Japanese suicide rate exceeds U.S. again

Discussion in 'Asia' started by kazenatsu, Aug 26, 2023.

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  1. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Japan has a notorious reputation for having a high suicide rate.
    But for brief period of time, the suicide rate in the U.S. actually exceeded Japan.
    But now the suicide rate in Japan again exceeds the rate in the U.S.

    year ..Japan...U.S.
    2022 - 17.5 - 14.9
    2019 - 15.3 - 16.1
    2018 - 16.7 - 15.7
    2017 - 17.0 - 15.9
    2016 - 17.5 - 15.1
    2000 - 23.9 - 10.4

    Some of the cause of the high suicide rate in Japan is the huge amount of academic pressure and pressure to succeed at a career, which can be difficult. Most of the better career opportunities are concentrated in the biggest city areas - Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, which have much more expensive housing costs, and lack of adequate housing space to start a family.

    The suicide rates are much higher in the more remote rural regions, due to lack of good paying job opportunities or exciting things to do. Geographically, the highest rates are in the northern region of the main island away from Tokyo, but the rates also drop down a little bit right around the northern city of Aomori and the separate big island further north, Hokkaido. I suspect it might have to do with the northern region of the main island being more mountainous and the people having more limited access to any nearby major big city, whereas Hokkaido is more flat and open and has access to the big city of Sapporo.
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2023
  2. MuchAdo

    MuchAdo Well-Known Member

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    Japan isn’t even in the top ten countries with the highest suicide rates. You forgot to mention loneliness, ill heath, and failed marriage as causes in Japan. In the USA, there were 48,183 suicide deaths in 2021.

    I suppose you aren’t going to opine about the fact that there were 22,941 murders in the USA in 2021 and 285 murders in Japan in 2021. Why do you think that is?
     

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