Amid the closings of schools and classrooms by the Covid-19 pandemic last year, 415 suicides of children, aged from elementary school to high school, were recorded, according to the survey of the Ministry of Education.
The number has risen by nearly 100 from the previous year, the highest since registration began in 1974, the Asahi newspaper reported Thursday.
Suicide has a long history in Japan as a way to avoid something that is perceived as shame or dishonor.
The results showed that changes in school and home environments due to the pandemic have had a major impact on children’s behavior, NHK said, citing a Ministry of Education official.
Japan’s suicide rate has long outpaced the Group of Seven nations, but a national effort slashed the numbers by roughly 40% in 15 years, including a 10-year decline since 2009.
In the midst of the pandemic, suicides grew in 2020 after a decade of declines. The number of women who took their own lives increased amid the emotional and financial stress caused by the pandemic, although the rise was less among men.
The Education Ministry said a record of more than 196,127 school-age children were absent for 30 days or more in Japan, media reported.
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