Japan is beefing up measures against loneliness, taking a first major step toward comprehensively tackling a pervasive problem in the nation that has again been thrust into the spotlight due to the pandemic.
Such is the urgency of the issue that the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga added a minister of loneliness to his Cabinet earlier this month, following the example of the U.K, which in 2018 became the first country to create a similar role.
Suga tapped minister Tetsushi Sakamoto, who is simultaneously in charge of combating the nation's falling birth rate and revitalizing regional economies, for the new portfolio.
With isolation tied to an array of social woes such as suicide, poverty and hikikomori (social recluses), the Cabinet Office also established a task force Friday that seeks to address the problem of loneliness across various ministries, including by investigating its impact.
In entrusting the position to Sakamoto, Suga expressed concerns that "more women are feeling lonely and prone to suicide" and instructed him to hammer out "comprehensive" policies against loneliness.
This is not to say, however, it's just women and youth that the government has in mind.
While speaking to the Lower House Budget Committee earlier this month, Suga said people from all walks of life, including older people stuck at home and university students who aren't able to attend classes in person, are feeling increasingly isolated in the age of COVID-19.
"There are many kinds of loneliness" that need to be addressed, he said.
Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/21/national/japan-tackles-loneliness/
I know people are gonna meme the title, but this is actually quite sad. And frankly, this is an omega-level challenge considering the disparities between the sexes (especially in western societies), and economic anxieties on the rise thanks pre-existing issues as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.