Every year, slightly more than 30,000 people kill themselves in Japan. Compared with other countries, the situation is particularly grim. The nation's suicide rate, calculated in terms of the number of suicides per 100,000 people, stands at 25.3 -- compared with 38.7 in Russia, 17.5 in France, 13.5 in Germany, 11.7 in Canada, 10.4 in the United States, 7.5 in Britain and 7.1 in Italy. Japan's figure is the 10th highest in the world and the worst among developed countries.

Last year, the government established a joint committee comprising officials from government ministries and agencies concerned to work out "comprehensive measures" to combat the problem. This rather belated move is welcome. The government now regards suicide as something society as a whole must deal with, rather than an individual problem only.

The year 1998 was a turning point in Japan's suicide toll. Through 1997, the number of suicides was slightly less than 25,000 annually. The number jumped from 24,391 in 1997 to 32,863 in 1998. Since then, the number has hovered around that level. The number of suicides by males greatly increased -- from 16,416 in 1997 to 23,013 in 1998. The number of suicides by females rose from 7,975 to 9,850 in the same period. In 2004, Japan recorded 32,325 suicides -- 23,272 by males and 9,053 by females. It is said that for every suicide, there are about 10 attempted suicides.