February 22, 2021
6:17 PM ET
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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has appointed a “minister of loneliness” to his cabinet in response to rising suicide rates in Japan during the coronavirus pandemic.
Japanese lawmaker Tetsushi Sakamoto, who is also in charge of addressing the country’s declining birth rate and strengthening regional economies, was appointed to take on the role, The Japan Times first reported Sunday. Japan’s government created the ministry role earlier this month, following the example of the U.K. after its government created a similar position in 2018.
The government also established a cross-agency task force Friday with the goal of combatting rising suicide rates, poverty and social isolation experienced during the coronavirus pandemic, The Japan Times reported.
Feb 21, 2021
Japan is beefing up measures against loneliness, taking a first major step toward comprehensively tackling a pervasive problem in the nation that has again been thrust into the spotlight due to the pandemic.
Such is the urgency of the issue that the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga added a minister of loneliness to his Cabinet earlier this month, following the example of the U.K, which in 2018 became the first country to create a similar role.
Suga tapped minister Tetsushi Sakamoto, who is simultaneously in charge of combating the nation’s falling birth rate and revitalizing regional economies, for the new portfolio.