Suicides rose 7.1 percent to 32,082 in 2003 from 29,949 the year before. It was the sixth leading cause of death after cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.

Suicide was the leading cause of death among men in their 50s, a population segment disproportionately affected by corporate restructuring.

"Men in their 50s are probably the hardest hit by unemployment and the economic slump," said Tsutomu Ishiyama, a ministry official in charge of the statistics.

Economy Minister Heizo Takenaka has called for changes to the nation's lending system that places corporate debt responsibility on the individual, forcing owners of small and medium-size businesses to personally go broke when their businesses fail.

Suicide was also the No. 1 cause of death among those in their 20s and 30s, the age groups that are less likely to die from illnesses, Ishiyama said.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 19, 2004
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