Local Community Support

Creating a space for local officials nationwide to share issues and information, and strengthen relationships

JSCP holds liaison meetings where Local Suicide Countermeasure Promotion Centers (Local Centers) across the country gather together, as well as Block Meetings where each regional group gathers to share information and strengthen cooperation among local government staff.

What is the Liaison Council of Local Centers?

A nationwide meeting to share the present and future of suicide countermeasures in Japan

Local Centers have been established in all 47 prefectures and in 20 ordinance-designated cities throughout Japan, and their role is to act as area managers in their respective regions, promoting comprehensive suicide countermeasures as a form of community development in cooperation and collaboration with JSCP.
As area managers, whilst there are some similarities between the roles and key issues for the Local Centers of prefectures and of ordinance-designated cities, there are also some differences. And so starting in 2020, for the first time the liaison conference, which had been held simultaneously in ordinance-designated cities and prefectures, was held separately.
In the liaison council, JSCP reports on the current state of suicide in Japan, and each local government shares their progress and challenges, with other local governments then able to share their best practices and expertise where possible. The aim is to both to share and understand the current state of suicide countermeasures in Japan among all relevant parties, and to use this information for the further advancement of suicide countermeasures within each jurisdiction.

What is the Block Meeting of Local Centers?

A meeting to share information and strengthen cooperation among regional blocks of local governments

This meeting is held in six blocks across Japan (Hokkaido/Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu/Hokuriku, Kinki, Chugoku/Shikoku, Kyushu/Okinawa). By gathering in regional blocks, rather than on a national scale, this provides an opportunity for the participating local governments to share more locally relevant information and to promote cooperation in the advancement of detailed local suicide countermeasures.
In November 2020, the Block Meeting was held in all six blocks, where in addition to sharing information on projects in response to COVID-19 related increased suicide risks, participants also exchanged opinions on themes unique to each block, as well as those common to all blocks (the role of Local Centers and support by JSCP).

Current issues

Strengthening cooperation between Local Centers in prefectures and those in designated cities

Local Centers in prefectures and those in designated cities are expected to work more strongly together to promote suicide countermeasures as a form of community development, specifically in areas like collaborating on operating the council meetings, and sharing information on securing expertise on relevant human resource development. Moving forward, JSCP will continue to investigate and implement support to strengthen these collaborations.