Japanese Government drafting priority plan to respond to record high of school-aged suicides

 In response to a concerning rise in suicide rates amongst young people, the Japanese Government is revising its 2024 measures to address loneliness and isolation.

With the number of suicides among school-aged children reaching an all-time high, the Japanese Government is drafting a plan that aims to ‘identify children and young people at high risk of suicide before the crisis deepens and ensure they receive support’.  The plan will be a revision of their 2024  Priority Plan to Facilitate the Promotion of the Policies Regarding Measures to Address Loneliness and Isolation ,which focuses on measures to reduce loneliness and isolation in Japan, with actions such as working to: create a society where it is easy for people to ask for support; providing tailored counselling; creating communities where people can feel connected to each other by securing opportunities to care for and interact with each other; and strengthening coordination between public, private and non-profit organisations.

What do we know about the revised plan?

The Yomiuri Shimbun and NHK World Japan shared a few details from the draft plan, which is expected to be revised shortly with specific measures published by the end of the year:

• The number of suicides amongst elementary, junior high and high school students reached 538 last year, which is an increase of 9 from the previous year. It is the highest level of suicides of school-aged children in Japan, since records were first available in 1980.
• The Government will be expanding on their annual nationwide survey on loneliness and isolation to include elementary and junior high school students (usually it is only available to those 16 and over) to help gain more understanding of the issues facing younger people and the support they need.
• Suicide prevention measures listed in the drat plan include establishing councils in local municipalities to work with schools and medical institutions, and using AI to detect suicide risks at an early age.
• The draft highlights a growing trend of using generative AI as an information source and as the ‘first step in seeking advice’. There will be a policy outlined on generative AI and loneliness/isolation which is expected to look at how to guide users to appropriate support services. The Government also be monitoring developments in generative AI.
• Children’s Policy Minister, Kikawada Hitoshi, noted that there will be urgent actions towards creating  climate where the internet can be used safely.

Learn more

• Asia News Network
• The Yomiuri Shimbun
• NHK World Japan
• Headquarters for Advancement of Measures to Address Loneliness and Isolation

References

1. Asia News Network (2026) ‘Japan to step up efforts to monitor children’s isolation after suicide cases hit record high among young students’. Available at: https://asianews.network/japan-to-step-up-efforts-to-monitor-childrens-isolation-after-suicide-cases-hit-record-high-among-young-students/ (Accessed: 29th June 2026)
2. Headquarters for Advancement of Measures to Address Loneliness and Isolation (2024) ‘Priority Plan to Facilitate the Promotion of the Policies Regarding Measures to Address Loneliness and Isolation’. Available at: https://www.cao.go.jp/kodoku_koritsu/pdf/jutenkeikaku_english.pdf (Accessed: 29th June 2026)
3. The Yomiuri Shimbun (2026) ‘Japan’s Govt to Step Up Efforts to Monitor Children’s Isolation after Suicide Cases Reach Record High Among Elementary, Junior High, High School Students’. Available at: https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/politics-government/20260625-334548/ (Accessed: 29th June 2026)
4. NHK World Japan (2026) ‘Japan’s child policy puts focus on suicide prevention’. Available at: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260609_10/ (Accessed: 29th June 2026)