Japan has appointed a Minister of Loneliness to take try and reduce loneliness and social isolation among its residents as the country deals with rising suicide rates. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto, who is already a minister in charge of dealing with Japan's declining birthrate and promoting regional revitalization, to oversee government policies to deal with loneliness and isolation. There were 2,153 suicide deaths and 1,765 total virus deaths up to the end of October 2020, per the Japanese National Police Agency.

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