New Cabinet Post in Japan - The Loneliness Minister
Loneliness Minister Sakamoto
On Friday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto as part-time minister of loneliness, which has become increasingly serious during the pandemic. Telework and lack of social gatherings have left people feeling more stressed and lonely. After declining for over ten years, the number of suicides during 2020 increased, especially among women and young people. The new minister will hold an emergency forum later this month to listen to experts and discuss support measures to prevent social loneliness and isolation and to protect ties between people.
I think appointing the Loneliness Minister is a great idea. I don't know exactly what will be done, but working to decrease the number of suicides and kodokushi (solitary deaths) sounds like a good thing. I imagine people all around the world are lonely during this pandemic and I'm glad Japan is trying to do something about it. What about where you live? Does your country have a loneliness minister or programs to help people feel less lonely and more connected during the pandemic?
What a great idea, I hope he is successful. I haven't heard of anything like that happening here. Private things have happened, like two young women in country NSW have started up a group where you write a letter to a person living alone or in a care home. They were overwhelmed with offers to write, good old snail mail is not dead and gone!! 😁😁
The idea is good of course, but what can be done from so high up? I think loneliness is mainly a problem on a local level - we don't know who lives next door, we feel uncomfortable when a person in the bus queue starts talking, we don't ask to share a table in a café, we shop in supermarkets rather than small local shops where you have to talk to the shopkeeper... In Japan you can make the most loyal and wonderful friends, but it can take time and effort, and a lot of trust to get to that stage. There are so many people who are helpful and polite in their professional capacity, but who would never become friendly, talk about themselves or share a joke. At evacuation centres in the past, everyone slept in an open gymnasium, walked round and talked about the situation, helped each other to look after belongings or children, helped out with serving food and keeping the centre clean. Then people began to insist on privacy, and now, with Covid19 to worry about, shelters have been devided into 'rooms' with walls of cardboard or small tents. Privacy becomes isolation which turns into loneliness....
That's probably a good idea, doing something about all the lonely people and try to help them. I'm not sure if any such programs are in place around here.
7 comments:
What a great idea, I hope he is successful. I haven't heard of anything like that happening here. Private things have happened, like two young women in country NSW have started up a group where you write a letter to a person living alone or in a care home. They were overwhelmed with offers to write, good old snail mail is not dead and gone!! 😁😁
That sounds like a difficult job. I hope he has some success! Good on the Japanese govt for recognising the problem and wanting to do something.
The Japanese are ahead of others in many aspects. Kudos to them!
We need one of those here!
The idea is good of course, but what can be done from so high up?
I think loneliness is mainly a problem on a local level - we don't know who lives next door, we feel uncomfortable when a person in the bus queue starts talking, we don't ask to share a table in a café, we shop in supermarkets rather than small local shops where you have to talk to the shopkeeper...
In Japan you can make the most loyal and wonderful friends, but it can take time and effort, and a lot of trust to get to that stage.
There are so many people who are helpful and polite in their professional capacity, but who would never become friendly, talk about themselves or share a joke.
At evacuation centres in the past, everyone slept in an open gymnasium, walked round and talked about the situation, helped each other to look after belongings or children, helped out with serving food and keeping the centre clean. Then people began to insist on privacy, and now, with Covid19 to worry about, shelters have been devided into 'rooms' with walls of cardboard or small tents. Privacy becomes isolation which turns into loneliness....
What a wonderful idea. Wishing it a big success. Very sad that it has come to this where an appointment is needed for help.
That's probably a good idea, doing something about all the lonely people and try to help them. I'm not sure if any such programs are in place around here.
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