Two people have tragically lost their lives in Yokohama, Japan, after a 17-year-old high school student jumped to her death from a shopping center, landing on a 32-year-old woman below. The incident took place in a crowded shopping district on a Saturday evening, sending both individuals to the hospital where they later succumbed to their injuries.
The reasons behind the teenager’s decision to take her own life remain unclear, but statistics show that more young people in Japan commit suicide on September 1st, just before the start of the new school term. Last year alone, 513 children in Japan took their own lives, with “school problems” being cited as the most common factor.
Students who struggle to return to school are known as futoko, or “people who don’t go to school,” and they often face challenges such as family issues, personal conflicts with friends, and bullying. In an effort to raise awareness about the difficulties students face, authorities and media organizations in Japan have been working to address the issue.
This recent tragedy in Yokohama echoes a similar incident from 2020, where a 17-year-old boy jumped from a shopping center roof, resulting in the death of a 19-year-old female student in Osaka. While the boy was initially charged with manslaughter posthumously, the charge was later dropped.
Despite the decreasing suicide rate among the general population in Japan, the rate is rising among young people, making Japan the only G7 country where suicide is the leading cause of death for teenagers. Authorities have not indicated any culpability in the recent deaths in Yokohama, leaving many questions unanswered in this heartbreaking situation.
