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Lending an ear to end loneliness in Japan
As depression and anxiety grip the nation, survivors and volunteers are working to drive the suicide rate down with a 24-hour chatline.
Published 14 June 2022 11:03am
By Rhiona-Jade Armont
Source: SBS
Image: Yukkyo is one of thousands of young people in Japan caught in the country's mental health emergency.
This story contains reference to suicide.
Koki’s story
“In the past, I had problems, suffering, and every day felt like hell,” Koki Ozora says.
When his parents got divorced while he was in primary school, Koki went to live with his father, which he found extremely difficult.
“I wanted to die and that feeling lasted for a long time, “ Koki says.
“I couldn’t eat anymore and I was hospitalised.”
But for Koki, the hardest part of his depression was not being able to speak to anyone about how he was feeling.
“I didn’t tell others about my family or my own problems," he says.
"There is a stigma.
“In Japan, we say that men have to be strong. It’s a sign of weakness to rely on anyone.”
Koki Ozora experienced depression as a child.
Anata no Ibasho, meaning ‘A Place For You’, is a 24 hour web-based hotline for suicide and loneliness prevention.
“I created the “Anata no Ibasho” chat counselling service with the aim of ensuring people can always reach out to someone,” he says.
Koki says they are the first and only online service of this kind in Japan.
"In Japan, we have many phone-based hotlines, but young people, they don't use any telephones, " Koko says.
"So that's why I founded this organisation. Young people — they can use more easily.
“We have more than 600 volunteers in 25 countries. They can speak Japanese natively. So that’s why we can open 24/7.”
Since its founding in 2020, the organisation has received more than 200,000 messages.
Of those reaching out, about 80 per cent are teenagers or in their early twenties, and roughly 70 per cent are women.
Managing the sheer number of cases has been difficult, and the service relies on a triage system.
“First our texters talk with our AI chatbot. When our algorithm decides if the texter is in a serious condition, our volunteer counsellors talk to them.”
Mira was one such case.
Mira’s story
“Depression hits me every month and when it hits, I stay in bed for many days with a strong desire to kill myself.”
Mira has received support via Anata no Ibasho.
Following a break-up, she was hospitalised three times in three months after overdosing on prescription drugs.
She then quit her job and withdrew from society.
“I couldn’t handle either my work or my private life, “ Mira says.
“I didn’t know what I should do.
“I wanted to escape from everything and die".
Anata no Ibasho has more than 600 volunteers in 25 countries.
After a series of online sessions and an in-person meeting with a counsellor, she began to see an improvement in her mental health.
“It was a big help for me to be able to cry “help”.
I am happy to be able to express what I really feel, that alone makes it hugely valuable for me.”
“The response touched my heart and I could calm down. I’m now feeling a bit better.”
A national response
Koki’s work with individuals has led him to see the scale at which depression and anxiety disorders grip Japan.
In 2021, more than 21,000 people committed suicide in Japan, according to figures from the country’s Ministry for Health, Labor and Welfare.
While the rate for women increased 15 per cent , according to the most recent available figures, suicide rates for women under 20 increased 44 per cent from 2019 numbers.
Koki assessed his personal exchanges, relevant data and extensive research by experts in the field and identified a root cause: loneliness.
Koki Ozora has lobbied the Japanese government to do more to support people experiencing mental health battles.
“We did well in lobbying because the government decided to do that.”
Japan appointed a Minister for Loneliness, Tetsushi Sakamoto, in February, 2021 with plans to introduce policy measures to alleviate social isolation including monitoring and evaluating the care of already-isolate individuals.
This follows the UK’s pre-pandemic establishment of a Loneliness portfolio in 2018.
The hope with the introduction of the role in Japan is that the country’s suicide rate, the second highest among the G7 developed nations, will decrease as the underlying issue of loneliness is tackled.
Organisations like Anata no Ibasho are a large part of this approach.
According to the National Police Agency in Japan, in the first 6 months of 2022, Japan's loneliness and suicide prevention programs like Anata no Ibasho have reportedly reduced suicides by 3.7% saving 338 lives.
It is hoped that loneliness and suicide prevention programs like Anata no Ibasho will help to decrease Japan's suicide rate.
“Talking [for] 10-20 minutes, we might not solve their fundamental problem, but we are able to reach out to reduce their suffering,” he says.
“One of our counsellors often says: “Listening to others can change the world.”
Readers seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25).
More information and support for mental health is available at and on 1300 22 4636.
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