Suicides in Japan hit record low in 2019, down for 10th year in row

TOKYO - The number of suicides in Japan fell 4.2 percent in 2019 from the previous year to a record low 19,959, down for the 10th straight year, police data showed Friday.It is the first time the preliminary figure has fallen below 20,000 since the National Police Agency began compiling data in 1978. But the number could rise later when the data is revised in March.The number of suicides per 100,000 people dropped to 15.8, down 0.7 from 2018. The government is aiming to reduce the rate to 13.0 by 2025, a level similar to the United States and Germany."We need to face up to the reality that…READ FULL ARTICLE