Japan has seen a rise in the number of people taking their own lives in recent months as anxieties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic take an emotional and psychological toll.
The trend is believed to have been exacerbated by the apparent suicides of celebrities and has had mental experts scrambling to respond.
Yasuyuki Shimizu, representative director of the Japan Suicide Countermeasures Promotion Center, warned that the risk of suicide has been growing in Japan, especially for women, and his concern is borne out by the figures.