“Feeling like you hate yourself, enduring tough days with a smile for someone else, believing it’s over because you’re weak. You’ve done well. You don’t need to express everything or speak perfectly. Why not put a few...
The decades-long and widespread sexual abuses of young boys by the founder of the largest J-pop agency, Johnny & Associates, have uncovered the need to protect children in the society otherwise considered peaceful. The number of child abuse...
In the last part of this 3-part series on suicide in Japan, we take a look at how Germany and America has progressed in terms of mental health issues, giving Japan no excuse about lack of solutions. (Here for part 1 and part 2.) Japan is no...
Mental health is every bit as important for our well-being as physical health. Yet, there can be unfortunate stigmas, shame and misunderstandings regarding the issue. This is true everywhere but especially in Japan, and it can affect Japanese and...
Japan is known as a group-oriented society that is less individualistic than Western nations. Yet, some Japanese people spend time alone, sometimes due to personal preference. Following behind it is a growing trend of businesses catering to single...
Efforts to lower Japan’s suicide rate became more aggressive in the late 2000s and saw a steady decrease over time. However, COVID-19 has not only stagnated Japan’s economy but is also affecting other facets of Japanese society. The...
This is part one of a 3-part series on suicide in Japan, where we explore where Japan stands on the issue of suicide today. We see a decrease in the numbers in the past decades, but the hidden truth about how it is affecting Japan’s young is a...
Suicide is a complex issue with causes that vary depending on the individual and country. Japan in particular is known for its high rate of suicides, which many attribute to cultural factors such as harsh working environments. What exactly is behind...