Japan appoints a "Minister of Loneliness"

With more suicide deaths than coronavirus deaths in 2019, Japan appointed a “Minister of Loneliness” to help citizens deal with mental health and isolation. With a high rise especially in women’s suicide rates, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto, who is already a minister in charge of dealing with Japan's declining birthrate and promoting regional revitalization, to oversee government policies to deal with loneliness and isolation. During the pandemic, a lot of Japanese people completely withdrew from society and limited themselves to the confines of their homes, exacerbating the Hikikomori Crisis in Japan. “Hikikomori” is a term used to describe people who typically stay at home all day, not wanting to participate in social activities. This causes them to spend a majority of their day reading comics, watching shows, and surfing the internet.

Japan has tried hard to devise policies to help with this crisis. Japanese engineers have designed robots that hold someone’s hand when they are lonely. The main purpose of the robot is to provide company to the lonely and provide a substitute for human warmth and interaction. Japan’ loneliness minister plans to hold an emergency forum in February to listen to the concerns of the citizens in order to help them overcome suicidal thoughts. The UK has also appointed Loneliness Ministers multiple times in the past, but in vain. Only time can tell whether the Japanese government can provide any assistance with isolation and social withdrawal.