‘Hikikomori’ – Japan has appointed a minister of loneliness to slow the rate of depression

This is one lonely job…

Japan PM Yoshihide Suga has appointed a minister of loneliness to deal with icreasing depression as a result of the continuing  pandemic.

Tetsushi Sakamotonow former regional revitalization minister is the man to address loneliness and isolation.

Days before the appointment, Japan had recorded an sharp increase in suicides mostly involving women and youth.

“More women are suffering from isolation as compared to men, and the number of suicides is rising. My hope is that you will identify the problem and help come up with policy measures to deal with them,” Yoshihide Suga told Sakamoto.

The Prime Minister is also considering engaging experts from different sectors to lower stress and depression levels in the country.

 Japan is the second country to appoint a minister of ‘loneliness’ after the UK.

Two years ago, the then Britain PM Theresa May appointed Tracey Crouch to the position of minister of loneliness due to increase in isolation levels in the UK.

Source PD