Is Suicide in Japan a Socio-Cultural Phenomenon?

A friend earlier today discussed her current essay titles and one of them grabbed my attention. Is Suicide in Japan a Socio-Cultural Phenomenon? It is an interesting topic. For me, someone who often has thoughts of suicide and has a history of overdoses and self harm to my name, I put suicidal thoughts purely down to my depression. The thought of my actions being down to society and culture doesn’t even cross my mind, but of course, society and culture is very different in Japan.

Japan has long been providing social studies on suicide. Take the suicide bombings in the Middle East for example. This can easily be traced to Japan’s “Kamikaze”, the suicide air attack squad at the end of World War II. Tracing back even further and we have the samurai’s, the Japanese warriors. In order to protect the samurai from being killed by executioners, a form of suicide, hara-kiri, was committed. This wasn’t seen as some sick, heartless sacrifice as many in the western world would perceive it, but a privilege in society. Another form of suicide, shinjyuu, was committed among intimate people such as between lovers or families.

Here, suicide is seen by some as a selfish act, an act that goes against many religious teachings. By others, it is perceived as a last resort, an escape. Rarely is it seen as an act of good. Suicide in Japan however is seen as an act of individual dignity, of freewill, and has a long lasting cultural association with saving family fame, a noble act almost.

In this modern day and age there is more pressure on Japanese, especially men, to make money and be successful. In these days of recession, economic slump and high unemployment, this is becoming harder to do. It comes as no surprise then that statistically men are more likely to commit suicide in Japan than women. Failure isn’t an option for them and suicide is often attempted in a bid to get life insurance for the family. With the invention of the internet comes arise of suicide pacts in Japan, thus bringing a new phenotype of “group suicide culture”. Suicide is fine as long as people do it together.

I personally see suicide in Japan as a socio-cultural phenomenon. Despite many policies being proposed to help reduce the suicide rates, they are treating the suicides as a mental health issue. In fact, many psychiatrists are arguing that past suicides were due to depression and are urging people to regard suicide as a product of pathology. Even though I agree with this, I don’t think this is the way to go about it. For someone who is depressed a mental health hotline and counselling can prevent suicide, for someone who is under financial strain it will not help.

Japan is developing a vocabulary of motives associated with suicide permitting the Japanese to believe that they have no other choice but to die. As a result, they are resisting mental health efforts such as medication for depression. In order to move Japan away from the “nation of suicide” you first need to change the society. Allow more aid for those in financial difficulties, for those who are unemployed, change the pessimistic outlook on life. Then concentrate on the mental health aspect. This may seem like an indirect route, but personally I believe it is the most secular way to reduce suicide rates in Japan.