ABSTRACT
Since the beginning of the millennium, Japan’s suicide rate for children, which was noticeably low, has become high compared to other G7 countries. In this chapter, we introduce recent statistics about youth suicide in Japan and explain why it is seen as a major social problem. We briefly present some traditional beliefs about death and the afterlife shared amongst the Japanese. Then, guided by Hayao Kawai’s interpretation of Japanese mythology, the abandoned god Hiruko and the fairy tale Katako, we explore the imaginal which lies beneath youth suicide in Japan. Using a clinical vignette and the manga Jujutsu Kaisen, we highlight the archetypal themes that shape the inner life of young people who stand between life and death. This chapter is both an attempt to understand youth suicide and an attempt to describe a collective, unconscious process that takes place deep in the Japanese soul today. It highlights the importance for the Japanese of being in a more conscious relation with their myths in order to create an image of their future
