PRESS CONFERENCE
Japan's Rising Toll of Teenage Suicides
Rionne McAvoy, Director of "The Ones Left Behind: When Tomorrow Feels Impossible"
Tetsu Hirosawa, Bereaved Father
15:00-16:00 Friday, October 9, 2026
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English or Japanese with English interpretation.
Japan has the unfortunate distinction of being the only G7 nation where suicide is the leading cause of death among youth aged 10 to 19. The toll of teenage suicides is rising at a time when overall suicides have declined, with a record 538 elementary, junior high and high school students taking their own lives last year. Just as worryingly, the number of suicides by junior and senior high school girls has doubled since 2019.
The FCCJ is pleased to host a press conference by documentary film maker Rionne McAvoy, who probes the reason children take their own lives through the remembrances of those who loved them in "The Ones Left Behind: When Tomorrow Feels Impossible." The film examines what it means for a child to feel that there is nowhere left to turn, and what families, schools and communities can do to make life feel possible again.
McAvoy is an Australian who has spent two decades in Japan. His previous documentary, "The Ones Left Behind: The Plight of Single Mothers in Japan," examined how single moms face poverty with a welfare system that discourages them from asking for help. The feature won 17 awards at international film festivals.
Tetsu Hirosawa, who appears in the documentary discussing the loss of his own son to suicide, will also speak. A three-minute trailer of the film will be shown at the start of the event.
How to attend:
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.
Livestream: A URL link will be provided to Club members. Please inform us in advance at front@fccj.or.jp so we can send you the link.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/Cpm4TWgciqtZcUZb8
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee