Japan has initiated a major national campaign aimed at encouraging children to speak openly with adults about their problems. This move comes as the country grapples with alarming levels of anxiety, bullying, and a tragic record number of student suicides.
Record Suicides and Soaring Bullying Cases Prompt Action
New data from Japan's health ministry reveals a deeply concerning trend. In 2024, a record 527 students from elementary and senior high schools took their own lives. This distressing figure emerged even as the nation's overall suicide rate showed a decline. The crisis in schools is further underscored by statistics on bullying. Reported cases across elementary, junior high, high, and special-needs schools reached 769,022 in the same year, marking the highest number ever recorded and representing an increase of approximately five per cent from the previous year.
Faced with these figures, officials from the Children and Families Agency, a key administrative body, launched a targeted campaign in the autumn of 2024. The core mission of the project, initially staffed by 30 officials, is to lower the psychological barriers that prevent young people from seeking counselling and support.
Cartoons, Football, and a Message of Strength
The campaign's strategy is rooted in direct dialogue. After consulting with children and support organisations nationwide, the project team developed cartoons and videos carrying a vital message: "consultation is neither shameful nor weak." These resources have been made freely available on the agency's website for anyone to access.
"We want them to gain experience in consultation with someone, even if it's a small problem," explained an agency official. To further normalise help-seeking behaviour, the team took its outreach into the community. In December 2025, in cooperation with FC Tokyo, they set up a booth at a J League professional football match in Chofu, Tokyo.
At the booth, children were engaged in an interactive activity designed to make them think about their support networks. They were encouraged to place balls into boxes labelled with figures like "family" and "schoolteacher," and to consider other trusted adults in their community. The event attracted many families, with one first-grade boy sharing that he had recently talked to his family and teacher after a disagreement with a friend.
Expanding the Conversation into Schools
Building on this momentum, the project has plans to expand directly into classrooms. The team is scheduled to visit junior high and high schools later this month to conduct special classes focused on listening to students' concerns. A junior staff member involved emphasised the core goal: "I want to tell students that it’s OK to talk about their worries."
This nationwide initiative represents a significant public effort to tackle the intertwined issues of student mental health and school bullying by fostering environments where young people feel safe to speak up.
