Japan to Subsidize Community Efforts to Prevent Child Suicides

Tokyo, Sept. 2 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Children and Families Agency plans to subsidize community efforts to prevent child suicides in fiscal 2027, which starts in April next year.

The agency will provide subsidies when local governments partner with child-related organizations to establish councils aimed at strengthening efforts to watch over children and sharing information. It asked for 1.04 billion yen in related expenses in its fiscal 2027 budget request.

The move comes at a time when the number of suicides among elementary, junior high and high school students marked a record high of 538 in 2025.

The subsidies will be used mainly for costs related to setting up such councils and notifying local residents about the matter. They will also cover the cost of coordinating with experts who can advise children with histories of self-harm and other challenges.

Hitoshi Kikawada, minister for children's policies, said during a visit to a nonprofit organization in Tokyo tackling suicide that the number of child suicides this year is on track to exceed the 2025 tally, adding, "We must take measures at any cost."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]