LUND UNIVERSITY • CENTRE FOR EAST AND SOUTH-EAST ASIAN STUDIES Suicide Narratives in Contemporary Japanese Newspapers: An Analysis of Media Inventories Author: Michael Kleander Supervisor: Ernils Larsson Master’s Programme in Asian Studies Spring semester 2021 ABSTRACT Suicide in Japan has long been a debated topic. In recent decades, the focus has turned towards the media and the Werther effect (copycat suicides), which seemed to spark some arguable Moral Panics throughout the 2000s. In the following decade, suicides have subsequently decreased. As a result of this decrease has been a lack of research focusing on the media and suicide in the 2010s. Drawing on narrative analysis through a Moral Panic framework, this thesis strives to see how newspapers reflect the current suicide situation, and if there were any indications of Moral Panics. The thesis relies on collected data from Asahi and Yomiuri Shimbun, as well as the suicide statistics provided by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. It was discovered that both newspapers focus their reporting on rarer circumstances such as school-related reasons or jumping. Furthermore, a potential Moral Panic was identified in 2012, which was analysed through aforementioned framework. The analysis showed that the central problem constructed in the newspapers was the concealment of bullying instead of the actual suicide. This thesis argues that the newspapers’ inventory was framed toward a Moral Panic. Keywords: Moral Panic, Suicide, Media, Narrative, Newspaper, Japan. II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my deepest gratitude for everyone that has helped me with this thesis, because every contribution, large or small, has been exceptionally valuable and contributed to the betterment of this work. Special thank you to all the readers of the work, which has allowed it to become much better than it would have otherwise. Particularly my supervisor, Ernils Larsson, who provided many valuable comments throughout the writing period. Thank you to all those I know in Japan and elsewhere who have supported me and the project. Extra thanks in no particular order to, Parrot, Jessie, Viccie, Margi, Shiori, Keiko, Calli and Josa. I would also like to thank my sister for surviving my English. Any remaining errors in this thesis are mine, and mine alone. Lastly, I want to dedicate this thesis to BB, for without you, this thesis would not be possible. III TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................................................ II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................................................................... III TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................................... IV CONVENTIONS ................................................................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................................. VII LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................................................. VII 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM AND QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 CHAPTER OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 4 2.1 SUICIDOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 THE SUICIDE NATION? .............................................................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 JAPANESE NEWS MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 2.4 MORAL PANIC ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 2.5 SUICIDE IN JAPANESE NEWS MEDIA ........................................................................................................................................ 8 2.6 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 UNDERSTANDING MEDIA ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 3.2 NARRATIVE ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 3.3 MORAL PANIC ........................................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.4 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 4 METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................................................................... 16 4.1 DATA ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 4.2 DATA COLLECTION FOR INITIAL DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................... 17 4.3 DATA COLLECTION AND MORAL PANIC NARRATIVE ANALYSIS ....................................................................................... 17 4.4 LIMITATIONS AND ETHICS....................................................................................................................................................... 18 5 INITIAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................ 21 5.1 COMPARISON BETWEEN ASAHI AND YOMIURI IN RELATION TO THE MHLW STATISTICS ........................................... 21 5.2 SUICIDE ARTICLES .................................................................................................................................................................... 22 5.3 METHODS OF SUICIDE .............................................................................................................................................................. 25 5.4 REASONS FOR SUICIDE ............................................................................................................................................................. 29 IV 5.5 ADDITIONAL SEARCH TERMS ................................................................................................................................................. 32 5.6 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................................... 35 6 MAIN ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................................... 36 6.1 OVERVIEW OF ARTICLES ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 6.2 OTSU INCIDENT ......................................................................................................................................................................... 38 6.3 THE NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEWSPAPERS’ INVENTORY ............................................................................ 38 6.4 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 7 CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................................................................