Japan high in suicide rates
Suicides cost Japan economy $32bn
Mr Kan sees the figures as proof of an economic and emotional downturn
The government in Japan says suicides and depression cost its economy almost 2.7tn yen ($32bn; £21bn) last year.
The figures refer to lost incomes and the cost of treatment. It is the first time Japan has released such figures.
Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates, with more than 32,000 people killing themselves last year. PM Naoto Kan sees it as proof of an economic and emotional downturn.
The government is setting up a task force to try to reduce the rate.
From Friday, it will run a video clip of a footballer from the J-league on its website, urging people to be more aware of the problem.
Lost income
"Given that the number of suicides in Japan has been over 30,000 for 12 straight years, this is a problem that needs to be addressed by the entire nation," a health, labour and welfare ministry official said.
"We hope this study triggers stronger prevention measures."
The study showed that those who took their lives last year - 26,500 people in 2009 - when they were aged 15 to 69 would have earned 1.9tn yen had they worked until retirement.
Mr Kan has pointed to the suicide numbers as proof of what he believes is wrong with the country, with too many people suffering economically and emotionally.
"There are many causes of suicides. Decreasing them would be one way to build a society with a minimum level of unhappiness," he said.
But attitudes to depression in Japan arguably demand equally urgent scrutiny, correspondents say.
In a country in which stoicism and consensus are highly valued, many older people in particular view mental illness as a stigma that can be overcome simply by trying harder, they say.
The use of psychotherapy to treat depression has lagged behind North America and Europe, with Japanese doctors often viewing medication as the sole answer, they add.
Talking about the reasons behind the high suicide rate
What? Talking bout suicide rate, right?
I personally think you can tell a lot about a culture by its porn. The crazier and grosser it is, the more reserved and uptight the culture (please check German porn eeewwwww), the more vanilla it is, the more liberal the culture. Strange how that works.
Japanese porn is weird to say the least
It's a very different mindset, and it's very difficult to put yourself in their shoes. If you think the Arab/West clash is bad it's nothing compared to the difference between how Westerners/Southern Asians think and how North East Asians think. We're barely on the same page.
It's not just high rates of suicide, there are also very high rates of alcohol abuse (not drug though) and domestic abuse. And have you ever seen their porn???? It's crazy. These people are so tightly wound they're just waiting to explode.
I was a member of HARAKIRI Clan.. :)
what inferiority complex they are in, prosperous people & country rich in technology & production... :(
They also have Origami ..
they have the so called HARAKIRI
In a way this,this "do or die" attitude is what helped Japan recover after Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
They not only work all the time but expect others to do the same. No life at all other than work.
A society based on honor.
is suicide not a grave crime in their country?
yeah, japan has always had high suicide rates. there's just too much pressure on them from childhood to adulthood and honor at all times need to be protected.
there are also periods in their culture and history where suicide is honorable, especially at times of war where samurai commit seppuku or harakiri instead of allowing themselves to get caught by the enemy. or if they commit a big mistake and cannot live with the shame of it. even women used to have daggers hidden in their kimonos that will be used to kill themselves to prevent getting raped.
there are also times when they even kill themselves in protest of some issue.
I met a few Japanese in Saudi Arabia. Most were in executive level positions and earning big big money..
nomerci, i have seen japanese workers in qatar only in companies which have japanese joint ventures or the ones having their principals in japan. many japanese are working in the NDIA for that reason....and they are here because they have been deputed here by their employers.
have you come across any japanese individual who has himself/herself preferred to work in qatar leaving his/her country?
in everything they do.
seen the report on BBC 2 hours back....
Rishimba, there are quite a few Japanese here in Qatar. But they usually stick to each other. And yes, i think language has a lot to do with it.
i haven't seen many japanese working outside japan unlike people from other asian countries do..
i believe their education system is also one of the best in the world.
is it the language barrier which comes in the way or is it that they are very patriotic?
In Japanese culture, honour is everything. So , if a student gets bad greats, he/she belives that they have dishounered their family. Similarly, if something goes wrong at work, they feel that they have lost face in front of their peers..
There are a lot of students who commit suicide because they do not get into the universities that guarantee well paying jobs....they are under such immense pressure from their parents and society in general that they rather end it all.
yeah, i have heard the japanese work long hours and working 10 to 14 hours is normal..
could this be the real reason for suicides..?
In the country where karoshi (death due to overwork) and karojisatsu (suicide due to overwork) is normal, we can only imagine how seriously they compete in their work. Depression isn't surprising with such degree of competition.
They need to deal with the cause and social aspect of suicide rather than economic aspect.
brit, could you expain what you just said...'face and honour'
japan's GDP is one of the best in the world and their economy is growing. what exactly is missing in the lives of japanese?
Japan has always had high suicide rates, especially amongst the young..
This is probably because it is a society where face and honour are prized above all...