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Suicides in Japan hit a nine-year low in 2010 but still topped 30,000 for a 13th year in a row, police data showed on Thursday.
Japan, with a population of 128 million, has long had one of the world's highest suicide rates, behind only a group of former Soviet bloc countries, says the World Health Organization.
Last year the grim toll dropped 3.5 per cent to 31,690 - or 87 deaths a day - the lowest level since 2001, said the National Police Agency.
Half of all suicides were due to health reasons, according to farewell letters and other evidence, and about 4,500 related mainly to family troubles, according to the figures.
Suicides related to economic problems dropped 11.2 per cent to about 7,400 - partly due to tighter rules against loan sharks, police and experts said.
Annual suicides topped 30,000 in Japan for the first time in 1998, at time of many corporate bankruptcies and rising unemployment.
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