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Japan was ranked number 14 on the World Population Review for suicide rates this year. There has been a spike in the number of people committing suicide due to the effects of the pandemic.
Due to the 15% rise in the rate of suicide commitment compared to the previous year, the Japanese government has increased its suicide prevention budget to 3.7 billion yen, which is about 3 billion U.S.D. (for more information, visit here). This investment was critical as numerous private suicide prevention facilities were shut down due to the lockdown and lack of funds.
From February to August, the unemployment rate in Japan rose from 2.4% to 3.0%, leaving 2.1 million to be left unemployed. Small shop owners have had to close their shops due to a lack of business, leaving the owners in debt. It is suggested that the sudden increase in suicide rates may be caused by the unprecedented economic hardship caused by the global pandemic in Japan. According to an article titled “Coronavirus Pandemic Fuels Sharp Increase in Japanese Suicide Rate,” approximately 13,000 people committed suicide, while comparatively, only 1,600 died of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suicide rate among the Japanese youth has significantly increased this year—this is believed to be caused by an increase in cyberbullying. In August alone about 59 students committed suicide in elementary, middle, and high school. Help is not offered as freely and openly as it is in places such as the United States. Hiroyuki Nishino, head of an NGO children’s aid organization, Tamariba, told Bloomberg news agency, “We’ve heard kids as young as five years old talking about dying or wanting to disappear.”
Ms. Li, a learning mentor here at AISG, says that teenagers today do not feel that they are understood. “I think that if someone would communicate with him or her this would be better. They need to be open to other people close with them.” However, this type of support is not as freely available to students in Japan. Parents have very high expectations for their kids in regards to their marks in school.
Sophomore Veronica Y. was able to relate to this, saying that schoolwork is a huge stressor for her, and pressure from her parents worsens this even more so.
There has also been an increase in suicides among Japanese celebrities. These celebrities’ careers revolve around having an immaculate reputation, and this takes a toll on their mental health. To the public, they appear to have seemingly perfect lives, while under the surface they struggle with depression and mental illnesses. Celebrities are very quick to be judged by fans if they deem an action to be inappropriate or unlike the star. Yuko Takeuchi was an award-winning actress who committed suicide on September 27, this year. Even after her death, she became a subject of critique for the general public, especially among the online community. A tweet even consisted of this message: “Yuko Takeuchi, I cannot believe that you would be so irresponsible as to have a child, then commit suicide only a few months later”.
Japan hasn’t been the only country where suicide rates have gone up; the same thing has been happening in countries such as South Korea, India, and the United Kingdom. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga voiced his opinion claiming, “In order for people not to feel isolated with their own worries, we must work together to build a society where we can warmly support and watch over each other.”
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