About this film

American Hikikomori is an independent short film about a socially awkward Japanese teenager named Isamu Fujihara, who moves from Japan to America.

From the writer/director: Oxford Dictionaries.com defines a Hikikomori as, “a person who avoids social contact.” Its origins are Japanese and it literally translates to 'staying indoors, (social) withdrawal'. Hikikomori is a unique and social taboo that only exists in Japan. However, I feel that it can be universally understood. This film is based on real experiences my wife and her friends have endured when they first came to the US for college. And other experiences I’ve had growing up.

I wanted to tell a story about someone who felt so lonely they decided to isolate themselves from everyone. And I felt like the best way to express this was through Hikikomori, a real phenomenon that’s happening in Japan.

As a filmmaker, I want to tell stories that entertain us but also challenge us to talk about issues in our global community. As an American, I want to tell stories that reflect realities of our melting pot culture. I also want American audiences to see this film in order to start conversations about how we Americans really treat and perceive foreigners and their culture. As the spouse of a first generation Japanese woman, I want to show everyone diverse aspects of her culture and share anecdotes of her experiences in assimilating to American culture. As a “person of color,” I know we, as an audience; as the ever-diversifying public, cannot rely on major television networks and movie studios to always tell culturally diverse stories with a culturally diverse cast.