Junior Writers Reporting

Did you realize that among teens who died in 2012, about one out of three ended their lives in suicide? In order to build a more peaceful world, we must create an environment in which young people like us don’t feel the need to turn to death and suicide. September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. To commemorate this day, we gathered and analyzed information on suicide committed by teens and pondered what we can do to improve the situation.


by Mei Morimoto, first-year high school student, and Marika Tsuboki, third-year junior high school student

In 2012, 26,433 people died by their own hand in Japan. Suicide is the leading cause of death among people from the ages of 10 to 19. In this age group, 585 people committed suicide, accounting for 31.2% of all deaths. Nearly 90% of those who committed suicide in this age group, or 510 people, were 15 to 19 years old. For young people aged 10 to 39, suicide is the leading cause of death.

According to statistics on suicide issued by the Cabinet Office and the National Police Agency, 320 children from elementary school to high school committed suicide in 2013. Of those, 11 were from Hiroshima Prefecture.




Story by Haruka Shinmoto and Miku Yamashita, first-year high school students, Photos by Haruka Shinmoto

If you know others who are experiencing some distress, stand by them, listen to them closely, and try to understand their feelings. Kazuko Ueno, 63, executive director of the Hiroshima Childline Children’s Station, an NPO in the city, stresses the importance of listening without speaking unnecessarily.

Hiroshima Childline was founded in 1995 with the belief that listening to children enables them to move forward and become full members of society. The volunteers at Hiroshima Childline take telephone calls and listen to the concerns of children up to the age of 18. On average, they receive nearly 1,000 telephone calls a month from children suffering from difficult relationships, bullying, and other problems. Of these, about 20 calls involve thoughts of suicide. Relationships are the largest factor in cases where children are considering suicide. Unable to improve the situation, they feel unable to bear their unhappiness.

“It doesn’t have to be Childline,” Ms. Ueno said. “What’s important is that children have someone to whom they can turn.” If someone is there to listen to them, it helps address their suffering.

The current challenge for the organization is the lack of people available to answer phone calls. Though there are about 50 people involved in this work, the number has not increased. “If the situation doesn’t change,” said Ms. Ueno, “we’ll be unable to give sufficient support to the children. This is volunteer work, but I’d like more people to help with our activities.” In particular, they are seeking young people and caregivers of children to serve as volunteers.



by Ishin Nakahara, first-year high school student

Dr. Fumio Matsuda, 62, the director of Matsuda Hospital in Minami Ward, Hiroshima and an expert in child psychiatry, says that low self-esteem is a common characteristic of children who commit suicide, particularly adolescents in junior high and high school. When they suffer from bullying and other troubles involving schoolmates, or when they have low grades and feel pressured by their parents and teachers to work harder, they tend to have low self-esteem and feel a sense of hopelessness. From their perspective, their life, if continued, will be a burden to others. Such feelings are common among those who commit suicide. When others tell them “It’s nothing” or “You can do it if you make the effort,” they turn pessimistic and depressed, thinking, “It’s nothing, and yet I can’t do it.”

“It’s difficult to predict a suicide,” Dr. Matsuda said. “So it’s very important to be alert for warning signs and address them properly.” Suicide isn’t simply a response to desperation or loneliness; it involves seeking escape and relief from these emotional difficulties. And for those who don’t hold a negative image of death, there is a higher risk of suicide.

Signs of suicide, such as giving away important possessions or abruptly thanking parents for their care, must be noted quickly.

When friends seem depressed, you could say, “What’s the matter? You look unhappy these days,” to make it easier for them to talk about what’s bothering them. Trying to understand their feelings is important. When they can talk to young people of the same age or older, and when they hear responses like “I understand, I’ve had those thoughts, too,” they feel better. When they speak to parents and teachers who don’t really understand, they feel discouraged and think, “I shouldn’t have told them about this.”

Dr. Matsuda said, “Some people say we shouldn’t teach about the reality of suicide, but I want children to learn about this at school so they will understand the dangers.” There are many things we can do to prevent someone from taking their own life. If we see someone who’s depressed, let’s make it easier for them to talk about their troubles.



From the fourth grade to the seventh grade, I wanted to die. I would shut the door of my room, bury my face in my pillow, and say, “I want to die. Why was I even born?”

I was bullied, starting in first grade. The boy sitting next to me suddenly hit me in the schoolyard. He called me “fat” and “ugly” and sang a song to mock me. I think it’s because I was overweight and I had fair skin, I was always reading books, and my teacher seemed to favor me.

When I was in second grade, I had new classmates, but the situation didn’t get any better; in fact, it grew worse. When I was in third grade, I reached out to a government body by writing a letter, but I only received a reply that said: “Ask the adults around you for help.” When I was in third grade and fourth grade, my mother asked the principal and my homeroom teacher to help me, but nothing changed.

When I was in fifth grade and sixth grade, I tried cutting my wrists in the school bathroom. I even tried hanging myself at home, but I didn’t finally commit suicide because a classmate looked out for me. When she told me, “I’m looking out for you because I like you,” I felt so relieved.

When I was a first-year student in junior high, someone put a thumbtack in my shoe, but I ignored it. Even today, some students in my grade who I’ve never talked to say “Gross” when they pass by me, but I try my best to ignore them.

I have new friends now, and I no longer want to die, like before. But when I remember my elementary school days or when I’m scolded by my mother or my brother or my teacher, I sometimes get that feeling again, thinking I’m not needed and that I’m a nuisance. Sometimes I’m seized with negative thoughts, for no particular reason. This is probably because I was bullied for a long time.

I don’t think we can eliminate bullying from this world. When we’re bullied, instead of thinking of it like that, it’s better to think that we’re being noticed and envied because we’re doing better than others. “If people who are so good that they’re envied by others kill themselves, this would be a loss for the world.” If you think this way, you won’t find any meaning in dying.

(Originally published on September 8, 2014)

Checklist for spotting warning signs of suicide

□　Giving away important possessions.
□　Asking parents about concrete ways of dying. (e.g. “What floor would someone have to jump from to die?” “How many sleeping pills could kill you?”)
□　Asking about the afterlife. (“What happens when we die?”)
□　Buying suicide guides and books on the afterlife.
□　Using computers and cell phones to search for suicide-related websites.
□　Starting to clean up rooms of the house and things around them.
□　Repeated wrist cutting.
□　Saying, “I want to die” and “There’s nothing good about living.”
□　Sudden crying. Even when asked, they won’t say why they’re crying.
□　Saying, “Sorry to make you worry,” and “Thank you for all you’ve done for me.” Expressing gratitude to parents for raising them, or asking if the parents are fine.
□　Ropes, long cords, and/or cutters, normally not seen, are casually placed in their room. A notebook is left out on the desk for no particular reason.

(Excerpts from the handbook published in October 2007 by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education)


Marika Tsuboki, third-year junior high school student
This was the topic I’ve wanted to cover most since I became a junior writer. I hope this article will somehow help reduce the number of children who commit suicide.

Haruka Shinmoto, first-year high school student
The theme of this article is closely connected to my generation. Suicide is the leading cause of death among children. I felt sad when I learned that there are children who call Childline and say they want to kill themselves. It isn’t easy making them feel better by listening to them, but I think it’s reassuring for children that there’s a place they can always call.

Ishin Nakahara, first-year high school student
I’ve never heard any of my friends say that they want to commit suicide. But this may be because they can’t share their feelings with anyone. I’d like to think about how I can help ease my friends’ troubles and what I can do to contribute to reducing the number of suicides.

Mei Morimoto, first-year high school student
I was surprised to learn that there are six times as many suicides compared to deaths from traffic accidents. I really felt that suicide isn’t something removed from me.

Miku Yamashita, first-year high school student
I felt sad to hear that 1.4 people who are 18 or younger die every day. If my friends come to me for advice, I plan to listen to them closely so they can feel better.