Why is it that Japan has a very high suicide rate?

Question

This boggles me. Japan is a very industrialized country. It seems that they like working so I'm thinking they enjoy what they are doing. And I have always had the impression that the Japanese are very resilient people. People around the world admire the Japanese and its culture.

They go out with their friends on trips, karaoke, and drinks. They can afford expensive branded goods. They are the richest country in Asia. Going to clubs with hosts and hostesses is very common and accepted. They are living the good life! It seems that the Japanese has everything going for them so what is wrong? Why the high suicide rate? They even have suicide clubs on the internet and suicide pacts. People who don't even know each other meet and agree to commit suicide together.

Considering that they have the mentality that they are better than their Asian neighbors, you wouldn’t think they have low self-esteem issues. Suicide is an indication of someone who is weak, a failure and a coward.

Answer 1

Yes it is high.
And weird thing is that they leave a letter. Their last word is like the Harakiri (Seppuku) ceremony in Samurai era.

I think they stopped to find any other solutions. For example. they can offer welfare benefits for government, they can talk to their boss directly, etc.
However, they don't and choose suicide.

I think the system of Japan is still kinda feudal age even now (in their mind. And they think it is important.).
So they choose the way as the Samurai era.
Actually, the male suicide is 4-5 times of female.

And also it is about "shame" cultuer thing.
They do not want other ppl know that they are poor or they are in big trouble, etc.

Anyway, I can say, they can have solution yet for their situation, but they don't choose it.
Suicide is high-souled ,graceful, and responsible attitude for them. Or the result, or "to show" , that they did final decision by himself/herself.
This is very different from the west. Quality of suicide differs?

Answer 2

I think you should also take a look at the country's murder rate; it is very low.

In a stressful society, many people are constantly under pressure, frustrated and/or depressed. Some resort to violence as a way of release, and in Japan - with very strict gun control and the tradition of 'shame' rather than 'anger', that violence tends to be directed to oneself, rather than to others.

Suicide is not a considered a sin or 'an indication of someone who is weak, a failure and a coward' in Japan. It is sad and we must try to prevent it, that's for sure. But if someone is in a desperately hopeless situation, it seems a much better solution than take it on others and taking innocent lives.

Answer 3

I think it's because of all the competition and pressure that they have to deal with since it is such a small country with a lot of people competing for jobs, etc.

The hours of school the younger people have to go for is a lot longer than any country and it's overwhelming with all the work, pressure, and the strictness.

They might not be allowed to talk about how they feel, like you don't see many men talking about their feelings, so the Japanese might not be able to and have to bottle up all; what they feel to the point where they can't take it anymore.

Answer 4

Alot of good opinions here. I tend to feel that they overwork
themselves.. and the pressures, stresses of everyday life
along with the cultural samurai upbringing, lead some of
them to suicide. In any fast paced and demanding society,
there are going to be people at the breaking point.

Suicide is a cry for help. Until you've been to the low point
in life where that thought enters your mind, you can only
speculate as to what it actually is. I had a friend that
committed suicide.. one of the nicest guys that I ever
knew. I wish he was still here to laugh and joke with.

Answer 5

I'm a Japanese man. I don't agree with the idea that Japanese people have high self esteem.

Typical Japanese are raised under intense pressure from their parents to go to a good university and have a good job. So once it becomes certain that they cannot achieve that goal, they feel a sense of huge failure and tend to take their life.

Besides, even if you get a good job in Japan, it would be difficult to find the same level of job after you quit in your 40s or 50s. That's why male workers in their 40s or 50s commit suiside.

The way we are raised is completely differenrt from Western way. For example, in West parents say such words as "You are good. You are smart. You are nice." to kids.

On the other hand, Japanese parents say something like "You are bad. You are not smart. You are damn.". The same thing can be said even after we get a job. Bosses say "You are not a good man." or something like that every day.

I think those factors are one of the reasons why Japanese people do not have a high self esteem and commit suiside often.

There is a report that suiside rate in Japan is the second highest in OECD nations after Hungary.

Japanese people like to denounce others as "losers". A few years ago, a book was published in which single women over 30 were described as "losers". So our society likes to find "losers" among its member and take their self esteem.

This is extremely unhealthy society.

Answer 6

They hate to admit and live with shame.
They were especially like that when samurais existed. They considered anyone that was able to live with shame and humiliation to be very disgusting. They care a lot about their appearance in public.
Just one flaw or mistake and they'll despise you. A lot of people in that country is a perfectionist or something like that. Well, that's what I think(I don't know about how others views them though).

Answer 7

Previous contributors mentioned a personal sense of shame--I'd like to add another ingredient to the recipe.
How do the Japanese really feel about heinous actions committed by their country in the past? This is another thing I think most Japanese people repress or try to rationalize away (e.g. denial that it happened or a claim that it was in "self-defense"). They would not admit to their peers any personal failure, and as a country they refuse to admit to the world that they were at fault. A Chinese person asked me about this, she said, do they just not care what we think? I told her, Believe me, they care, they care too much probably. It's just one more thing suppressed in the Japanese psyche.

Answer 8

I really don't care what you say about me,but to call someone a coward that commit suicide is really Heartless.What if it was someone in your family,would you say to the rest of the family,he was just a coward.No you would not,these people that do this sort of thing needs help.To say someone is weak,a failure and a coward is very Low.and a very stupid thing to say.Watch it,your words will come back on you?

Answer 9

I think the problem stems from their rapid rate of growth, development, and financial success. Just like the economic bubble they created in the 70's and 80's due to their extremely fast financial ascendancy, it burst in the early 90's. Just 10 years later, their mental psyche begins to catch up with them, and like the bubble, they don't know how to handle the stress, so they pop.

If you look at how the Japanese family works, you will see that people don't even have a family to fall back on when interpersonal problems arise. They feel that they have to handle everything on their own and they just can't. The only way out is to kill themselves. The family structure is in self-destruct mode. It has started the imploding process, and there is no quick fix, save one. They need to learn to really love each other. Fathers say that the fact that they work and supply their family with everything they need is evidence of their love. NO, that is evidence of the fact that they are responsible humans, not that they love their family. Providing for the family needs is not love, it is a duty. Until the men realize this, the problem will only snowball out of control. Love is coming home early and playing with your kids. Sitting down with them and reading with them. Helping them with homework. Playing games with them, even on a week night. Telling them that they love them. Never assuming that they know you love them.

Japanese society has not learned how to support each other in times of trouble. So basically it is everyone for themselves, dog eat dog, survival of the fittest. This in itself is creating more mental problems for the future, because the people that don't commit suicide are learning to bury, or at least hide their emotions very well. But then we have the whole bursting bubble scenario happening again in the future, but it is going to be much worse because it will seem like a totally different cause with the same affect.

Japanese need to learn to support, but mostly they need to learn to LOVE.

Answer 10

most suicides happen to students...and it's because of the big school bullies...they're not just an ordinary bully, you'll really wish to die than to go to school. japanese people are very sensitive, perfectionist, and always take things seriously and internally...