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150 suicides last year attributed to failed job hunts

29 Comments

The National Police Agency on Wednesday released data that suggests up to 150 people may have committed suicide last year due to failed job searches. The NPA said that police departments have been collecting data such as suicide notes, writings and family testimonies, to record information about the possible causes of suicides, TBS reported.

Based on this data, the agency revealed that in 2007, only 60 people are believed to have committed suicide due to job-hunting difficulties, making last year's figure a 250% increase.

Furthermore, students in that group numbered 16 in 2007 and 52 last year, a 300% increase. The NPA says the figures indicate a serious decline in university graduate recruitment.

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29 Comments
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Japan as the Italian, Also in Italy there have been very suicidal, because of lack of work

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nice piece, Al.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Guess AKB isn't really helping the cause. Its really sad. They need to scrap the AKB idea and get a real person with real problems that is living their life against the odds. Like this guy: http://www.wimp.com/noworries/

They should start playing this vid everyday on the tv. I mean call the guy and get hime to speak to some of these people.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

These kids think that they need to end it all becuase they have come to the end of their rope

That's actually a very accurate description of a popular method.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Suicide???? is for the weak and coward. And I think Japan has the highest rate.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Unfortunately, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. In our darkest moments, we must remember that things can and do change.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@ka-chan - thanks for the trip down memory lane! Used to love that show!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Just a theory but I wonder if maybe part of the problem is that until relatively recently a larger proportion of kids had almost guaranteed jobs working in their parents businesses? Not a sociologist, but recently had a discussion with my husband where I was really surprised to find out virtually EVERYONE he went to school with had family businesses - selling furniture, kimono, renting apartments, running a private kindergarten, a telecoms business, running petrol stations just to name a few. With me it was the opposite - no one I can think of had parents running their own small business. But nowadays times have changed and people need to go out and sell themselves. Maybe many Japanese simply don't know HOW to do that. As I said, just hypothesising, but may be an underlying factor.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@ironchef,

Definately agree with you on the support issue. Here, much of the time, the thinking still goes: "Gaman, gaman, gaman", something that is not possible for all people. Also seem to be a bit of a "proud" country, honor an all that. I don't often see people ask for help when it comes to anything.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Thanks for that... these stats did nothing to save my friend that killed himself because he lost his job.

How about action rather than numbers?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'd be just as much interested in what were the reasons for the other near 30,000 suicides... Besides those accounted for by their suicide note, this just feels like a number of people picked at random. Of course, they are probably judging it on the person's age and the fact that they had recently left university and were trying to get hired, but the reasons for suicide are many.

@Erik Lars

If we are going to venture into pedant's corner, I think you'll find that there are asterisks between the letters in MASH, not periods. I tried doing it here to show you, but the formatting took the asterisks to mean an italic A; curses.

Get out of bed the wrong side this morning did we?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Had schools promoted entrepreneurship a bit more then those 150 could have had an alternative to aspirations of becoming mindless slaves.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

150? That is a real nice round number. Sounds more like a guess.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mash Theme Song

It's M.A.S.H. as in Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, not "mash" as in "mashed potatoes" nor "do the Monster Mash."

Come on, people.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Through early morning fog I see visions of the things to be the pains that are withheld for me I realize and I can see...

That suicide is painless...

Mash Theme Song

0 ( +0 / -0 )

failed job hunts is a subset of financial difficulties

Check the dictionary for the word "subset", not only are you using it incorrectly, but you don't need to use it at all.

People need a support system

What kind of support system? Emotional? Psychological? Monetary?

Get of the net ironchef. You lose.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

failed job hunts is a subset of financial difficulties, which I bet would be more than 50% of all suicide cases. People need a support system to help them through as much as conservatives hate that.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Still didn't lower the unemployment rate...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.

Lou Mannheim (Hal Holbrook), "Wall Street", (Oliver Stone) 1987.
0 ( +1 / -1 )

For crying out loud stats in Japan provided by govt are CRAP thats a given.

BUT THESE NUMBERS ARE BEYOND REDICULOUS!! Only morons wud try to use these!

I have no proof but if I was to have to bet I wud say at least HALF the suicides(certainly possibly MORE) wud be work related or lack of work.

My god, to trot this out in public & make the statements made you wud have to be so beyond clueless that words simply cudnt descibe these fools!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Sometimes when I read this kind of article it makes me think that they come up with these reports as if they were proud..something like: "Look! We are the only country in the world with 30,000+ suicides every year! And the rate will keep climbing up! Look! We just had #$%# suicides on YXZ date..blah blah blah"

I find it sick and disturbing for how much emphasis they give to these "numbers" instead of just getting busy trying to get people NOT to kill themselves and help them!!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Wow, they think they know the reason for 150 only another 29,850 to go!

150 suicides last year attributed to failed job hunts

Nice time of year to bring it up too.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

150 people may have committed suicide last year due to failed job searches.

I came to Japan in 2000 and in Yokosuka I noticed a building that was called the "Hide Museum." I asked who he was and was told that he was some sort of famous person that killed himself and had a big following. After about 9 years here, I noticed that the musem was gone and it was replaced with a lot of show homes.

My point is that suicide is not the answer. These kids think that they need to end it all becuase they have come to the end of their rope, or that they face changes that they are not used to. Well even in death, life changes. I am sure that the loved ones Hide left behind were appreciative of his following and the musem, but now that is gone, and HIde can't come back and reinvent himself. But those who may not have gotten the job and followed the expected path certainly can, but not if they end it all by committing suicide. Such promise of life cut short by short term thinking on the part of the 150 who killed themselves.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So much for the all so famous Japanese 'ganman'. I've seen firsthand what these youngsters go through in their final year of Uni to become part of Japan.Inc and it is not pretty. However, I see no reason for anyone to off themselves just cos they get knocked back. I also have seen firsthand the amount of dropkicks that just coast their way through school with easy tests and bonus points to pass exams at 30% and would be hard pushed to have the skills to cook toast, better less secure a job.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

But nothing said about the other 30,000 who killed themselves in Japan last year, and every year?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

that is less than 0.50% of total suicides per year, what about balance 99.5% ?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

What about the people that do not leavee suicide notes?

They committed suicide due to illiteracy.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

That's horrible. The people who live on their own with no one to account for them are not included in this, which might raise that number.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

that suggests up to 150 people may have committed suicide last year due to failed job searches.

Hard to believe the numbers here. What about the people that do not leavee suicide notes?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

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