When a netizen called blackpepper30 tweeted a picture of a handout given to Japanese high-school students in an unknown Japanese school, the tweet was soon re-posted on 2ch.net, where it quickly spread around the internet.
The handout is a letter to all students, reminding them to take extra care during Golden Week, which is a week of consecutive public holidays when the whole of Japan takes a well-deserved break.
The main purpose of the handout appeared to be a reminder to students that the leading cause of death in high-school students was suicide, and that they should talk things over with a teacher if anything was worrying them.
While the letter might seem blunt, many netizens saw it as an important move to ensure the welfare of students who may be suffering with depression at the onset of a new school year.
From Itai News:
“Cautions For Golden Week” Handout Distributed in A High School Trends Online
The handout distributed in a Japanese high-school and uploaded on Twitter.
April 26 Heisei 25
Student Guidance Department
To All Students
Cautions For Golden Week
The leading cause of death for those of high-school age is suicide.
In particular, it takes time for those students who are in their first year or who have changed classes to become used to a new environment. If you have any troubles or anxieties, then how about discussing things with your homeroom teacher, or a teacher you think you can trust? Discussing your troubles with a teacher takes a lot of courage for a high-school student who is trying to be independent. Still, doesn’t talking about things with someone sometimes open up a new path?
Comments from 2ch.net:
ジョフロイネコ(西日本)：
Bold letters! w
スペインオオヤマネコ(関東・甲信越)：
Straight down the line www
ジャパニーズボブテイル(東日本)：
There’s nothing to be frightened of if you all die together.
デボンレックス(東京都)：
This is completely unrelated to Golden Week.
ヨーロッパヤマネコ(新疆ウイグル自治区)：
This is so important.
It’s better to say this much clearly, I think.
This is a good high-school.
ヤマネコ(大阪府)：
It’s only natural that if you’re told to try not to die that you’ll start to want to die….
ボンベイ(庭)：
Don’t die! Absolutely do not die!
セルカークレックス(神奈川県)：
This is kind of like telling them to die, isn’t it?
ヤマネコ(チベット自治区)：
Well, this is definitely an important thing, but…
ヤマネコ(新疆ウイグル自治区)：
Fine if it was an elementary school, but it’s pretty bad if the school feels like it has to look after the students like this when they’re in high-school.
ソマリ(内モンゴル自治区)：
I would only be thinking of how I could play during the holiday (something to think about…)
キジトラ(神奈川県)：
I accept this.
It would be meaningless if they beat around the bush with their words and then a student died.
The student guidance department has really done a good job.
オリエンタル(東日本)：
If you throw out the word “death” to someone who is already suffering and barely holding on, it becomes the trigger for them to kill themselves.
スナドリネコ(空)：
I guess it’s for the prevention of “May blues” [since new jobs and the new school year start in April, some people suffer depression about new challenges in life; this is sometimes exacerbated by the Golden Week holidays].
マーブルキャット(京都府)：
The content of this handout wasn’t all that surprising.
デボンレックス(catv?)：
I thought this was going to be a sex story, but when I looked at it, it was the complete opposite and I LOLled! w
黒トラ(新疆ウイグル自治区)：
And just when I thought it was going to be something like “You must not forget to wear a condom when having sex” or something!
This was surprisingly decent.
ピクシーボブ(埼玉県)：
Well, that’s because if someone dies the education committee will be the most troubled.
ツシマヤマネコ(愛知県)：
If this is real, then it’s a good high school that is facing the reality of the situation.
ボルネオウンピョウ(大阪府)：
It’ll be bad if someone dies after this w
ヤマネコ(愛知県)：
They’re important points (＾ω＾)
エキゾチックショートヘア(中部地方)：
The thing is, a lot of people die just after the holidays. Their stance is pretty much is that it’s fine if someone does happen to kill themselves, because “At any rate we did do something about it”.
オリエンタル(dion軍)：
It’s not really necessary for the teachers to go so far as to say this…
リビアヤマネコ(東京都)：
It’s good that the main point of this is really clear.
ギコ(東日本):
You guys on this thread should all get one of those print-outs, too.
