Japan's suicide rate, already one of the world's highest, has increased with the recent economic downturn.

There were 2,645 suicides recorded in January 2009, a 15 percent increase from the 2,305 for January 2008, according to the Japanese government.

The Japanese government said suicide rates are a priority and pledged to cut the number of suicides by more than 20 percent by 2016. It plans to improve suicide awareness in schools and workplaces. But officials fear the toll will rise with unemployment and bankruptcies, matching suicide spikes in earlier tough economic times.

Source: CNN

P.S: I was hiking a few weeks ago in that forest mentioned in the CNN article - scary !!

Ryoko's Birthday Party - a full success! What a fun afternoon! We had 20 people coming to a very lovely Sunday afternoon brunch at a very cozy location. The food was great, and so were the people and the overall atmosphere. I want to thank everybody who came, Ryoko and I had a fantastic Sunday afternoon, and I think she was able to fully celebrate her birthday!