Japan's suicide rate for job seekers jumps

[Sinestra]

I choose to put this article in the "Living in Japan" thread because it has to do with Japanese jobless rates and suicide. Though i dont like to use CNN as a source i came across the article this morning and verified through other sources. Suicide went up in every industrialized nation because of the financial crises. But Japanese numbers went through the roof again. Japan has been over 30,000 suicides per year for the past 13 years The sad part of the article is the jump in suicides by students it increased 130%. Other demographics are woven into the figures as well. I truly feel bad for these people who feel taking their lives is the best way to go. The stigma of mental health care still looms in Japan.

Japan's suicide rate for job seekers jumps - CNN.com

[Sangetsu]

Interesting, given the fact that Japan's jobless rate is half that of America, an 1/4 that of some European countries.

Japan is a strange place when it comes to issues like employment, education, and suicide, the Japanese seem to be becoming more insular. Safety is the number one priority when it comes to finding work, more so than the type of work or the amount of pay. And graduating students are often reluctant to accept job offers if they are required to move to other parts of the country.

The education system trains you to be an entry-level salaryman, rather than providing a real learning experience, and it provides little guidance for those who wish to take a different path in life. The government regulates how many university subjects may be taught, so many students end up having to study something they don't want to learn in order to qualify for careers that they never wanted to enter.

Japan's ills are symptoms of greater problems, and things are likely to get worse before they get better.

[evanny]

what's wrong with suicide as an answer?
you get tired of life so you decide to end it quicker. that is the only thing that actually belongs to a person so why not use it how and when you see fit? O.o

i don't think it is nice to call these people mentally ill since most of them aren't. if anything it's a stigma carried from governments since they lose workforce.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Sangetsu

Interesting, given the fact that Japan's jobless rate is half that of America, an 1/4 that of some European countries.

Japan is a strange place when it comes to issues like employment, education, and suicide, the Japanese seem to be becoming more insular. Safety is the number one priority when it comes to finding work, more so than the type of work or the amount of pay. And graduating students are often reluctant to accept job offers if they are required to move to other parts of the country.

The education system trains you to be an entry-level salaryman, rather than providing a real learning experience, and it provides little guidance for those who wish to take a different path in life. The government regulates how many university subjects may be taught, so many students end up having to study something they don't want to learn in order to qualify for careers that they never wanted to enter.

Japan's ills are symptoms of greater problems, and things are likely to get worse before they get better.

I agree i think this is just tip of the iceberg and i do believe things are going to get worse. It seems the Japanese limit themselves in terms of what work they can do and will decline offers. While in western countries if you are struggling you get a 2nd job or take a job that may not be so glamorous till you find something more lucrative.

I dont think the Japanese are taught how to survive when things get tough. I remember when i was in school many of professors not only taught how to survive in the business world but they also taught how to stay afloat when things like the economy get tough.

With the population getting older and the birthrate dropping every year and the rate of suicides increasing every year Japan is going to have a real problem on their hands in the next 20 years or so. If they continue to resist foreign workers i dont see how they can have a reliable work force in time.

To have 30,000 suicides per year for 13 years blows my mind. However i have not looked up how many suicides there are per year in the US or Europe. which im going to do right now

what's wrong with suicide as an answer?
you get tired of life so you decide to end it quicker. that is the only thing that actually belongs to a person so why not use it how and when you see fit? O.o

i don't think it is nice to call these people mentally ill since most of them aren't. if anything it's a stigma carried from governments since they lose workforce.

You entire statement shows me you did not read the article at all. Try reading it before you respond.

[evanny]

my statement wasn't connected with the article...
i just noted that in my point of view people are free to chose when and how to leave this world for whatever reasons, and should not be thought of as somehow mentally damaged.

it's a pity that in Japan people are prepared for a job, not for a life in educational system.

[BobbyCooper]

Originally Posted by evanny

my statement wasn't connected with the article...
i just noted that in my point of view people are free to chose when and how to leave this world for whatever reasons, and should not be thought of as somehow mentally damaged.

it's a pity that in Japan people are prepared for a job, not for a life in educational system.

I agree with your statements! Just look how American kids handle such situations.. they drag 15 more innocent people into death.

Sweden as well has a very high suicide rate.

[HimeChan13]

I'm in a Japanese language class at my high school and we also focus on the culture in Japan. My teacher has been there and she is very fluent with the language. Anyway, she told us a couple days ago that kids in Japan are pressured a lot in high school to get perfect grades. It's what makes your family honorable, to have a good job. There are some awful tests at the very end of a Japanese student's school career. These tests all take place over a week's time and the students refer to it as "Hell week". in this time period, several students commit suicide because of the immense pressure they are under. But what may seem odd to people of other cultures, Japanese people see absolutley nothing wrong with this. Japanese people truly think suicide is an honorable way to die. This could be because of their religion. In a lot of countries, Chritsianity or Catholicism dominates. In Japan, they have religions that are very different than these two. Apparantly, it is quite acceptable for Japanese people to take their own lives. They don't see anything wrong with it.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by HimeChan13

This could be because of their religion. In a lot of countries, Chritsianity or Catholicism dominates. In Japan, they have religions that are very different than these two

What religion are you talking about?

[JohnBraden]

Isn't it true that Japanese as a whole view death in a different way than those in the West have been taught? I believe that Catholics are taught that if you commit suicide, you won't go to Heaven, yet in feudal Japan, ritual suicide was an honorable thing. I may be accused of generalizing or overly simplifying things, but I wonder if our views and their views of suicide aren't based on different ideologies.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by JohnBraden

Isn't it true that Japanese as a whole view death in a different way than those in the West have been taught? I believe that Catholics are taught that if you commit suicide, you won't go to Heaven, yet in feudal Japan, ritual suicide was an honorable thing. I may be accused of generalizing or overly simplifying things, but I wonder if our views and their views of suicide aren't based on different ideologies.

Correct the Japanese do have a different view of death and suicide. The problem is the sheer number of people killing themselves per year. At this point its almost an epidemic of massive proportions. The problem is not just the extreme amount of pressure student are under there are many other factors. Mental health treatment is high looked down upon in Japanese society. There are millions of people that suffer from chronic depression. In most western countries one would get help from a therapist and/or get on medication to even themselves out and live fruitful lives. This is not the case in Japan many people do not seek treatment because of the social stigma and eventually end up killing themselves. So add a tremendous amount of pressure to do well in school, Then add in that you cant find a job after the hell you went through just to graduate One might start to feeling depressed and as time goes on it gets worse and worse you have potent scenario for suicide. Also, kids in Japan kill themselves over bullying as well as oppose in the US where the bullied takes out the whole school.

Religion does not play a part as Japan does not have national religion. Regardless i find a lot of it sad that people feel there is no other choice but to take ones own life when things get hard.