Children in Japan continue to suffer poor mental health, with the country ranking 32nd among 43 developed and emerging nations due to high suicide rates and other factors, a UNICEF report released Wednesday showed. The country improved from 37th in 2020 when the ranking was last published, although this time the suicide rate among Japanese youth was the fourth highest among wealthy states surveyed, worsening from 12th.
Actress Ryoko Hirosue has announced a suspension of all entertainment activities after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and hyperthyroidism, following hospitalization in Tokyo. The announcement comes after an incident in April where she was involved in a car accident and allegedly kicked a nurse, leading to her arrest and an ongoing police investigation. Her agency confirmed that she will continue outpatient treatment and focus on her recovery, while also cooperating fully with authorities, stating they do not attribute her actions solely to her illness and are committed to responding sincerely.
Actress Ryoko Hirosue has announced a suspension of all entertainment activities after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and hyperthyroidism, following hospitalization in Tokyo. The announcement comes after an incident in April where she was involved in a car accident and allegedly kicked a nurse, leading to her arrest and an ongoing police investigation. Her agency confirmed that she will continue outpatient treatment and focus on her recovery, while also cooperating fully with authorities, stating they do not attribute her actions solely to her illness and are committed to responding sincerely.
As the number of people struggling with insomnia and insufficient sleep increases, the Japanese Society of Sleep Research has submitted a formal request to the government to add “Sleep Disorders” to the names of medical departments. They envision combining this term with existing department names, such as “Sleep Disorder Internal Medicine,” and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is now considering the proposal.
The number of suicides in Japan decreased by 1,517 from the previous year to 20,320 in 2024, the second-lowest level on record, the health ministry said Friday.The tally by the ministry, however, was revised up by 52 from the preliminary data released in January. The ministry’s data are based on statistics taken by the National Police Agency.
The latest research conducted in 2023 on around 200 people showed 24.1 percent of both male and female respondents likely suffer PTSD, according to analysis by Yoshiro Okubo, professor emeritus at Nippon Medical School.
A stabbing and attempted murder of a political party leader; as well as a ‘livestreamer’ being stabbed and killed, leads one to revisit about how crime and narratives about mental illness play out in the Japanese media.
About 30 pct of first-time users in Japan of offshore online casinos became indebted within a week after starting gambling at the sites, a Japanese survey has shown.
Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday 11th March approved an amended bill requiring companies to adopt protective measures against overbearing or abusive behavior from business clients or the public. The bill mandates that firms establish clear rules against abuse and set up a system for victims to file complaints. The move follows a rise in workers quitting or suffering from mental illness due to “kasu-hara,” a Japanese slang term for customer harassment.
All bullet train services on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line in northeast Japan were halted for around two hours on Monday after a person entered the tracks and was hit by a train, the operator said, days after the decoupling of cars on a train led to a disruption of services that still continues. JR East said a person intruded onto the tracks in the morning, with police suspecting that the individual climbed over a fence to commit suicide. While local train services in Japan are sometimes affected by suicides, shinkansen services are rarely halted.
Barrier Free Japan