Surveys of the Japanese public show that 1 in 2 people in their 20s and 30s have felt lonely during the pandemic.

In February this year the government created a new cabinet position to try to address the problem of loneliness, the so-called "minister for loneliness." But loneliness did not begin with COVID-19, and has been a growing problem in Japan for decades.

Alex K.T. Martin, a senior writer at the Japan Times, recently wrote an article on kodoku, and the fine line between solitude and loneliness that many of us have experienced throughout the pandemic.

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Alex K.T. Martin: Twitter | Articles

Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

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