A salaryman or Japanese office worker rushes for a train past blue lights installed at all 29 JR Yamanote Line stations for a cost of 15 million Yen (165,000 USD) in an effort to decrease suicides by people jumping under trains. Over 2,000 people jumped under trains in 2008, accounting for 6% of all suicides in the country. The blue LED lights are meant to calm and soothe potential jumpers, though there is little scientific evidence for this. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the...
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A salaryman or Japanese office worker rushes for a train past blue lights installed at all 29 JR Yamanote Line stations for a cost of 15 million Yen (165,000 USD) in an effort to decrease suicides by people jumping under trains. Over 2,000 people jumped under trains in 2008, accounting for 6% of all suicides in the country. The blue LED lights are meant to calm and soothe potential jumpers, though there is little scientific evidence for this. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world which the recent economic crisis has exacerbated. Shinagawa Station, Tokyo, Japan December 4th 2009
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