Japan Appoints Loneliness Minister Tetsushi Sakamoto To Check Rising Suicide Rate Amid Covid: Report

Minister Tetsushi Sakamoto is also in charge of combating the nation's falling birth rate.

Japan has appointed its first Minister for Loneliness this month after the country's suicide rate increased for the first time in 11 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to The Japan Times, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga added a minister of loneliness to his Cabinet earlier this month, following the example of the UK, which in 2018 became the first country to create a similar role.

Yoshihide Suga tapped minister Tetsushi Sakamoto, who is also in charge of combating the nation's falling birth rate and revitalising regional economies, for the new portfolio.

In his inaugural press conference, Mr Sakamoto said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appointed him to address national matters "including the issue of the increasing women's suicide rate under the pandemic," according to CNN.