By Kanae Takagi

Japan has one of the longest life expectancies in the world now, but at the same time it also has a high suicide rate. It seems that not only the economic recession triggers suicide. Suicide isn't related to the economy, politics, public investment or the welfare policy. It is a problem of the mind and can only be understood by those who are depressed. Now the incidents that symbolize this aspect of depression are happening in Japan. Recently, strangers become acquainted through suicide sites on the Internet and they commit mass suicide. Four women attempted suicide in Okutama, Tokyo, two women killed themselves in Kanagawa, four men and three women killed themselves in Minano, Saitama. Why do they commit mass suicide? It is that human relations on the Net overwhelm their emotions in a short time and no one can stop it, because their common subject is suicide. As a result, they can't return to a normal state.

There are suicide prevention sites on the Net that aim to help people who want to commit suicide unload their real intention and try to reconsider. Most middle-age people are determine to commit suicide. However, young people, in their hearts, hope to live. It is not bad to talk about ones feelings on the Net. It is important to they have a place where anyone can talk of pain and where they aren't lonely. Two or three thousand people access this home-page everyday.

Poet Mokichi Saito (1882~1953) once commented that the Poet Yakamochi Otomo (717?~785) used the Chinese character "jo" (情) to mean "kokoro" (心 - heart) in one of his Tanka poems. Therefore, the Japanese word "joho" (information) means "kokoro" (heart) when refering to one's feelings. However, have you ever told someone your true feelings? It is easy to talk of pleasures, but it is difficult to express sadness, anger and fear. If we talk openly about them we would be seen as weak and it would be difficult to live in a competitive society.

Therefore, we close our hearts and minds to protect ourselves. But if we talk to others, we can see that we are not alone. How can one tell one's feelings to others? You must seek out a person who will listen to you. We shouldn't depend on the Net. We should make a place where we can talk to each other. Of course it is important to have a positive attitude, but we don't try to make any opportunity to talk to others on a deep level. If we keep this in mind, we will surely be able to come across a person we can talk openly with.

The author Hiroyuki Ituki speaks about the present age like this; "We are living in peace, but is it really peace? It isn't peace when millions of people commit suicide every year. It means that this is war. It is a war of the mind and is a so called Inner War." Also, concerning the reason why people commit suicide he says, "We don't treasure life because our lifes are dry. Therefore, we can throw away life and kill others. Suicide increase with crime."

What is the purpose of life? Hiroyuki Ituki states that the purpose of life is to look for the purpose in our life. It means to find "the individual meaning of life," which is the unique one that only you can discover. We may not find the purpose while we are alive. However, we can only discover the purpose if we go on living. We must live. It is important that we find little pleasures in our daily lives. Only in that way can we get a glimpse of life's energy.