ARTICLE

Volume 8,Issue 8

Cite this article
1
Download
7
Citations
28
Views
31 August 2026

A Brief Discussion on Japan’s Countermeasures to the “Kodokushi” (Solitary Death) Problem

Huiqing Li1*
Show Less
1 School of Foreign Languages, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
ssr 2026 , 8(8), 284–288; https://doi.org/10.26689/ssr.v8i8.15330
© 2026 by the Author. Licensee: Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Since 2002, the frequent occurrence of “kodokushi” (solitary deaths) across various regions in Japan has drawn widespread attention and public debate. As the phenomenon intensifies, anxiety and fear about the future have grown among solitary dwellers—people isolated for various reasons—as well as among the elderly. This paper introduces Japan’s countermeasures against solitary death from the perspective of “public-private collaboration,” covering national policies and regional support systems.

Keywords
Solitary dwellers
National policies
Regional support systems
Public-private collaboration
References

[1] Zhang J, 2026, Japan’s “Lonely Deaths” Exceed 22,000 in 2025. Xinhua News Agency. https://www.news.cn/20260427/3523ec0a7bf54c438df40001289913ae/c.html

[2] Zhao N, 2015, The Impact and Enlightenment of “Lonely Death” in Japan’s Aging Society. Youth Years, 2015(2): 287–288. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1007-5070.2015.02.338

[3] Zhao Y, 2012, A Preliminary Study on the Phenomenon of “Lonely Death” in Japan. Jiannan Literature: Classic Reading (Upper), 2012(6): 348–348

[4] Lao ZJ, Zhou H, Zhou W, et al., 2020, A Study on Japan’s Solitary Death Problem. Teaching and Research, 2020(19): 10.

[5] Nakazawa T, Yuki Y, 2012, Preventing Solitary Death – Support Practices and Policy Trends. Minerva Publishing, 2012(9): 159–163

[6] Lu B, 2012, Causes and countermeasures of Japan’s “Muen Shakai” (Social Disconnectedness). Journal of Shaoxing University (Philosophy and Social Sciences), 32(6): 89–93. https://doi.org/10.16169/j.issn.1008-293x.s.2012.06.025

Share
Back to top