Japan appoints a 'Minister of Loneliness'
日本任命首位'孤独大臣'
Japan has appointed a "Minister of Loneliness" to try and reduce loneliness and social isolation among its residents as the country deals with rising suicide rates.
为了应对自杀率上升,日本任命了一位"孤独大臣",试图减少国民的孤独感和社交孤立。
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with people more socially isolated than ever, Japan saw a rise in suicides for the first time in 11 years.
在2020年新冠疫情期间,由于人们比以往都更加与世隔绝,日本自杀率11年以来首次出现上升。
In October, more people died from suicide than from COVID-19 in Japan in all of 2020.
去年10月份日本死于自杀的人比2020年全年死于新冠肺炎的人都要多。
Studies show that loneliness has been linked to a higher risk of health issues such as heart disease, dementia, and eating disorders.
研究显示,孤独会增加心脏病、痴呆症和饮食失调等健康问题的风险。
The United Kingdom was the first country to appoint a loneliness minister in 2018, after a 2017 report found that more than 9 million people in the UK said they often or always felt lonely.
英国是第一个任命孤独大臣的国家。2017年的一份报告发现,英国逾900万人表示自己经常或总是感到孤独,一年后孤独大臣这个职位就诞生了。
But the role seems to not be a particularly desirable one, as the UK has gone through three loneliness ministers in three years.
但是这个职位似乎不是特别受欢迎,因为英国三年换了三任孤独大臣。
Australia has considered creating a similar position.
澳大利亚也考虑安排一个类似的职位。