Reflects the author's experiences as a suicide prevention counselor at a Japanese university. Discusses the rising rate of adolescent suicide and its relationship to social change and family structure. Concludes that adolescent suicide is a silent indictment of current society in Japan. (JAC)

Using retrospective data of young people's work experience in Japan, a study found that initial labor market conditions (i.e., when workers first enter the labor market after permanently leaving school) have a significant lasting impact on the employment experiences of workers in their teens and twenties. An increase in the unemployment rate at…