Japan has appointed its first Minister for Loneliness, as the country’s suicide cases have risen for the first time in the last 11 years. Following the footsteps of the UK, which in 2018 became the first country to create a similar role, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has now appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto as the Minister for loneliness and isolation.
Tetsushi Sakamoto, is already in charge of the regional revitalization and the declining birthrate of Japan.
“Women are suffering from isolation more (than men are), and the number of suicides is on a rising trend. I hope you will identify problems and promote policy measures comprehensively”, the Prime Minister told Tetsushi Sakamoto.
“I hope to carry out activities to prevent social loneliness and isolation and to protect ties between people”, shared Sakamoto in a press conference.
Tetsushi Sakamoto also discussed plans to organise an emergency forum by the end of February. He plans to invite and talk to those who have been helping people deal with mental health issues, especially loneliness and isolation.
Growing Suicide Rate Amid COVID-19
20,919 people died by suicide in 2020 as per preliminary data, up to 3.7% i.e. 750 more from the previous year. That compares with 3,460 deaths from coronavirus in the same period, revealed Japan’s health and welfare ministry.
The reports highlight the fact that women and children, in particular, are at higher rates amongst the people claiming their own lives.
The suicide rate had been trending lower in the first half of 2020, but from July onward the numbers began to rise as the impact of the COVID-19outbreak hit the economy, stability and livelihood of people, according to research.
Increasing suicide rate amongst women in japan
The coronavirus pandJapan has a history of suicide
emic has forced people across the globe into a tough unavoidable situation. As per the suicide data in Japan, the number of women committing suicide increased manyfold compared to men.
“The painful trend of rising suicides by women has continued,” a Health Ministry official said. Suicides among men have reduced since 2019, but over 14 % more suicides cases recorded among women.
Japan is one such country where mental health was considered a stigma for many years. For ages, suicide has been a way to avoid shame or dishonour in Japan. The country has a long history of the highest suicide rates among the Group of Seven advanced countries.
In the year 2003, Japan’s suicide rates had hit a peak of 34,427 which had alarmed policymakers to draw up a comprehensive prevention programme that was launched in 2007.
Following this, the Japanese government had done a considerably good job in spreading awareness and supporting people with mental health needs.
Through strategic efforts of policymakers, suicide cases had decreased to just over 20,000 in 2019, before the deadly virus struck.
Japan experienced a smaller coronavirus outbreak than most of the global giants, but suicide figures kept on increasing soon after the state emergency was lifted in May 2020.
There was a fall in suicides during the first half of 2020 that gave hope to the government that the pandemic’s impact might be limited. But the figures began to rise in July. The experts say, suicides often drop in the first phase of crises such as conflicts and natural disasters, before rising sharply.
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