Not Sure....

 If there is more crime in Japan or if I'm seeing more Japanese news on YouTube!

The past 10 days, there have been 3 separate incidents that have caught the media's attention.

The first was on May 1st, when a 28-year-old man drove a car into a group of elementary children. The group of 7 children were 2nd and 3rd-grade kids.  Fortunately, none were seriously injured. According to the press, one girl had a broken jaw, the others were cut and bruised. Even so, it must be traumatizing for the kids and their families!  The young man who did this said that he was "fed up with everything" and wanted to kill someone!

Another incident, also involving a school, occurred this week when two men went into an elementary school and attacked staff. Again, no life-threatening injuries, but the two men attacked two teachers in front of a class of 2nd graders.  The whole incident was rather bizarre. That morning one mother went to speak to a teacher about something, the press didn't say what the problem was, the mother wasn't happy with the conclusion of the talk and asked one of these men to go to the school, the older man, in his 40's bought a younger man with him. One of them was carrying a green bottle. 

The same day, a man wielding a large knife was arrested on the Tokyo metro for attempted murder. He apparently attacked a young student on the head before being tackled by a police officer and a Nepalese man on the train. The Nepalese man suffered minor cuts on his hand. 

I'm shocked at these incidents. I know that crime exists in Japan, but it is a safe country. I always felt that in Japan, natural disasters were a big problem, not people.

I think one problem that Japan is facing is the lack of mental health awareness. Even though Japan has universal health care, mental health care is not talked about. It is still stigmatised in Japan; there are very few counselors or mental health workers. I know when my kids were in school, there was just one school counselor for five schools, but bullying and suicide were very high!

Seeking help for depression or anxiety isn't done; there is still a stigma to these problems, especially for men.

I don't know if the people in these news articles have mental health problems, maybe the first guy, but I have seen a tendency in recent years where people who commit violent crimes state that they have had enough. These are the ones that are making headlines; there is an increase in domestic violence and school/workplace bullying. Suicide is also very high among all age groups.

I have no answers. I wish I did. I suffer from depression, but as I've gotten older, I have found what works for me. I don't feel sad, but when I start to feel down, I lose energy and don't want to do anything, even the things I like to do. I've found that finding one thing I can do, such as reading a book or cleaning a small place, helps to move me forward. As I gain momentum, I can pull myself out of my depression. It's not easy, but I can manage. Part of writing this blog is to help with my depression. 

I hope that these incidents are just a blip on the social radar and that Japan will return to being a safe country, where the biggest threat is the possibility of an earthquake!

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