There were 23,104 suicides in Japan in 1996, making the suicide rate 18.4 per 100,000, which is not much higher than those of some European countries. This paper focuses on current trends of suicide in Japan. In addition, the problem of suicide among the elderly and some characteristic forms of suicide found in Japan, such as shinju (suicide pact) and inseki-jisatsu (suicide committed in order to take responsibility) are discussed. Future strategies are also proposed for suicide prevention in Japan.
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