What is the suicide rate in Japan?

Why does Japan have a high suicide rate?

• Last month I had to attend a funeral in Japan. A good friend of mine commited suicide. Two days before he killed himself,he told me over the phone that he accidentally got his girlfriend pregnant. He was only 14. But at the funeral she told me she will get an abortion.I saw the tears running across her face. Why are they killing themselves? They're my favorite people.

• Answer:

  Its terribly sad but true. Two years ago the suicide rate in Japan was higher than that of the entire USA. Reasons? Lots. 1. The Japanese see suicide as a way to get out problems that you seemingly cant over come. 2. There is very little counseling or very poor social services here to deal with people who are suicidal due to over work, bullying, domestic violence or depression. 3.Some Japanese see it as the only acceptable solution in some cases. Think of the number of business executives who get involved in one scandal or another and cause harm to others. You would be surprised the number of people who think, "yes, he should have killed himself".! The real question is, why did your friend think that was the only way out? Would his parents have freaked out? Would HER parents have sued his parents if he had lived? Such a tragedy.