Society

Schools take action against rising pandemic-linked student suicides

Aug 25 (Japan Times) - Schools across Japan are stepping up measures against student suicides that have been on the rise amid the coronavirus pandemic, holding sessions about mental health and using technology to help students report their moods.

Japan logged a record-high 499 student suicides last year amid the pandemic, with many believed to have felt lonely during school closures that lasted for months to prevent the virus from spreading. The figure for the first half of 2021 was higher than a year ago, government data showed.

At a mental health educational session organized by a junior high school in Wakayama Prefecture in March, a school counselor explained to around 140 students how to spot signs they may be developing mental health conditions.

Osaka’s education board introduced in April a software application titled “weather of the heart” to check students’ mental health. The app is loaded onto tablet computers used by all children at elementary and junior high schools run by the city.

In the morning assembly, students can choose one option out of “sunny,” “cloudy,” “rain” and “thunder” to indicate how they feel that day. The results are automatically sent to teachers’ devices, informing them about changes in the mood of students who picked a different option from before.

Tokyo Court Rules Workplace Use of '-chan' as Sexual Harassment

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Inside Japanese Fonts: How Designers Shape the Way We Read

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Knife-Wielding Man Arrested Near U.S. Embassy in Tokyo

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Imperial Family Pays Tribute to War Victims

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

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