Of the 33,000 cases of suicides per year, those aged 60 and over account for some 12,000 — or more than one-third of the total. Particularly because of an increasing number of divorces between couples

There you have it. For a society where relationship appreciation are so woven into the socio-cutural fabric, it makes sense in a perverse way that condition of alienation should reach such proportions. Japan has long been a parody of itself except the joke ain't so funny. This rich cultural senses that has however on one hand left an aesthetic and rich artistic heritage quite unique and undeniably inspiring, one the other somehow the part of the side effect, (cost?) is an sometimes stark absence of lateral thinking that leaves reason at the door and compels its inhabitants to conform or die off.

If social alienation gets any worst in Tokyo, this place will make Orwell's vision of the world look like paradise. It is sad to read about how many people have little or no social fabric to depend upon in Japan. How so many live in tiny places isolated from everyone.

This society needs to rekindle the village concept, even in cities. People need to talk with each other, try to build friendships and know other people around them.

Time to stop being so suspicious of people and try to be friendly Japan!

Or if one assumes a less hysterical approach and one looks at the statistics for age distribution in Japan then one will note that 23.3% of Japan's population is over 65 (they don't keep exact statistics for age 60). Eyeballig the population pyramid shows another 5 million in the 60 to 65 range, so that puts the total 60+ percentage of the population at about 27%.

Therefore the suicide rate for the elderly is pretty much what one would expect. About 6 percentage points higher than absolutely even distribution, but given the prevalence of mental problems that come with age like dementia, easily explicable in terms of international trends (the same slightly higher rate of suicide can be seen in the U.K., U.S, etc.).

Another article where the author should have taken a basic course in statistics rather than leaping to totally unsupported conclusions.

Wrong.

It is due to incurable and unaffordable diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Therefore the suicide rate for the elderly is pretty much what one would expect.

How dare you come onto this site and start making so much sense!