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People used to say 'why do we have to use tax money to deal with suicides, when this is an individual problem?' But unless the entire community understands that this is an issue, it can't be solved.

Monday 23rd June, 07:09 AM JST

Akira Sato, an official of the Akita prefectural government, on the rise in suicides in Japan.  The number of suicides in Japan rose to 33,093 in 2007, the second highest number since 2003. (Reuters)

11 Comments

  • Betting at 09:50 AM JST - 23rd June

    A good comment by Sato. Suicide affects society as a whole and the sooner we find a solution, the better off we'll be. If we don't try, it'll just show what a cold and uncaring society we are.

  • TPOJ at 10:54 AM JST - 23rd June

    An "individual" problem? What, everything that person was involved in is wiped out along with them when they die?

    At least this guy is waking up...

  • Tim_Fox at 11:07 AM JST - 23rd June

    From what I've, and I will have to speak with more Japanese people to understand this better, Japan is not very open to people seeking help from mental health practitioners compared to America or Canada.

    Japan likely needs a federally funded public health campaign to encourage people to turn to mental health professionals in times of depression. This is a necessary step to reducing the suicide problem in Japanese society...

    Again, though this is just my Western take on the Japanese issue of suicide. Would like to hear what other Japanese think about this issue.

  • captainjohann at 11:15 AM JST - 23rd June

    Sir, Japan has the heighest suicide rate in the world. Though rich and educated, why this happens. In India also the heighest rate is in the state of Kerala with 100% education and better standard of living.does wealth and education make people take their own lives?

  • LKTucker at 01:07 PM JST - 23rd June

    The reason that high intelligence and wealth mark those who commit suicide may be Subliminal Distraction.

    Those with high intelligence are more likely to have behaviors that allow Subliminal Distraction exposure if the other conditions are met. They are concentration to a level of light dissociation while there is detectable movement in peripheral vision.

    Cubicles were designed to deal with the problem of mental breaks in business offices in the 1960's. But India and Japan do not often offer Cubicle Level Protection.

    It is difficult to get enough exposure to cause problems. That happens when someone creates the "special circumstances" for exposure and uses that location for weeks.

    Mass school shooters have done that.

    VisionAndPsychosis.Net is a five year investigation of Subliminal Distraction.

    Efforts to solve this problem will not succeed until Subliminal Distraction is evaluated.

  • ca1ic0cat at 09:04 PM JST - 23rd June

    I think that the consequences of suicide are so expensive that money spent on health benefits to get some mental health help would be well spent.

    Mental health issues don't have to be made public either. But Japanese culture has evolved around this idea of the "ultimate apology" and so I think this problem is going to take a generation or two before it changes.

    But that's not worth killing yourself over. Nothing is.

  • ppayne at 11:26 PM JST - 23rd June

    Of course public health at large is a concern to the society overall. Come on people. I care more about a young person who can be saved than a 85 year old woman who must be bedridden and on a respirator for another ten years. M'kay?

  • VS at 02:03 PM JST - 26th June

    The solution would end up having to change everything about japan, that's never going to happen. japanese people are stubbon about change. companies are not going to happily allow people vacations. they wont give you overtime or let you leave when yours hours are up. they wont happily allow people to take sick leave. you're not part of the "crowd" if you take your family as more important than coworkers and bosses.

    if i was in that situation, where many japanese are, id commit suicide too.

  • realist at 02:36 PM JST - 15th July

    The suicide rate is Japan is a tragic, needless loss of human life. In the Tokyo area there are at least 10 "jinshinjiko" every week - sometimes 4 a day - yet the mass media, and the J Government, ignore it - it doesnt often make news any more. As a result, the J government do practically nothing while their citizens are choosing death rather than continuing to face life in "Beautiful" Japan. What a sad place this is.

  • RepublicofTexas at 03:21 PM JST - 15th July

    Japan has the heighest suicide rate in the world.

    That's incorrect, according to the WHO, Japan has the world's 10th highest suicide rate, though it could be lower as in many countries (particularly the Middle East) suicide is declared murder out of respect for the dead or to protect the reputation of the family.

  • RepublicofTexas at 03:23 PM JST - 15th July

    Nice to see the gov't understands the underlying problem for once. Suicide is not an individual problem, it is often a side effect of a problem in society, such as healthcare problems, bullying, etc. Also many suicides often unintentionally kill or injure other people (jumping off buildings, using gas, or diving in front of a vehicle).

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