Number of suicides marks 1st year-on-year drop in Sept

Wednesday 28th October, 06:12 AM JST

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15 Comments

some14some at 07:05 AM JST - 28th October

But the interim report does not provide any clues regarding why the figure fell

because of regime change, Hatoyama had expressed serious concerns over increase in suicides.
thepro at 07:38 AM JST - 28th October

I think I did notice that my trains were late less last month.
sf2k at 08:28 AM JST - 28th October

eventually you run out people of the particular susceptible percentage in the 45-55 demographic who lose it. It was just a matter of time. Glad to hear it's going down.
johnshiomi at 09:20 AM JST - 28th October

suicide has nothing to do with what's happening outside and everything to do with whats happening inside. dont blame suicides on the economy. people need to take responsibility for their emotions and lives.
Disillusioned at 01:26 PM JST - 28th October

Wow! And they are excited about this? 2,475 people offed themselves in September. That's more than 80 people every day and they are bragging about it?
chotto at 01:30 PM JST - 28th October

Wow! And they are excited about this? 2,475 people offed themselves in September. That's more than 80 people every day and they are bragging about it?

Well it's better than a higher number, so get off your high-horse.
Gaijinocchio at 02:16 PM JST - 28th October

Thanks to "Silver Week" everyone was on vacation.

Maybe more "Silver Weeks" will reduce suicides even more.
Yelnats at 02:26 PM JST - 28th October

I think most of the suicides were on the trains I take. Had another jinshin last week. Sucks.
Disillusioned at 03:35 PM JST - 28th October

chotto - Well it's better than a higher number, so get off your high-horse.

That's a great response chotto. Now, do you care to explain why it is better than a higher number? Is more than 80 people committing suicide every day acceptable to you?
dolphingirl at 10:08 PM JST - 28th October

Disillusioned: I think I'm with you on this one. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates among industrially advanced countries. I would like to know what they are doing to try to reduce this rate. As another person mentioned, this drop could have been due to silver week.

The economic slump is only one factor. About 25% of suicides are attributed to money problems. I think the major reason is the attitude towards suicide. It is seen as tolerable and even honorable to take one's life. Another huge contributing factor is people's reluctance to talk about problems like stress & depression and a lack of good mental health care. On top of that, people just don't have enough personal connections.

We have to take action rather than just leaving this statistic to chance.
as_the_crow_flies at 11:10 PM JST - 28th October

Rather than poring over each monthsfigures, and lining them up against those of the same month the year before, why dont they just say, these figures are W-A-A-Y too high, and start taking action to reduce them. Theyve been way too high for years and years in a row, for Chrissakes, are they just analysing them to see if theyll sort of, drop by themselves? On a cheering note for number crunchers, hopefully the declining population will eventually dent the suicide figures. Or maybe not, as the elderly, sick, depressed segment of the population progressively falls through the woefully inadequate social support system.
mnemosyne23 at 04:23 AM JST - 29th October

*On a cheering note for number crunchers, hopefully the declining population will eventually dent the suicide figures. *

I have a feeling that's what happened!

Or maybe not, as the elderly, sick, depressed segment of the population progressively falls through the woefully inadequate social support system.

Although in those cases, it seems that the preferred method of euthanasia is to tell your son, brother, aged mother, or spouse that you want to die and then ask them to kill you.
Monoflow at 08:31 PM JST - 29th October

Suicide seems to be an option, I won't judge about those who commit... But compare to how people in 3rd world countries suffer from starving, cruelty and poverty it's unbelievable how many people kill themselves because of losing the job...
anthony39 at 07:36 AM JST - 30th October

Japanese (or anyone) who consider their life 'so bad' they decide to waste the gift of life should consider what must drive indian farmers to drink weed killer in order to end their lives (often having been screwed into crippling debt by bio chemical/genetic companies).

Anyone considering suicide please consider that it is not their failings, but it is the 'system' (or society) that has failed them. Get up and change the system!!
chotto at 10:52 AM JST - 30th October

That's a great response chotto. Now, do you care to explain why it is better than a higher number? Is more than 80 people committing suicide every day acceptable to you?

What?

Go back and re-read your post, and mine, and then post a coherent reply.