A NEET could be defined as a young person between the ages of 15-29 who is Not in Education, Employment or Training. The age range can go high as the mid-thirties in some studies. Social anxiety, lack of ambition, depression, and exhaustion are all conditions which could factor into one’s decision to choose the ‘NEET lifestyle’.
Sometimes these individuals hold a part-time employment status for income (with the intention to save up before quitting), but often times they are supported by relatives or immediate family members.
Family members support the individuals because it is often viewed as a failure on their own part. There is still a strong stigma associated with mental health care in Japan and as a result, it may be thought of as less embarrassing to hide away ‘the problem’. This is not the case for every situation, but many seem to encapsulate this cultural undertone.
Outliers are frequently associated to hikikomori, or those who shut themselves in. Women are more likely to become NEETs than men. Despite gender, however, they are often referred to as ‘jobless youth’ or the ‘non-labor force’.
Although they enjoy a degree of self-imposed isolation, this is not to the degree of hikikomori. Regional Youth Support Stations along with New Start’s Rental Sisters and Brothers are a few solutions the Japanese government has employed to combat the epidemic.
(Personal opinion: Although as a millennial with an eternal pile of student loan debt, I can to my own degree, understand the desire to withdraw from society.)
Name: Yonebayashi Saiko [米林 才子]
Age: 19
Show: Tokyo Ghoul: re
First Appearance: Episode one
Manga: TG:re Chapter one
Employment Status: No, Education, Employment or Training
Affiliation: CCG Quinx Squad
Description: A chunky girl with blue hair set in long pigtails. She appears to be shorter than most of her peer group. Frequently in what looks like loungewear.
Details of Note: As of episode three, Yonebayashi seems to enjoy playing video games, oversleeping and eating a variety of snacks. She is self-conscious of her weight and seems to have formed a close relationship with Haise Sasaki. Although a bit anxious, Yonebayashi does not seem to have a problem leaving her room and interacting with strangers. This is evidenced by her willingness to dance while on an undercover mission during the Nutcracker auction arc. As for the oversleeping and overeating, they may be signs of depression and lack of control. Overindulgence in hobbies could also signal this.
Then again, I am no psychologist. I am a chunky girl who eats too many snacks, overindulges in her hobbies and recently racked up 70 hours in four days of starting a new save file in Stardew Valley. So the pot may indeed, be calling the kettle black here.
(will update as the anime series progresses)
In Asian Spaces 
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