What is it about Japan that causes such a high suicide rate?

The grudge

The stress levels and the pride that lies deep within.

One reason is there still Harakiri (Seppuku) culture and the spirit exists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku Another reason is that Japan is homogeneous country. 98% of the population is Japanese, and the culuture is mono culuture. Japan is said it is capitalism technically. But people know the society has another aspect. Japan is sometime called it is socialism or totalism. Check No.1-10 nations of the suicide rate in the world. What kind of society those nations have? This is the answer.

The statistics on suicides in Japan Reasons Number 1: health problem. Number 2: finance problem. The districts (43prefectures plus Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka, and Kyoto) Number1: Akita Number2: Aomori Number3: Iwate Number36: Tokyo Number18: Osaka Number47: Nara Akita Prefecture, which has had the nation's highest suicide rates for the past 10 years. There are about 6000 psychiatric patients in Akita and about 109000 psychiatric patients in Tokyo in 2005. Age 70's: 5522 60's: 4885 50's: 6786 40's: 4650 30's: 4175 20's: 3172 10's: 576 gender Male:Female 3:1 The suicide rate top 3prefectures are all located in north of Honsyuu where senior population is higher than other prefectures.

Well there are a few different factors. For the younger suicides there is the shiken hell. Where basically from as early as elementary school students need to try and get into certain schools in order to progress to the prestigious Universities. With this entails going to school 6 days a week, and then going to juku, which is after school cram school. When the tests come you have one shot at taking it, so if your sick, you did not study or fail, well tough luck. On another end of the spectrum, if you are different, whether it be hair color, or your family is associated with the untouchable class of people who dealt with meat, you get bullied. And in this case it's not just one person, its the whole class, and most of the time no one will help, and if you go to someone they just say your selfish. Then later on in life say you go through all of these things, at work the expectations are just as high, you have to do service overtime, show a special kind of face that is correct and hide your feelings. So overall I say its a lot of pressure in a society that you can not express yourself without further making problems.

i believe its the fear of failure and how pride is important. they take failure pretty damn hard

There's no single factor, but experts point to a combination of economic woes, poor mental-health resources, lack of religious prohibition, and cultural acceptance of the practice.

they have so much pride..they don't want to be embarrass bec some of the suicide victims are in debt...they can't accept failures.that is the major reason why..the rest is emotional problem..

Well, there are different reasons, but one of them that I've noticed is bullying in schools. Some of the cases of bullying in Japanese schools are absolutely horrible. It's not like what people usually think of bullying in schools in the US... in Japan bullying seems to be on a whole different level. Not only can it be beatings, but alot of psychological damage too. Anything from having basically everyone in the class gang up on one person, to having almost everyone in class act like the person doesn't exist. Of course there is also verbal abuse. There are also alot of very overworked and stressed out people in Japan as well... both kids/teenagers with school and adults with their everyday job.