Japanese company reaching out to socially awkward young males

A Japanese company named Avex has discovered a novel way to serve the needs of some of its younger, socially withdrawn customers. The company has recently produced a new DVD designed to help these so-called hikikimori become more comfortable around young women.

The DVD is called Miteiru dake, or "Just Looking," and features attractive young Japanese women simply staring straight ahead, occasionally blinking or saying something like "Good Morning." The idea of the DVDs, according to one article, is "to get young males who aren't used to socializing with women to become more accustomed to making eye contact and/or handle the fact that a sentient being sits across from them and awaits interaction. The DVD hopes to cure those afflicted with shyness so that they may rejoin society."

So do these videos actually work? Who knows-- but they sure are popular. The Japanese staring goddess known as Magibon has made similar videos and become a Youtube sensation. This video alone has been viewed over three million times.

It seems the vast majority of the over 21,000 comments the video has received are variations on the same thing: "I don't get it."

Neither do I.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Japan, Video