Japanese government works on preventing suicide

Japan's Cabinet Office will for the first time target a particular month for anti-suicide measures in March, when the number of people taking their own lives surges every year.

The National Police Agency says 30,181 people committed suicide from the start of 2009 until November 30th. It is the 12th consecutive year that the number has topped 30,000.

Police fear that suicides will rise as people lose work in the current dire economic situation.

The government will set up a section to provide advice on mental health care and debt problems at local job placement centers nationwide.

It also plans to study anti-suicide practices in the private sector and have them implemented by local municipalities.