One Japanese suicide every 15 minutes.
Japan's grim reputation as one of the world's suicide nations has been confirmed by statistics that show more than 30,000 people a year have taken their own lives since figures first began to rise in 1998. In 2006, there were 32,115 suicides - 25 per 100,000 people; nearly 100 people a day; one every 15 minutes. The most common hour of death is 5am for men and noon for women, after their families have left for work or school.
Japan has roughly half the population of the US, yet the same number of suicides. There were 5,554 suicides of people aged 15 and over in the UK in 2006; three quarters involved men.
Experts in Japan were puzzled when the suicide rate jumped in 1998 from 24,391 to 32,863 - a 35 per cent rise - and the annual figure has continued to stay above 30,000. Two theories have been put forward by the media: bullying at school and netto shinju - online suicide pacts.
Last year the National Police saved 72 potential suicides who had made postings on the net. But Yukio Saito, the director of a 24-hour suicide helpline, said that until recently Japan has done nothing to stop tens of thousands of others taking their lives. The helpline takes an estimated 720,000 calls a year at its 49 centres.
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Maybe because of the romanticization of suicide in Japanese culture. Â Similar to why America has so much gun related crimes, guns are a part of American culture, shooting at problems is in their blood.
The problem, to some degree (as I understand it), is that until recently there has been very little in the way of government funded social support for suicide prevention. Â By its very nature, in Japanese society, the support would (traditionally) come from within the family unit, but with rising divorces/people remaining single and general social fragmentation that line of defense has fallen away considerably, leading to more people topping themselves.
As far as the big jump in suicide rates around 1998 (when the tech bubble burst and the stock market crashed) I wouldn't've thought it that hard to explain. Â Rather than deal with the 'loss of face' at losing money/business going under, a lot of businessmen took their own lives instead.
That is still A LOT of businessmen though.
Suicide isnt' taboo in their culture, in alot of religions in the west it's a sin etc. They've been suiciding rather than face dishonour for hundreds of years.
I heard from a friend who lived in Japan for a few years as a teacher that the train she caught would be delayed all the time because they had to clean up from someone who had thrown themselves in front of it.
that happens here too.. its a very messy way to die
Doble: I heard from a friend who lived in Japan for a few years as a teacher that the train she caught would be delayed all the time because they had to clean up from someone who had thrown themselves in front of it.
They tend to avoid delaying the train, I've heard they often just check for damage then keep going pretty quickly. It happens so often. It's why platform screen doors are a good idea.