More on Suicide in Japan

An earlier blog on suicide was at http://www.gospelrest.com/suicide-and-the-japan-economy/ Japan suffers over 30,000 suicides annually for the last 12 years. Also it is estimated that upwards of 10 times that number attempt but do not succeed at suicide. Suicide is viewed with scorn by people throughout society.  Talk about suicide is considered taboo and people are viewed as losers who commit suicide. Those victims of suicide are cut off from help from others. One prominent psychiatrist,…

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Suicide and the Japan Economy

Japan already with one of the highest suicide rates in the world has seen more since the global economic crisis.  The current crisis and the resulting job losses have driven more Japanese to suicide.  There is a record number of Japanese in their 30s.  People from their 20s through their 50s, many of them temporary workers, have committed suicide directly because they lost their job.  Continue to pray for those contemplating ending their own life.…

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Understanding Hikikomori

Hikikomori (pron. He-key-koh-moh-ree) literally means “pulling away, confinement” or an acute social withdrawal.  Hikikomori is a relatively new social phenomenon that the Japanese government defines as individuals who isolate themselves from the rest of society in their parents’ homes for at least 6 months.  It is estimated that hundreds of thousands possibly upwards of 1,200,000 people (or 1% of the population) struggle with this social anxiety. 

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