Japan is dealing with rising numbers of suicide cases inthe country. It has appointed a Minister of Loneliness to tackle suicides andsocial isolation in the country.
Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga appointed TetsushiSakamoto as the Minister of Loneliness. As per reports, he is already in chargeof the declining birthrate in Japan. Sakamoto also serves as a minister ofeconomic revitalization after PM Suga was elected to power in September 2020.
"Women are suffering from isolation more (than menare), and the number of suicides is on a rising trend," the PM toldSakamoto.
The PM added, "I hope you will identify problems andpromote policy measures comprehensively."
Loneliness and social isolation are prominent issues inJapan. Scientists have also developed robots to make people together withsomeone. Elderly people in the country also face loneliness.
Reportedly, in Japan more people have died by suicidethan from Covid-19 in 2020. Up to the end of October, there were 2,153 deathsby suicide and 1,765 died by Covid-19.
There is an uptick in death by suicide particularly inwomen. As per reports, 879 women died by suicide in Japan. It is regarded as a70% increase in the suicide deaths compared to 2019.
Single women mostly live alone in Japan, thus triggeringsuicidal thoughts. Those who don't have stable employment take such an extremestep as per reports. Michiko Ueda, a Japanese professor whostudies suicide in Japan said, ""A lot of women are not marriedanymore, they have to support their own lives and they don't have permanentjobs. So, when something happens, of course, they are hit very, very hard."
Sakamoto said, "I hope to carry out activities toprevent social loneliness and isolation and to protect ties between people."