Welcome to the N.H.K.

Welcome to the N.H.K. is a Japanese novel written by Tatsuhiko Takimoto, with a cover illustration by Yoshitoshi ABe, and was published by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan on January 28, 2002. The novel was first published in English by Tokyopop on October 9, 2007.

Preface

• However, the largest source of rage is his own cowardice.
  He is poor because he lacks the skill with which to earn money. He has no girlfriend because he lacks charisma. But the process of seeing this truth and acknowledging his own incompetence requires quite a bit of courage. No human being, regardless of who they might be, wants to look directly at their own shortcomings.
  • Page 7

Chapter 02: Jihad

• A normal life within society would be impossible for someone like me, who cried so unsuccessfully to apply Freudian analysis to last night's dream. My dream featured indulging in an impure heterosexual relationship in a small room with the female upperclassman from high school, and my analysis suggested only that it indicated a subconscious desire to indulge an impure heterosexual relationship in a small room with the female upperclassman from high school. My final result concluded, "What part of this is a dream interpretation? You're just reiterating the same thing!"
  • Sato, Page 23

Chapter 04: Road to the creator

• "Listen to me, Satou. Women. . . they aren't people. No, they're not normal humans. In fact, it might not be an exaggeration to say that they're unbelievably close to being inhuman monsters. Therefore, there's no need to go out of your way like this. What does it matter if you're scorned by some female?"
  • Yamazaki, Page 63

Chapter 05: A Humbert Humbert for the twenty-first century

• "Our reason and instinct are in opposition, but we can't get rid of either one. Given that, what are we meant to do? Compromise appropriately and start trying to date girls? Get married and try having kids? That is, after all, the conventional path. However, I discovered. . . women. . . those things just aren't human. Instead, they may, in fact, be closer to monsters. About a year ago, I realized the truth. While I was working at a convenience store to earn my tuition, all kinds of things happened. They're really terrible memories, and I don't want to think about them anymore."
  • Yamazaki, Page 76

• "We wanted to smile casually and happily each day; we wanted to enjoy a normal, average, invigorating daily life. The incomprehensibly rough waves of fate have made it impossible, though—so, cry in despair! We really wanted to be useful to everyone, to be respected by everyone, to live in harmony with everyone. Now, though, we're lolicon hikikomori—so, cry in despair! You must cry!
  • Sato, Page 91

Chapter 06: Fond Memories, followed by an Oath

• I didn't really understand Yamazaki's anger, but becoming furious allowed him to put off thinking about these problems. He acted as though he would simply not commit to anything, even if everything caved in around him. I decided to follow his example and just avoid reality for the time being.
  • Sato, Page 97

• Someone that beautiful should be able to live a carefree life.
  In actuality, there's nothing to do about a useless, recurring depression. A person could become disconsolate or angry. Even if they're enraged enough to punch something, they won't find a target. A huge organization. . . They wish that some huge, evil organization existed. That becomes our dream...
  Terrible things inundate the world. This world is wrapped in complex, messed-up, senseless, and incomprehensible misfortune and sadness.
  • Pages 112-113

Contract for Escape from Hikikomori Life and Support Therein

• Name of hikikomori: Satou Tatsuhiro.
  Name of escape supporter: Misaki Nakahara.
  Defining the hikikomori as party A and the supporter as party B, the following has been contracted between the two parties.
  A will confess to B all anguish, complication, complaints, whines, and every other inward thought concerning escape from hikikomori life.
  B will do everything in his or her power to aid A’s escape from hikikomori life and to make his or her return to society (noted as C) succeed.
  Additionally, during the process toward C, B will attempt in preserve the emotional stability of A. Conversely, A will speak politely to B.
  A will obediently do anything that B instructs.
  Furthermore, A will not treat B as an obnoxious person. A will not treat B cruelly.
  Naturally, violent acts, such as hitting or kicking, shall not be performed.
  Counseling shall take place every evening at the Mita Fourth District park. Come after eating dinner.
  If A observes the contract, A should move toward C.
  If A breaks the contract, the penalty is one million yen.
  • Pages 118-119

Chapter 07: The Revolving Rock

• "According to the results of my research, not just hikikomori, but all emotional problems are caused by an inability to conform to one's environment. Basically, because you can't get along well with the world, various difficulties arise."
  • Misaki, Page 127

• In short, if you can't be self-confident, then just imagine the person you're speaking to as even more of a failure than you think you are!
  • Misaki, Page 132

• "In my heart, I really do long for that kind of drama because there is truth in those television shows. Because there's the introduction, development, turn, and resolution; there's an explosion of emotions, and there's the conclusion. . . On the other hand, our lives continually are filled with dim, dreamy anxiety, and there are no easily understood dramas, situations, or confrontations—nothing at all like that. . . Isn't that sort of absurd? I'm twenty, and you're twenty-two, Satou. Even so, we've never really loved anyone, hated anyone, fought as a result of love or hate, or had any of those experiences at all. It's terrible!"
  • Yamazaki, Page 137

Chapter 08: Infiltration

• "I just kept thinking and thinking, 'what are we missing?' There's something missing from us. There's a big hole in our chests, so I wanted something to fill that hole. I wanted something to make me content. That's it. Yesterday, our religious observation reinforced my meditation on the subject. Everyone is uncertain. In this incomprehensible world, we want to be ordered around by someone else, and that's why we made God. The dual antagonism between God and Satan explains the world more easily. You see? That strong, simple story! I honestly was affected!
  • Yamazaki, Page 169

• "Those who believe will be saved! We must make something we ourselves can believe in order to bring meaning to our lives! And the meaning will be how we live on with our incredible new religion!"
  • Yamazaki, Page 170

Chapter 09: Days of the End

Contract Regarding Mutual Support for Worthless and Lonely People

• Defining Satou Tatsuhiro as party A and Misaki Nakahara as party B, the two parties agree to the following:
  A will not start to hate B.
  In fact, A will start to like B.
  A will never change his mind.
  A will never have a change of heart.
  When one party is lonely, the other always will be at his or her side.
  As B is always lonely, basically A always will be at B's side.
  If we do this, I think our lives probably will move in a good direction.
  I think the painful times will go away.
  If you break this contract, the penalty is ten million yen.
  
  • Page 194

Chapter 10: Dive

• Come on, what idiot could have come up with such a stupid scenario?
  It was me. I was the very person who had written the original outline for the story.
  I grew sad. It was a bittersweet sadness, because I thoroughly understood the scenario of the game: Soldiers taking a stand against evil.
  This had been our exact desire; we had wanted to fight an evil organization; we had wanted to fight villains. If a war had broken out, we would have joined the JSDF36 right away and launched kamikaze attacks. That definitely would have been a meaningful way to live and an attractive way to die. Had there been villains in the world, we would have battled them. Fists raised in the air, we would have fought. There was no mistake about it.
  There weren't any villains, though. The world was just complicated in various ways, and there weren't any obvious villains to be found. It was excruciating.
  • Page 201

Final Chapter: Welcome to the N.H.K.!

Contract for Membership in the N.H.K. (Nihon Hitojichi Kokankai) [The Japan Hostage Exchange Club]

• The purpose of the Hitojichi Kokankai:
  
  Members will exchange hostages with each other; you offer your lives to each other, as hostages. In other words, it means, "if you die, I die, too, dammit!" If we agree to this, then we will be unable to act, like nuclear powers, glaring at each other during a cold war. And even if we want to die, we will be unable to.
  If the situation turns into, "I don't care, even if you die," then this group's system has failed. Let's make sure that it doesn't become that way!
  
  

President of the N.H.K., Misaki Nakahara
Name: _____________ Member #: _______________

• • Page 233