Nonu Ishand
Cleaning, 20 (Indian)
Japan is so crowded and people have very little free time. I think the lifestyle makes it hard for people to enjoy their lives. If people spent more time with their families and relaxed more, I think it would help.
Heather Humphreys
Student, 21 (British)
I think Japanese society is very pressurized compared to other "developed" countries. People work a lot and don't have a lot of outlets for the stress that comes with such busy lifestyles.
Keisuke Tsurii
Service sector, 41
It's so sad, isn't it. There are many reasons for suicide, and many consequences for people to think about. I think we should all take more care of each other, and listen to one another.
Elizabeth Costello
ALT, 23 (Australian)
Japanese people feel like they have no one to talk to about problems, so I think they can feel very isolated. Australia has a high-profile depression awareness campaign -- I wish Japan had something like that.
Yoshiko Ishioka
Librarian/teacher
The most important reason is love, then the breakdown of family morals. Unless you have your children or some kind of spiritual guide to support you, life can be very difficult.
Ai Haruta
Elderly care worker, 32
In my job I deal with death every day. Death is part of life, no more or less special than birth. Japanese people romanticize death, and I think we should have more ways of talking about it in our regular lives.
