Suicides in Japan total 31,042 last year

Kyodo News | 7/24/02

[sushiman]

Suicides in Japan total 31,042 last year

Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 09:30 JST TOKYO — The number of suicides last year totaled 31,042 and a record 6,845 people killed themselves over economic problems such as debts and unemployment, according to a National Police Agency survey released Wednesday.

The total number of suicides decreased 2.9% from 2000, but still exceeded 30,000 for four straight years, the survey found.

The number of suicides first exceeded 30,000 in 1998 after being in the 20,000 range from 1978 to 1997. In 1999, suicides totaled a record 33,048.

By motive, health-related problems pushed 15,131 people to suicide in 2001, down 2.6% from the previous year. Those who committed suicide over economic problems increased slightly from the previous year.

The survey found that 71.3% of suicides were males, and that people in their 50s or older accounted for 60.5%.

[sushiman]

Hey , great news ! Down 2.9% !

[Vidalia]

We can only wish the same for our dirty politicians and their contributing staff members, espcially for those in the "Legislative" Branch.

[Phantom Lord]

How does Americas numbers compare to Japans? After all, suicide is one of the examples the gun grabbers use to try and keep firearms out of law abiding citizens hands. And Japan has some of the strictest gun control laws on the planet.

[sushiman]

Don't know US #s .

Heard on the news this morning that a Japanese policeman was arrested yestderday for selling a gun on an internet auction !

[Ed_NYC]

Here in NYC we had 25 by guns, 15 jumped buildings, 19 hanged themselves and 450 threw themselves in the Hudson river wearing cement shoes.

[sushiman]

US = 31,000 approx...but don't forget we have twice as large a population .

[general_re]

There were 28,332 suicides in the US in the year 2000 (2001 numbers aren't final yet). That's a rate of about 10 suicides per 100,000 citizens. By contrast, if my math is right, the Japanese rate is 24.4 suicides per 100,000 citizens, or more than double that of the US.

[Phantom Lord]

are you sure they threw themselves?

[Madame de Winter]

I understand a lot of their young suicides are because they can't into the unversity of choice. I guess they'll never go for home schoolin'...

[HumanaeVitae]

Japan: 35% of population are atheists/agnostics. FYI.

[Guillermo]

"Down 2.9%"

Sounds like the Dow for the day.

[Classicaliberalconservative]

That's right, threw THEMSELVES, capice?

[Madame de Winter]

HV, I'not sure if you're talking to me, but over there is also higher percentage of train jumping suicides when the trains are late..

High stress is not just a religious thing...

[HumanaeVitae]

I was addressing the thread in general. Your point is true, but still interesting stats...

[MinorityRepublican]

Japan: 35% of population are atheists/agnostics. FYI.

Not for long. They'll be extinct before we know it!

[valkyrieanne]

I understand a lot of their young suicides are because they can't into the unversity of choice. I guess they'll never go for home schoolin'...

I don't think homeschooling is even legal in Japan. The one good thing about their educational system is that supposedly compulsory education ends at 14, and even before that they have a lot of "school refusers" - kids who simply won't get up in the morning & go. Unlike the US, their parents generally aren't prosecuted for truancy; the schools largely leave them alone.

[shaggy eel]

ping

[Question_Assumptions]

Japan: 35% of population are atheists/agnostics. FYI.

1. While in Japan, I not only had Jehovah's Witnesses come to my door but I knew someone not-very-willingly pushed through a full submersion baptism by a very agressive Christian group of some sort.
2. How many of these atheists and agnostics are superstitious and/or believe in things like Nostrodamus and UFOs? A lot of Japanese seem to believe in the tabloid silly stuff.

[Jeff Gordon]

It is a good thing they do not allow their citizens to own guns....

[Consort]

That's 31,042 in metric numbers. How many is that in standard numbers?