Comment on “‘I’m sorry for living’: Depressed after Seminar, 22-year-old Graduate Student Takes Own Life” [in Japanese]
On May 7, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “‘I’m sorry for living’: Depressed after Seminar, 22-year-old Graduate Student Takes Own Life” was published. This article concerns Amane, a 23-year-old graduate student who committed suicide due to depression. Professor Ichihara stated that the signs of students’ distress appear in a subtle manner, and recognizing them requires a certain level of mental capacity of the faculty members. However, given the current state of universities, this is very challenging. She emphasized that universities should value students as an investment in the future. To achieve this, the burden on university faculty needs to be reduced to some extent. Professor Ichihara pointed out the importance of discussing the role and structure of universities as a society.
