, and opportunities for healing through social interaction decrease, intensifying confusion.

-You served as a member of the Cabinet Secretariat’s Office for Measures against Loneliness and Isolation. What proposals did you make to the Japanese government, and what additional policies do you think are needed now?

▲At that time, we proposed about 15 policies under the theme that loneliness should be recognized as a social, not individual, problem. One initiative I want to highlight is the 'Tsunagari (つながり, meaning connection) Supporter.' This system educates individuals to understand loneliness and, based on that, encourages them to care for and support people around them, thereby building a social safety net.

Recently, I believe there is a need to focus on youth isolation. Traditional counseling methods conducted face-to-face or by phone pose psychological barriers for young people. Addressing this is an urgent priority.

Volunteer counselor recruitment page for Anata no Ibasho. It promotes the message "Seeking helping hands at the last stronghold." (Photo by Anata no Ibasho)

-Japan has introduced many measures against hikikomori (social withdrawal), but there are criticisms that these have not resolved the issue, leading to the '5080 problem' (where parents in their 80s support socially withdrawn children in their 50s). How is the recent situation different from the past?

▲First, I want to clarify something. The reason Japan’s hikikomori and lonely death issues receive more attention is that the government regularly investigates and publishes data. The Japanese government conducts surveys at the prefectural level, not just rough estimates, which is uncommon in other countries. I believe East Asian countries like Korea, China, and Taiwan face similar situations to Japan.

However, policies have failed because the target was set incorrectly. Hikikomori withdrawal actually begins when people are young. Although many understand it as an elderly issue, many cases start with school refusal in their teens and then become prolonged. Recently, Japan has shifted policy focus toward counseling and care tailored to adolescents and young adults, which is a positive development.

-Youth isolation is also worsening recently in Korea. What advice would you give?

▲Creating social connections is a preventive measure, but I don’t think this needs to be limited to offline friends. Friends made through SNS and games are also part of social connections. However, in Korea, these are often understood as game addiction or SNS dependence rather than connections to society, which is somewhat regrettable. It is important first to understand how many socially supportive connections one has, so rather than dismissing these relationships as bad, it would be better to explore why people can only form relationships in this way. I also believe that detailed surveys and policy development at the national and local government levels should follow.