In the past several years, much has
been written about suicides and their connection to high unemployment
rates in Japan. Dire statistics show that in the years since 1998,
Japan's suicide numbers have topped the 30,000 mark annually. This
has the general population, as well as health and social welfare
critics around the world taking notice.
Newsweek and Time magazines have both covered the phenomenon, and
each time one of the regular Japanese language newspapers comes
out with a higher unemployment figure, they tie them together with
the growing suicide problem, and with a great deal of justification.
There is an unhappy little spot near the base of Mount Fuji called
the Aokigahara woods which happens to be one of the most infamous
places in Japan for suicidal people to do themselves in. According
to figures released by the Fuji-Yoshida police station in Yamanashi
Prefecture this year, approximately 78 suspected suicide victims
were found hanging from the trees, an increase from the former record
of 73 found back in 1998.
Statistics from the World Health Organization show that the majority
of suicide victims are males from age 40 to the mid-60s. Many of
these men committed suicide because of a feeling of dishonouring
the family name. Others simply watched their companies let them
go after years of devoted work, and couldn't find gainful employment
because of their age.
The importance of family life
But this is changing. Psychiatrist Hidetoshi Nishijima, an executive
board member of the Japan Medical Association, in an interview last
year stated that the importance of family life to the normal Japanese
individual has gradually replaced the "perception of lifetime
employment at one company," and the importance of a job.
"An increasing number of employees do not favour working long
overtime hours," said Nishijima.
However, If you compare the unemployment rates of Japan to other
developed countries, the numbers don't quite add up. According to
Japan Information Network's international rates for 2002, Japan
stacked up pretty well. The highest was Italy at 9.4 per cent, followed
by France with 8.7, the European Union at 8.3, Germany with 8.2,
Canada with 7.7, America at 5.8, and Japan falling just below that
with 5.4 per cent. The only country on the list that scored lower
was the United Kingdom with 5 per cent unemployment.
But according to Nishijima, the number of suicides in Japan is
higher than in other countries, relative to its population.
"The suicide rate per 100,000 people was about 20 until 1997,"
said Nishijima, "but rose to 26.1 persons in 1998, slightly
below Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, which have the world's highest
suicide rate, and Russia, Hungary and Slovenia where the suicide
rate is 30 per 100,000 people."
Dr. Nishijima feels that though cases of exhaustion depression
and promotion triggered depression due to a huge dependence on the
company have been decreasing, frequent absence from work syndrome,
aversion depression, avoidant personality disorder and maladjustment
stemming from mental disorders have increased. This is why suicide
numbers have not decreased.
Faster action needed
His remedy is quite simple: awareness and recognition. If more companies
are aware of the situation, the faster both the companies and the
federal Japanese government can act to prevent problems, and reduce
stress levels for all employees with programs that allow for channelling
stress release in healthier ways. The problem is that governments
and companies are still acting too slow.
Though the Japanese federal government allocated 450 million yen
to research on suicide prevention countermeasures as part of the
2001 Japan regeneration plan, critics and police agencies alike
are still predicting another horrific year for the Aokigahara woods
in 2003, among other suicide hot spots.
Due to the rising suicide rate, Japan has become known as a society
of stress, and the cause is depression.
"Recognition of depression should be promoted among industrial
and primary care physicians. It is important that these physicians
work conjointly with a specialist or psychiatrist in the treatment
and the return of the patient to the workplace. The establishment
of such a network is essential."
The next National Police Agency suicide figures will be released
in the summer of 2003.
With files from Glocom Platform from Japan, People's Daily,
and the Japan Information Network.
Comments to date: 164. This is page 1 of 17.
guilherme Brazil
Posted at 7:33pm on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
hi, I was searching some information for my school work about Japan culture and then I saw these comments and my God told me to tell you somethings... We all pass through problems, desperations, sadness. When we focus our lives in something, we live tottaly for that. We, humans, live for what we believe is the best for our lives... if we trust in something that can fail, we can't find happyness! if we dont reach our goals, our lives loose the meaning. I know you all tried religion and it did not work! but its because God want us to trust totally in him. he loves us. even tough we fell alone and empty-handed, he is always with us! we have got a hole in our hearts, that only God can fill up! trust him, rest under his wings! he gave his only son so that we could live with him, fo the whole eternity! don't give up God, cause He hasn't given up on us! I hope you guys the best.
Armz Nagoya
Posted at 7:33pm on Friday, June 13th, 2008
I have lived in japan for about 7 years now and I have come to love Japan and the Japanese people.
Japanese people are generally kind and considerate people.
I think there are sevral major reasons for the high suicide rate, one being the pressure put on japanese children since they enter kindergarten and in some cases even before the age of 3.
The kids are pressured by parents, teachers, Neighbours and even friends parents to excel in education from the age of 3.
They start kindergarten and also do
many extra curricular activities and by the time they are in elementary and jnr high school they have a schedule that would drain the mental and physical energy of even some of the most competitive shark-like bussiness men in other countries.
Being constantly pushed to work robot hours from the time you enter the japanese educational system almost until the day you die builds up over the years until its
no longer bearable.
Ive asked japanese people why they think the suicide rate is so
high and I get answers like japanese people have weak minds, which I dont think is true I think the hours worked and the intensity of the work could break even the strongest minded people!!
And one of the other major reasons stems from the first reason, people spend more time at school and work than at home with family, there needs to be more fathers spending quality time with thier children more mothers being there for their children sitting down as a family at the dinner table to eat and talk, husbands and wifes need to show more affection for eachother even in front of their children, children need to know that their parents love eachother and they also need to feel loved!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I know that if some Japanese people read this affection part they would probably cringe and say (NO WAY I CANT DO THAT!!!) but this (The family) is where changes first need to be made then the japanese society will naturally come next.
This is definately NOT something that will take place over night but if everyone put forth a little more effort to love your family big things can happen!!!!!!!
I once heard a great man say "On the death bed nobody wishes they spent more time in the office"
Time with family is most important!
Fernando Ackart Seattle, WA
Posted at 1:56pm on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
This message is for Jay. Just like Belle, I hope your interview went well. The older we get the harder it gets, we are expected to keep up with all these things; status, money, work, etc. We are expected to have a fast paced life style, but that's just not for everyone. There is obviously something missing, and that is spirituality, and I'm not refering to religion because you obviously tried that and it didn't work. We are raised to worry about materialism and technology as if those are the answers for evolution and progress. But we haven't evolved, and definitely haven't progressed. I have lived in the US for 10 years and when my parents brought me here they expected me to achieve the American dream. That's all I had in my mind for years, and now that I make decent money, I'm still unhappy. I have a career I'm not really interested in and there's just a huge emptiness in my heart, I feel everything I did was pointless. If you feel teaching is what you like but don't make much money out of it, what makes you feel better in the end? I think I would be so much more satified after a long day of work knowing that I built incredible relationships with other people, rather than having an office job that doesn't give me anything in return but economic stability. I know you have a lot of pressure right now, but you live in a beautiful country. Stay in touch with nature and don't quit your real friends. Also, don't feel guilty because you feel let your mother down, apparently religion hasn't done much for her. This whole problem is individualism, everyone tries to imitate the American lifestyle and there is just no way countries such as ours can keep up. Know that there are other people that are going through the same situation. It's time we start helping each other.
giancarlo sulas italy
Posted at 7:09am on Thursday, June 5th, 2008
if you are in need of money and success. send your e-mail to.giancarlo.sulas.1721@alice.it is a very powerfull magician of magic spell.
Belle Manila
Posted at 2:29am on Friday, May 30th, 2008
Jay.. i hope your interview went well.
Friends, as you well know, my country suffers a great share of poverty and restlessness in this world. But i am of the firm belief that no amount of hardship should prompt anyone to contemplate ending one's life. It's too precious and unique to take lightly. May we all be blessed with inner strength to keep on fighting to live. Take care.
Jay Costa Rica
Posted at 10:28am on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
I thought of suicide recently, maybe i am a coward, i don´t know for sure.
As this guy in the UK wrote, somedays i don´t want to live or die, just disappear. I feel i am a burden to my family.
I tried hard, i graduated from College and i majored in advertising, but i felt that i wasn´t ready to work in that field, i need to be better, more competitive, i need to improve my English, my computer skills, to be more creative, to keep up with tecnology and trends. But i need money, to upgrate my computer and pay for the training i need, so i tried to work in a call center for HP, but i failed, then i tried to teach English, i loved the job, but i was bad paid and i had a problem with the management over that issue and i got fired. Tried another call center and the history repeat itself... now i am living with my mother, trying to start over, but the sadness and frustration are building up every day.
Some have said Jesus is the solution, i went to church, nobody cares, all the do is talking and talking about the bible, trying to give you hope, yet you pray and try hard to belive but nothing changes. No miracles. My mom works at church, and i don´t get any support from her, beyond being here, listening to her complains.
I quit church, i quit my friends, and i am thinking about quit life. Don´t blame the japanese, this is a worldwide issue, life is getting meaningless for a lot of people.
Solutions? There´s no magic trick, no salvation campaings, each one of us gotta face the issue. Some are able to move on and some others are not. I am going to a job interview today, maybe its my chance to start over, its my hope.
Clara UK
Posted at 1:28pm on Sunday, May 25th, 2008
I'm a Japanese living in UK. You know, I was taught to shut up at home and at school, basically everywhere, and follow what I was told. Otherwise I was punished. When I did or said something wrong without intention, I was blamed, hit or shamed by the parents and teachers. My family has got money being surrounded by full of things and apparently looks an affluent happy family but sadly, I don't recall any good memories with them although I know my parents are not bad people. Not allowed to say anything, not allowed to be different from others, not allowed to have pride in ourselves, always reading other people's face, worrying about the eye of others, following others, and high expectation to the others. It makes things and service perfect and fulfilling environment but it's gonna make people mad and depressed. Small stress builds up over a long period and oneday, it cannot be handled and it becomes a bomb leading to suicide or homicide. Worse, especially in the case of yongster, we don't really have problems in real life with money, foods or secuirty so we lack driving force for the life. This gives the room to think about suicide or bullying others for stress releasing. I've been away from Japan for more than a decade but even though, I found it's very difficult to fix this Japanese attitude as if it were nasty brainwash or curse. But I could fix it because clear communication by saying is critical to avoid miscommunication/misinterpretation with/of people of different background and nationalities and to avoid people taking advantage of me being like that. I like the Japanese virtue of being caring, polite and considerate of other people and I wish to keep this virtue but I don't dare to go back there, the country of psychological communism.
Lalita Tokyo
Posted at 6:42am on Sunday, May 25th, 2008
Although I've been living in Japan
for almost four years, the country
of my heart is Thailand--after many
visits there I'm hoping to move there soon.
Living and working in Japan is
very tough; one of the odd aspects of the culture is that no one
will be up-front with you about
what is expected, but if you
don't guess correctly and do
everything right you will be
blamed.
It's very difficult living in
a place where you have to hold
your breath all the time and
be sure not to express your
true feelings.
The suicide rate in Thailand
is not nearly as high as here--
and with good reason! The
culture values relaxing and
having fun with friends. But
just try asking a Japanese
person what the Japanese word
for "sanuk" (Thai for "fun")
is! (there isn't one)
best wishes to all,
Lalita
Anonymous Bangladesh
Posted at 12:47pm on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
There is no doubt about japan's prosperity. people of japan achived prosperity in professional life but they cudnt get the prosperity in personal life. japanese are far away from their own religion. that is also the reason of high suicide rate. As i can compare myself with japanese. i am happy with my parents but they dont even think about their parents and social life. emotion,affection,love...they are far away from all those internal feelings. They do compitition for how to do work better. if they would give importance to make a family life then sucide rate would be decreased. But i have seen some japanese who is trying to make a personal life beside work. which is a positive sign to decrease the sucide rate
Karuna Mauritius
Posted at 10:43pm on Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
I just came from a trip to the land of the rising sun. I was stunned by the beauty and serenity of its people. I would never have thought suicide rates are high there. I think they have a wonderful culture. Maybe they are not at peace with themselves, but only show a peaceful facade.
