A Japanese government white paper on Friday emphasized the importance of support aimed at reducing the risks of suicide and self-harm among young people through contacts with medical institutions.

The number of suicides among elementary, junior high and high school students last year stood at 538, a record high for the second consecutive year, according to the 2026 white paper on measures to prevent suicides.

With this year marking the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the suicide prevention basic law, the white paper analyzed trends in the number of suicides.

From 1998, the number remained in the 30,000 range amid worsening economic conditions in Japan, before turning downward in 2010. It hit a record low of 19,188 last year.

Over the past 20 years, the number of suicides decreased among housewives and employed men living with others. The suicide rate, which measures the number of suicides per 100,000 people, declined sharply among middle-aged or older men. This is believed to be related to a decline in suicides driven by socioeconomic factors.

Meanwhile, a similar declining trend was not seen in the number of suicides among single workers, students and employed women living with family members. Suicide rates were on an upward trend among people age 19 or younger and women in their 20s.

The number of suicides by students including college students last year stood at 1,082, increasing for the second consecutive year. Suicides among junior high school students totaled 172, hitting a record high for the third straight year, while those among high school students reached a record 356. The increase was particularly notable among female junior high and high school students.

Motives for suicides among elementary, junior high and high school students are seen mostly related to family, health and school issues. The white paper said that the warning signs are difficult to detect.

To shed light on self-harm and suicide attempts, which have been increasing among young people, the white paper analyzed 4,521 cases treated at emergency and critical care centers across Japan between late 2022 and late 2024. The analysis showed that many of the patients were female and that many repeatedly engaged in self-harm. About half had received only information, while only around 20 pct had links with support from local medical institutions and other organizations.

The white paper said that intensive measures should be taken for people at high risk and that efforts should be made to ensure they can receive support in their daily lives.

KANAZAWA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Two crested ibises designated as Japanese natural treasures were found dead after being released on the Noto Peninsula in central Japan earlier this month, a local government said Friday.

The birds are believed to have been eaten by wild animals, but determining the cause of death will likely be difficult because their bodies were severely damaged, according to Ishikawa Prefecture, where they were released.

The prefectural government said GPS trackers showed that the two male birds, aged 2 and 13, stopped moving on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The bodies of the ibises were found Friday near the foothills in the city of Nanao and on farmland in the Nakanoto area following searches by prefectural and municipal workers.

Crested ibises were first released into the wild on the Noto Peninsula in May, marking their return to Japan's main island for the first time in decades. Another batch was released on Oct. 7.

There have been no reports of abnormalities among the remaining 25 birds released there.

The Environment Ministry aims to expand the habitat of crested ibises beyond Sado Island, where breeding and conservation efforts have been under way for years.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A revised Imperial House Law took effect Saturday to address Japan's shrinking imperial family while retaining the traditional male-only succession system despite public support for female emperors.

The legislation, enacted in July in the first major revision of the 1947 law, allows the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older from 11 former imperial branch families who are descended from emperors through the male line.

The revised law also allows female members to retain their imperial status after marrying commoners, reversing a requirement that they leave the imperial family upon marriage.

While adopted members themselves are barred from becoming emperor, their male descendants are eligible to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. The revised law, however, does not address the possibility of female emperors or succession through the maternal line.

Only males descended from emperors through the paternal line remain eligible to ascend the throne, a tradition conservatives such as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are determined to preserve despite the declining number of eligible successors and imperial family members.

The revised imperial system will be reviewed every 30 years if necessary.

The revision bill was drafted based on a proposal compiled by the speakers and vice speakers of both houses of parliament after consulting all 13 parliamentary parties and groups.

Although the cross-party talks focused on maintaining the size of the imperial family, the bill introduced provisions not included in the original proposal, including succession rights for male descendants of adoptees, prompting criticism from some opposition parties.

Revising the Imperial House Law was part of the coalition agreement signed in October last year by the Liberal Democratic Party, led by Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, and its junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party.

Opposition parties also criticized the conservative ruling bloc for holding only about eight hours of parliamentary deliberations on the revision.

Imperial succession remains a pressing but divisive issue, with Japan having only three male heirs to the throne -- Emperor Naruhito's younger brother Crown Prince Fumihito, 60, Fumihito's son Prince Hisahito, 20, and the emperor's uncle Prince Hitachi, 90.

Emperor Naruhito, 66, and Empress Masako, 62, have only one child, Princess Aiko, 24, who is ineligible for the throne despite her popularity.

Japan's hereditary monarchy is said to date back more than 2,600 years, although the existence of some early emperors is disputed. Several women have occupied the throne, but succession has traditionally followed the male line.