Japan By River Cruise

TELL outreach director Selena Hoy talks about different cultural approaches to mental health and why Japan needs a lifeline for English-speakers in one of the rare episodes where we ask you to support something that ISN'T our imaginary riverboat.

Show Notes

Selena Hoy, outreach director from Suicide Prevention Lifeline, TELL, stops by to talk about the different cultural approaches to managing mental health, and why English-speakers in Japan can benefit from a service like TELL, in one of the rare episodes where we ask you to support something that ISN'T our riverboat.

Ollie recommends a cruise that may have set their sights a little high.

Bobby recommends a cruise that DEFINITELY did.

SUPPORT THE JBRC TEAM in the STEP-UP CHALLENGE by GIVING MONEY HERE

Topics discussed on this episode range from:
  • The true value of Brian
  • TELL 
  • World Suicide Prevention Day
  • What IS TELL's Step Up Challenge to raise funds and awareness of suicide prevention in Japan and how does it work
  • What's different right now in terms of our collective, global mental health
  • One possible downside of trying to look on the bright side
  • The buoys put their money and their feet where their mouth is. Support us here.
  • Loopholes 
  • The origin of TELL and how it works
  • Are English-speakers more likely to use mental-health support services?
  • Are anonymous services more easily accessible to Japanese people?
  • What are the cultural stigmas around mental health in Japan?
  • The range of issues faced by the people who use the TELL help line?
  • First-time mental health seekers and other situations that TELL sees regularly by virtue of being a help line IN JAPAN
  • The Japanese criteria for judging the severity of mental health issues
  • How common mental-health related work leave in Japan: is this a good thing or a bad thing?
  • Why prioritizing mental health is in the interests of... capitalism
  • Battle of the analogies
  • Different cultural responses to the risk of suicide
  • A recent immigrant in Japan death that has raised the issue of suicide
  • Why do people walk on eggshells around the topic of suicide, especially as it pertains to certain cases
  • What precautions news organizations take to prevent copycat suicides
  • The glamorization of suicide
  • TELL counseling during Covid, and how entry restrictions have changed the nature of the calls TELL gets
As always, the extras are FANTASTIC, and they're like getting a whole extra show for free. Well, not for free.
For like 4 to 5 dollars a month.
You can get access to the extras by supporting the podcast for less than $1 an episode by becoming a member at http://buymeacoffee.com.

Topics discussed on the extras include:
  • Selena's Coming-to-Japan story and how she ended up working with TELL
  • Ollie tries to do the show IN the extras
  • Is the idea of "mental health" and how it's measured fundamentally different in different countries?
  • The British "Stiff Upper Lip," compared to Japan
  • The recent high-profile examples of public figures prioritizing mental health (in order of importance: Osaka, Koike)
  • Japans cultural peccadillos around the expression of emotion, and instances in which it's acceptable
  • The way sports creates a safe space for things like crying in Japan, and homoerotic play in the West
  • Rugby
  • Rugby
  • AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WE LOVE RUGBY
  • .com
  • China cracking down on Western Culture, including non-traditional masculinity
  • How gender-roles and toxic masculinity and the repression of emotion relates to suicide
  • Statistics by gender around who seeks mental help and who dies by suicide
  • Japan's suicide rate in the last decade, and how covid has changed it/who it has changed it for
  • Shinjuu （心中）double-suicide/forced suicide when a parent takes their children with them, and whether or not it's more common in Japan
  • Why the way we phrase references to suicide and other deaths MATTER semantically speaking
  • How we ended up dealing with this topic
  • The infinite potential for collaborative brand deals between depression, darkness, and stand-up comedy
Have something you'd like to say? Send us a fax at japanbyrivercruise.com - it works now.

or Tweet to us at @jbrcpod

CONTENT LINKS:
Donate to TELL Here
Participate in the Step Up Challenge

Social Media Links:

Selena Hoy:  Email: outreach@tell.jp | Twitter | TELL 

Ollie Horn: Twitter | Instagram

Bobby Judo: Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Other things to click on

Some are affiliate links because we're sell-outs
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What is Japan By River Cruise?

Stand-up comedians Bobby Judo and Ollie Horn purport to report on the Japanese river cruise industry each week.