In a bid to trackle the rising suicide rate in the country, Japan has appointed a 'Minister of Loneliness' to try and reduce loneliness and social isolation among its residents.
Last year, suicide rates in Japan rose for the first time in 11 years, with the numbers showing women as particularly vulnerable.?
As facts suggests, more people died by suicide in the country this past October than the total number of COVID-19 deaths up until that point.
The Japan Times reports that according to preliminary figures released by the National Police Agency, 20,919 people died by suicide last year, up 750 from 2019 and marking the first year-on-year increase in 11 years.?
According to Insider, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga added a minister of loneliness to his Cabinet earlier this month.
The United Kingdom is the first country to create a similar role back in 2018.
"Women are suffering from isolation more (than men are), and the number of suicides is on a rising trend," Suga told Sakamoto at a February 12 news conference announcing the new role, according to the Japan Times. "I hope you will identify problems and promote policy measures comprehensively."
Loneliness has been identified as a long-standing issue in Japan, often discussed alongside "hikikomori," or people who live in extreme social isolation.