Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Suicide in Japan - statistics & facts
Despite noticeably decreasing suicide numbers over the past decade, Japan still has one of the highest suicide rates among high-income OECD countries. Historically, Japan鈥檚 above-average suicide rates have been closely linked to the economic situation of the country. While health issues are the prime reason for committing suicide among Japanese, existential worries and problems at work are major factors that can also trigger self-harming behavior. For example, suicide numbers peaked in 2009, when the country experienced its worst recession since World War II. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the Japanese economy have coincided with a renewed increase in suicide rates, initially driven by rising suicide numbers among women.
However, even outside the realms of said corporations, work-related deaths started to occur increasingly during the 1980s鈥攖he years of the Japanese Bubble Economy. In Japanese society, occupational sudden mortality, also referred to as 鈥渒aroshi (death by overwork),鈥 acquired widespread recognition. Karoshi can result from mental health issues that are exacerbated by a high-pressure work environment, in addition to physical exhaustion. 鈥淜arojisatsu (overwork suicide)鈥 is the term used to describe suicide that is caused by occupational stress or excessive labor.
While suicides among white-collar workers are a reoccurring topic in international media coverage about working culture in Japan, most self-harm victims were registered as unemployed. In a culture where an essential part of a person鈥檚 identity is based on contributing to society via full-time employment, having no occupation can be as detrimental to an individual鈥檚 health as persevering in a toxic workplace.
Self-harm incidents among children have reached record numbers during the pandemic. Numbers were particularly alarming among high school students, but not limited to teenagers. What drives young people to taking their own lives remains mostly unclear, yet recent data suggests that interpersonal relationships, such as family issues or bullying, as well as performance pressure, are the main reasons behind rising suicide figures.
Work-related reasons for suicide
Increasing pressure to retain jobs by putting in more hours of overtime while taking fewer holidays and sick days is seen as the driving force behind rising suicide numbers among office workers and employees in Japan. So-called "black companies" are known for their precarious working conditions. In addition to forcing their employees to take on large amounts of unpaid overtime, workplace bullying, discrimination, and psychological abuse by supervisors and seniors are also common practices.However, even outside the realms of said corporations, work-related deaths started to occur increasingly during the 1980s鈥攖he years of the Japanese Bubble Economy. In Japanese society, occupational sudden mortality, also referred to as 鈥渒aroshi (death by overwork),鈥 acquired widespread recognition. Karoshi can result from mental health issues that are exacerbated by a high-pressure work environment, in addition to physical exhaustion. 鈥淜arojisatsu (overwork suicide)鈥 is the term used to describe suicide that is caused by occupational stress or excessive labor.
While suicides among white-collar workers are a reoccurring topic in international media coverage about working culture in Japan, most self-harm victims were registered as unemployed. In a culture where an essential part of a person鈥檚 identity is based on contributing to society via full-time employment, having no occupation can be as detrimental to an individual鈥檚 health as persevering in a toxic workplace.
Suicide among children
Middle-aged men are frequently portrayed as the highest-risk group for suicides in Japan. More recently, however, self-harm among elderly and school children have been recurrently picked up by the media. Financial anxiety, bullying, isolation, and the lack of a proficient mental healthcare system are only some factors blamed for contributing to Japan鈥檚 comparably high suicide rates amongst all age groups.Self-harm incidents among children have reached record numbers during the pandemic. Numbers were particularly alarming among high school students, but not limited to teenagers. What drives young people to taking their own lives remains mostly unclear, yet recent data suggests that interpersonal relationships, such as family issues or bullying, as well as performance pressure, are the main reasons behind rising suicide figures.
