Japan is one of those countries where rumors and social pressure can be worse than law enforcement. The UK is a similar country in many regards (especially in t

Japan is one of those countries where rumors and social pressure can be worse than law enforcement. The UK is a similar country in many regards (especially in terms of social culture) but has managed to build a better social support network and awareness of the negatives of mental health and "bullying" is more apparent. I also think that "witch hunt" morality is more tolerated in Japan whereas in the UK it's considered harmful. Japan does have a lot of strict laws against such things, but it may also reflect the severity of the issue in that the problem still exists (for British people a good comparison might be classism and associated cultural traits in the UK). The issue can be associated with mental health issues (especially the aftereffects) but it needs to get to the core of the issue that is the bullying and exclusionary social pressure in Japan. These people have almost universally been bullied or subject to severe stress from social pressure. I currently live in Japan but I find it hard to speak out because the internet can be too Americanized to explain my culture comparison.