Many Japanese Military Members Committing Suicide, Asahi Newspaper Reports / August 17, 2003
An increasing number of Japanese military personnel are killing themselves for reasons the country's Defense Agency says are unclear, the Asahi newspaper reported on its Web site, citing the agency. ...Many members of Japan's so-called Self-Defense Forces are committing suicide at a time when civilians are also killing themselves in increasing numbers because of economic hardship. The Defense Agency says it isn't clear why service members are doing so because their livelihoods aren't changed by an economic slump..