'Pokémon GO' News: Suicides Decrease in Popular Japanese Suicide Site Due to Mobile Game
A popular Japanese suicide site is now being visited by players of "Pokémon GO." A series of cliffs in western Japan, Tojinbo is a natural tourist site in Japan that is notorious for being a popular place to commit suicide. Now that several rare Pokémon spawn in the cliff, the number of suicide cases in the site has significantly decreased.
Back in 2015, a total of 12 people committed suicide in Tojinbo. This number shot up to 14 in 2016. This year, no death has been recorded in the area, and the police believe it has a lot to do with "Pokémon GO."
Recently, several "Pokémon GO" players have visited the site. Tojinbo has been a breeding ground of some of the most elusive Pokémon in the game, inviting players to camp there overnight. The once desolate suicide site has literally become a gathering spot for Pokémon hunters.
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In an interview with a Japanese TV station, retired police officer Yukio Shige said "Pokémon GO" may be part of the reason for the lack of deaths in the area this year. Shige is the one in charge of organizing anti-suicide patrols around the area.
"The 'Pokémon GO' effect is huge. I hope we can continue at this pace with zero suicides," he said.
So far, the number of deaths in Tojinbo has been steady at zero. Since suicide cases in the area climbed substantially in 2015 and 2016, Shige considers having gotten through the early months of 2017 without any death a significant achievement.
Since its launch, "Pokémon GO" has been known to improve the mental and physical health of its players. Those who play the game claim that "Pokémon GO" helps ease their anxiety. Also, since the game requires walking several thousand steps in finding Pokémon, it also helps improve the physical health of its players.
