Japan's Children and Families Agency asks local governments to establish youth suicide prevention councils

The Children and Families Agency has asked local governments to set up councils where suicide prevention-related institutions can discuss ways of supporting youths at risk of suicide, aiming to quickly identify cases by obtaining information from schools and medical institutions and promoting early intervention.

According to health ministry data, the number of suicides among elementary, junior high and high school students in Japan marked a new record high of 538 in 2025.