Japan to Subsidize Community Efforts to Prevent Child Suicides
Tokyo, Sept. 2 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Children and Families Agency plans to subsidize community efforts to prevent child suicides in fiscal 2027, which starts in April next year. The agency will provide subsidies when local governments partner with child-related organizations to establish councils aimed at strengthening efforts to watch over children and sharing information. It asked for 1.0...
In a bid to curb the alarming surge in child suicides across Japan, the Children and Families Agency announced plans to provide financial support for community initiatives in the upcoming fiscal year beginning April 2027. This subsidy program will be triggered when local governments collaborate with child-centric organizations to form councils focused on enhancing child protection and information sharing. The agency has earmarked a budget of 1.04 billion yen for related expenses in its fiscal 2027 proposal.
The alarming statistics paint a grim picture, with the number of suicides among elementary, junior high, and high school students reaching a record high of 538 in 2025. The subsidy funds will primarily cover administrative costs associated with establishing these councils and informing local residents about the initiative. Additionally, they will support coordination with experts capable of guiding children who have a history of self-harm or who are facing other challenges.
Minister for Children's Policies, Hitoshi Kikawada, expressed grave concern during a visit to a nonprofit organization in Tokyo dedicated to addressing suicide, stating that the current trend suggests the 2025 figure could be surpassed in the current year. He reiterated the urgency of implementing measures, emphasizing the need to take action at all costs.
Written by urgent.news from Nippon.com News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
