Suicides exceed 30,000 for 10th yr

The Yomiuri Shimbun
June 20, 2008
Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080620TDY01301.htm

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)

Suicides in Japan top 30,000 for 10th year in a row

The Mainichi Shimbun
June 19, 2008
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/archive/news/2008/06/19/20080619p2a00m0na012000c.html

The number of suicides in Japan hit 33,093 last year, topping 30,000 for the 10th year in a row, a report from the National Police Agency (NPA) has shown.

The number was 938 higher than the figure recorded the previous year. By age, 12,107 victims were aged 60 or over, 8.9 percent more than the previous year's figure. Another 4,767 were in their 30s, marking an increase of 6.0 percent. The figures for both age groups were the highest since officials started taking statistics in 1978.

The NPA report also showed that 7,046 people in their 50s committed suicide, in addition to 5,096 people in their 40s, 3,309 people in their 20s and 548 people aged 19 or younger. The victims aged 19 or younger included eight elementary school students, 51 junior high school students and 215 high school students.

Last year police introduced a system to select up to three motives in each suicide case from a list of 54 that could be identified from suicide notes and other information. Of the 23,209 suicides with identifiable motives and causes last year, the top reason was "illness troubles (depression)," accounting for 6,060 victims, followed by "worries over physical illness," accounting for 5,240 people. The figures indicated that there were many suicides linked to worries over health problems.

The deaths of 10 people aged 19 or under were listed as "suicide from bullying," a category added last year.

Police were able to identify the cause of suicide for 8,451 people aged 60 or over. The top cause in this age group was "worries over physical illness," covering 3,644 victims, followed by depression, with 2,070 victims. Other causes included "hardships of life" (371 people), "multiple debts" (366 people), and "tiredness from nursing and looking after illnesses of others" (153 people).

Among those in their 30s, the cause of suicide for 996 victims was depression, followed by "illness troubles (schizophrenia)" for 346 victims. For another 171 victims, the cause was tiredness from work, and 144 were found to have taken their lives over workplace relationships.

A total of 3,047 people committed suicide in Tokyo, an increase of 14.3 percent compared with the previous year. Another 2,241 people committed suicide in Osaka, marking an increase of 14.8 percent.

(Mainichi Japan) June 19, 2008