The Yomiuri Shimbun
More than 33,000 people killed themselves in Japan in 2007, the 10th year in a row that the number of suicides exceeded 30,000, the National Police Agency announced Thursday.
It was the second-highest rate since statistics were first kept in 1978.
Among the 33,093 people who took their own lives in 2007, suicides by people in their 30s and those aged 60 or older hit record highs.
According to the latest data, many elderly people killed themselves because they felt lonely. Many people in the prime of their working lives committed suicide because they were fatigued from work. Many elderly people and people who have heavier social and financial burdens apparently felt socially isolated.
The number of suicides by people in their 60s or older was 12,107, 36.6 percent of the total and up 8.9 percent from the previous year. This age group made up the largest portion of the 2007 figure.
The number of suicides by people in their 50s was 7,046, down 2.8 percent from the previous year. However, the number of suicides by people in their 40s was 5,096--up 1.8 percent. The number of suicides by those in their 30s was 4,767--up 6 percent. People of working age--those in their 30s and 40s--accounted for 29.8 percent of the year's total.
Meanwhile, 3,309 people in their 20s killed themselves--down 2.5 percent, and 548 people 19 or younger killed themselves --down 12 percent. Included in that figure were eight primary school children, 51 middle school students and 215 high school students.
Of the total, 23,478 suicides were committed by men and 9,615 were committed by women.
The NPA specified motives for 23,209 suicides based on messages posted on Web sites and other sources.
Multiple motives are listed in many cases. The NPA counted all motives for each suicide in its 2007 figures for the first time, and added new motives including job-related fatigue; child-rearing trouble and bullying.
(Jun. 20, 2008)
It is a brilliant result of the Koizumi reform！
There are still many opinions to recommend Koizumi for the next prime minister.
Hmmmmm...interesting
That's twice as many suicides in Japan as murders in the US. Think about that.
I think the US will catch up soon enough. I suspect McCain is going to win the next "election" and after millions more are out of work and losing their homes. Likely another reason for the lower suicide rate is that pesky religion called Christianity. It says if you kill yourself you go to hell. But it also interpreted by Republicans to believe if you are not rich and do not support Israel, you go to hell as well.
Ok...sorry for the rant...I am done.
[What's the national sport in Japan? It's suicide.]
I'm fired. ---> I'll kill myself immediately.
I make mistakes in business. ---> I'll kill myself to take responsibility.
A painful event happened. ---> I'll kill myself of course.
I'm not an able worker. ---> I'll kill myself soon.
I'm worried about my future vaguely. ---> I'll kill myself nonsensically.
I have a secret. ---> I have to kill myself.
I'm hated by someone. ---> I can't stand it, so I kill myself.
Nobody loves me. ---> I have no reasons to live more.
I'm tired recently. ---> It's too painful to live more.
I'm disgusted with this world. ---> It's a time for suicide.
I'm young yet. ---> I should kill myself to be not late.
I'm old. ---> I sould kill myself. Better late than never.
No friends are mine. ---> So I kill myself.
My friend is dead. ---> I also kill myself.
My friends are living. ---> Then I kill myself first.
My suicide will make my family sad. ---> But I'll kill myself.
My suicide will make my enemy happy. ---> But I'll choose my regretful death.
My suicide will make everyone painful. ---> But I'll kill myself without worrying that.
The government started to stop it. ---> It's too stupid to stop it.
All Japanese are divided into two kinds.
Persons who don't commit suicide yet, (they will commit suicide soon.)
or persons who can't determine to commit suicide till they will be killed by an accident, or a disease, or a murderer, or natural death.
The word "communication skill" in Japan has different meaning
from same word in other countries.
In Japanese society, "KUUKI" is one of the most important ideas.
It can be translated into "atmosphere" or "mood" on linguistic.
But in actual, "KUUKI" is more severe rule for Japanese people.
If you disturb mood, (for example if you say too correctly opinions,
or accomplish great work than others, or take a proper vacation in busy time)
you must accept exclusion and expulsion.
Everyone who surrounds you will hate you and get angry.
They cannot stand such kind of selfishness.
They'll think that you should also accept bad actualities when everyone do.
There is a popular proverb for Japanese people.
"The nail that sticks up gets hammered down."
Yes! Japanese generally choose the way of failure by all members
rather than success by one hero.
>>8
I think that people do that anywhere in the world, except that they hide it because they don't want to other people to judge them because of their spite and hatred towards the person doing everything since it'll just make them look like a jealous crybaby.
Does everyone sound as contemptuous and petulant as >>8 when describing their countrymen?
Many people of present Japanese think that life is the term of punishment.
The word " the success of life" means only to reduce our penalties.
Many school teachers always say "Leave every hope, you who grow up!"
They don't like to talk about "dream", "success", "justice".
(Of cource they are not bad people. They are only ashamed of talking about good side of the life.)
So They usually teach students how to take the route which has less pain.
As a result, many Japanese people burn with anger of justice to someone happy.
In other country, people only feel jealousy.
But in Japan, everyone who feels happiness or who doesn't feel any agony in his life
faces such kind of "anger of justice".
Because Japanese want to think that
"Happy people don't do their duty. Agonies in the life must be duties for all of us".
>>7
The guy at Subway put the wrong topping on my sandwich ---> I'll kill him and stab myself in the jugular with his spine.
No wait, that was a suicidal Predator.
Here you are
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv43296023