Hairdressers hired as mediators in Japan

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Hairdressers have been recruited in a Japanese city to help tackle soaring suicide rates.

The scheme in Toyama, 300km northwest of Tokyo, uses hairdressers as mediators between suicidal customers and professional counsellors.

The move taps into the skill of hairdressers to lend a sympathetic ear to customers.

More than 650 hairdressers are involved in the project, which includes lectures with clinical psychologists to help them to identify those in need.