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History of suicide in Japan
Japanese culture is more accepting of suicide than other cultures. Suicide has been part of Japanese culture since the samurai; suicide is seen as an honorable way to escape death at the hands of an enemy, or to escape disgrace. Japan has consistently had one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Some 24 out of every 100,000 Japanese people killed themselves in 2006, higher than the global average of 16, according to the World Health Organization. The 1986-1990 recession in Japan led to layoffs, bankrupcies, and homelessness for many Japanese workers. During the recession, Japan saw a huge increase in suicide among Japanese professionals. 30,093 people took their own lives in 2007, the 10th consecutive year that there has been over 30,000 suicides. 71% of suicide victims in Japan are male. The most common age for suicide victims is people over 60 and people among their 30s, who suffer from work-related depression.

Common reasons for suicide
From a 1997 study on suicide in Japan, the most common reasons for suicide are:


 * illness (37.1%)
 * mental disorders (18.9%)
 * economic difficulty or problems with personal situation (14.6%).

Salaryman
In Japan a character called the salaryman has been created to group together the common characteristics that form the white-collar middle class of Japan. As a result of this labeling many middle-class men that find themselves fitting in perfectly among the sub-group. However the connotations held with salaryman are not often referred to in a positive manner. Salarymen are seen as working long hours receiving little to no prestige. Because of their social image often times salarymen are less likely to be consulted for their emotional problems. On top of this salarymen often take the brunt of recessions, because of these reasons they make up many of the suicide victims in Japan.

Shame Society
In 1990 Japan’s economy took a dive for the worse. Suicide rates increased greatly in the mid-1990s due to the recession. Even as the economy saw slight improvement the suicide rate continued to grow. Financial concerns are cited in one-fifth of suicide notes; almost half of all suicides are unemployed. Japan’s culture is part to blame; sometimes the suicides are encouraged in the culture as to not be a burden on society. Some Japanese commit suicide so that their families can collect the insurance; due to this insurance companies lengthen payments for two to three years as prevention. A common policy is practiced with the railway companies, because there are suicides by train so often the railway companies are forced to make the family of the deceased pay for the inconvenience and clean-up. Japan might see an improvement in the suicide rate if they discontinue forcing citizens to endure such shame.

Methods
From a 1997 study on suicide in Japan, the most common methods of suicide are:


 * hanging (56.9%)
 * jumping from a height (11%)
 * drowning (7.6%).

Seppuku (Ritual suicide)
Seppuku is ritualistic disembowelment. It first saw its place in Japan as Buddhism became more accepted. The Buddhist depiction of death is often accredited for seppuku. Hara-kiri is the informal way of referring to seppuku. Often times it refers to ritualistic disembowelment of non-samurai. Hara-kiri also refers to unprepared seppuku, in which the one taking the action has little or no time to prepare for the ritual. This case is most common when samurai are taken prisoner or are about to be taken captive. Seppuku was very common prior to the Meiji era in 1868. Much of Japan’s history is riddled with the deaths of historical figures through the means of seppuku. The most recent of which happened in 1970, in which Yukio Mishima attempted a coup d'état. Upon his failure he had Hiroyasu Koga assist him in Seppuku. Koga’s role was to partially decapitate Mishima after he had performed his own disembowelment. In the past other reasons a samurai committed seppuku were: to show contempt for an enemy; to protest against injustice, as a means to get their lord to reconsider an unwise or unworthy action and as a means to save others.

shinjuu (Double suicide)
joint suicide of two lovers

Netto shinju (Online suicide pacts)
Japanese students are under an enormous amount of stress and pressure to perform in school. Withdrawal from society Confine themselves to their bedroom isolation The internet is their only form of communication

Locations of suicide
The sites chosen for the scene of suicide were the individual's residence (49.5%), followed by the ocean (lakes), rivers, high-rise buildings, mountains, and hospitals. The incidence was highest in May and low in February, December, and January.

Suicide Forest
An unusually high number of suicides occur in Aokigahara, a forest in prefecture of Yamanashi at the base of Mt Fuji. This is the world’s second most popular suicide location after San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge novel Kuroi Jukai (Black Forest), which ends with the lovers of the novel committing suicide in the forest. Since the 1950s, more than 500 people have lost their lives in the forest, mostly suicides,[1] with approximately 30 suicides counted yearly.[2][citation needed] In 2002, 78 bodies were found within the forest, replacing the previous record of 73 in 1998 (wikipedia)

Government response
The Japanese government has responded to the suicide epidemic by blocking websites that offer suicide tips, offering consoling for depression, and setting up suicide hotlines. The central Government gave the Inochi no Denwa (Telephone Lifeline) association 80 million yen. The Inochi no Denwa association runs a national suicide hotline with 7,000 volunteers handling some 700,000 calls a year.

Train stations began installing “suicide mirrors” and barriers to prevent people from leaping onto the tracks. The Japanese government started funding suicide awareness programs and issued a booklet to corporations to be on the lookout for danger signs among employees and called on companies to offer counseling.