A recent report from CBS News states that the number of suicide deaths in the elderly has dramatically increased in Japan.  The overall number of suicides recorded in 2007 was 33,093, which is a 2.9 percent increase and is considered the second-highest annual tally ever on record. So why the dramatic increase? Let’s look at the reasons behind the suicide epidemic in Japan.

Japanese elderly ages 60 and over were the fastest growing group committing suicide.  An increase of 8.9 percent occurred from 2006 to 2007, which equals 987 elderly who committed suicide.   This age group accounted for up to 36.6 percent of all suicides in Japan in 2007.

Why are the elderly committing suicide?

One reason might lie in the fact that the country’s pension and national health care systems are straining to survive. Those who have lived their lives and have given all they have to their families are now suffering from depression due to medical and economic issues.  In fact, health issues accounted for 56 percent of the reasons why these elderly suicides are happening, while 15 percent is credited to economic worries.

"For those aged above 60, economic and health reasons were closely linked. The figure underlined the fact that many old people were financially struggling, which could easily cause poor health," commented Masahiro Yamada, a sociology professor at Chuo University in Tokyo.

It’s widely known that Japan is a proud country.  In many cases the elderly simply do not want to burden their families.  They have been through a war, have re-built their country and are simply not afraid of death.  Suicide, in their eyes, is a way to relieve depression. 

And, strangely enough, suicide in Japan is often seen as a matter of honor.  

Even more disturbing, the elderly have found a new way to commit suicide.  They are mixing commonly available chemicals to create a deadly form of hydrogen sulfide gas.  As of June 2008, 517 people had killed themselves by inhaling the fumes.  In 2007, there were 29 who died in this manner.

With the significant rise in suicides over the past few years, Japan now has the ninth highest suicide rate in the world. We intend to keep a eye on this trend and report on the successful solutions they uncover.