Soccer star Keisuke Honda has caused a stir on social media with an impassioned "motivational" tweet he posted in response to a news report about Tuesday's government white paper on suicide.
The annual report showed the number of suicides declining in 2016 to the lowest in 22 years while also citing suicide as the leading cause of death in the country among those aged 15-39.
Honda, probably the highest-profile Japanese footballer still on the field, retweeted a news article referencing the report Tuesday afternoon, with the comment: "Don't put the blame on others! Don't blame politics! You have to be thankful for being alive and thank your parents. If you don't like what you are doing, you can quit. Don't be obsessed with success! Be obsessed with growth!"