Suicides in 2012 fall to 15-year low

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  • -1

    Ms. Alexander

    I wonder how many are kids? Why doesn't it mention the age group?

    While the number may have decreased, I think the age group shifted from middle-aged/older men to kids. I wonder what and how long it will take for Japan to make changes here...

  • -3

    Ewan Huzarmy

    Makoto Okada, an official with the cabinet office in charge of suicide prevention, said economic pressures are a major cause of suicide and the statistics may reflect improvements in that area

    So things have improved since Abe was elected in, is that what you're trying to imply ?

  • 2

    tamanegi

    I wonder how many others attempted suicide.

  • 3

    Maria Ybanez

    Even if suicides in Japan are caused by economic pressures, don't you think they are overeacting to problems that everybody has? What if they were less wealthy like other countries? Maybe if they realize there's a lot of people suffering around the world, they would appreciate their lives more?

  • 1

    hereforever

    1. More men than women because there are more men in the workforce.
    2. Drop in middle age men because more women are entering the work force. Would like it see it more categorized

  • 4

    Yubaru

    While the number may have decreased, I think the age group shifted from middle-aged/older men to kids. I wonder what and how long it will take for Japan to make changes here...

    Why make this assumption? Just because you read a few articles here about younger kids who committed suicide doesnt change the FACTS that in Japan it is overwhelming the elderly that commit suicide.

  • 4

    Aristoman

    Very sorry about what is happening in Japan "although its getting better". If you believe that economy pressure makes you committ suicide, you are very very confused person. Until the family life will be not priority in Japan, nothing will change here.

  • 1

    combinibento

    It's nice when even the suicide rate is depressed.

  • -4

    Ms. Alexander

    @ Yubaru - I didn't say that there are more kids than adults. Since there are no mention of how many are in the kids category, I can't assume whether their number increased or decreased. I simply stated that the ecocomy supposedly getting better might be the reason for the decrease in adults. But I, personally, don't think the kids' reasons (bullying) have been properly addressed. I wonder what it will take and how long it will take for their numbers to change.

  • 1

    Yubaru

    @ Yubaru - I didn't say that there are more kids than adults.

    Really? Then please explain what this means.

    I think the age group shifted from middle-aged/older men to kids.

    Sounds like you are saying exactly what you say you aren't saying, to me at least.

    I simply stated that the ecocomy supposedly getting better might be the reason for the decrease in adults.

    The economy FYI has only supposedly been getting better in the past three weeks, which would not have much if any effect on the number of suicides for the entire year.

    But I, personally, don't think the kids' reasons (bullying) have been properly addressed. I wonder what it will take and how long it will take for their numbers to change.

    Which is a totally different subject, but overall the numbers per 100,000 the youngest age groups, iirc 5-14 (0.2) and 15 -24 (15.5) account for 15.7 suicides per 100,000 vs 25 to 40 per 100,000 for all other age groups.

    Yes there are a lot of suicides here, however it's the younger ones that grab peoples attention and while it needs to be addressed they are not increasing in any significant way (thank goodness) and hopefully are decreasing when the detailed numbers get released.

  • 0

    humanrights

    76 JP each day commit suicide instead of 90 on average each year. Well, I lost count after 10. If economic pressure was to blame then last year should have been a record shouldnt it? What about the boy who was hit by the coach? Was that economic pressure? I think it is more like Society's pressure in JP, work bullies, pressure to conform to non-sense rules and outdated traditions, lack of family love and support, fake friends who cant talk straight to your face, no support from health system and help for those suffering depression, too much medication prescribed without research as to the side-effects, nobody cares about anyone here deep down, just fake pretenses and brush offs. The statistics will rise again for sure.

  • -1

    RJS PRESSROOM

    Economic pressure is shortening lives of many people around the globe. Politicians should understand that better than us. Does any politicians commit suicide in Japan? After all their pay is good enough to touch champagne every day.

  • -3

    Ms. Alexander

    @ Yubaru - Really? Right back at you.

    Again, the economy supposedly getter better is based on what the article is saying. It says that "economic pressures are a major cause of suicide and the statistics may reflect improvements in that area." They're saying that it's getter better and that it might be the reason for the decrease.

    IMO, these suicide stats not only just reveal numbers but it also shows if the issues for the age groups have been addressed. Again, I don't think the kids' reasons for suicide (which is primarily bullying) has been addressed so their numbers probably didn't change. So while the adults' numbers may have decreased, the kids' probably didn't. So the "we need to do something about this" focused on adults and left the kids behind.

    Bullying is a totally different subject but it also isn't. I mean, isn't it the number 1 cause of suicides in kids?

    These numbers here can simply be just about adults and not kids. Until the entire stats is revealed, I won't know. I was simply giving my opinion.

  • 0

    Disillusioned

    Don't worry about these stats too much cos when Abe's welfare and pension cuts come in to play this will number will be back up to over 30,000 and probably set a new record high.

  • 0

    gjn48kawaii

    Can't keep the streak going on for too long. Maybe its because all the suiciders already killed themselves the previous years.

  • 3

    kanoe81

    Good to hear. Hoping no one thinks this is anything to do with the stupid AKB48 anti-suicide campaign posters around.

  • 2

    moomoochoo

    If you think things are getting better economically (in Japan) I think you're in for a rude shock.

  • 1

    Crazedinjapan

    Probably altered Facts, it's got to be a embarrassment to Japan that so many people kill themselves here. Maybe ...Maybe it's dropped .....but from the news murder has surely climbed .

    What is probably happened is they altered the information they normally collect or categorized it differently so it seems the problem they've done nothing about ( relieve workers with more spare time, provide counseling without it stigmatizing people ) is less damaging to the image of Japan's people.

  • -1

    Nessie

    Whatever the reason or the spin, this is an interesting article.

  • 0

    Knox Harrington

    Oh, good, now only 76 people off themselves every day. We are now in the clear in this country.

  • 0

    Knox Harrington

    I sometimes wonder if Japanese people are happy at all. Sure, they have a reasonably stable society, they have modern gadgets and all kinds of amenities and things but it seems to me something is lacking... Just take a look at the morning commuters (or the evening ones). Tired, dead stares into either the latest gadget or sleeping. And working. All the damn time. Overtime, dare not speak up to superiors, have to follow all the social rules or you get castigated. I am sure there are poorer societies where, even if the money and stuff is not there, happiness is.

  • 2

    bicultural

    This is good news, and yet the majority of comments are negative. When will JT posters be happy? When the figure is below 20,000? When it's zero? I'm happy the figure has fallen in Japan. However, I'm concerned about the rising rates in our neighboring country.

  • 0

    guuzendesu

    @bicultural, Well said! You know, I don't care if it's because of AKB48 posters or just a proliferation of Hello Kitty phones, any reason the suicide rate decreases is good. I for one will just be glad this article is possible and leave it at that.

    Ganbatte, Japan!

  • 0

    kansaifun

    Uh, there's always next year..?

  • -4

    basroil

    27000 suicides, still more than all crime related deaths, vehicle deaths, and deaths to negligent accidents put together. It's an improvement, but hardly a newsworthy one. When they drop suicides below 5000 a year (about par with world average, maybe a bit better), then they can say there's improvement and pat themselves on the back.

  • -2

    Disillusioned

    So, they can attribute the high suicide rate to economic pressure, but they can give no reason for this year's decline. I guess it is just luck. Or possibly, society is slowly weeding out all the apathetic and selfish fools that off themselves.

  • 1

    Fadamor

    Improvements - especially an improvement of 9.4% over last year - are ALWAYS newsworthy when it means less senseless deaths.

    If you're going to compare Japan's suicides to the rest of the world's, you use the RATE of suicide, not the total number of suicides. A "world average" of total suicides means nothing once individual national populations are considered.

  • 0

    nishikat

    Maybe people are learning to think "the hell with it" instead of offing themselves. Works well in other countries. Job giving you too much pressure? Just quit and get another one at less pay but A LOT less pressure. Married life giving you the blues to the point of having suicidal tendencies? Get out of it. No family is better than no life.

  • -1

    petterrock

    I think it is more like Society's pressure in JP, work bullies, pressure to conform to non-sense rules and outdated traditions, lack of family love and support, fake friends who cant talk straight to your face, no support from health system and help for those suffering depression, too much medication prescribed without research as to the side-effects, nobody cares about anyone here deep down, just fake pretenses and brush offs.

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