Retired policeman dedicates his life to stopping suicides

Japan has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world, with an average of 30,000 deaths every year.

One man has dedicated his life to reducing this number and has saved over 500 lives since.

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70-year-old retired police officer, Yukio Shige, calls himself "chotto matte man."

"Chotte matte" translates to "Hold on, wait."

Shige patrols the Tojinbo cliffs every day with binoculars, looking out for and talking to people contemplating ending their life.

The popular tourist site doubles as a notorious choice for suicides.

Shige knows the pain of dealing with suicide after a friend rented a car and drove into the ocean years ago.

The suicide rate in Japan has come down in recent years after peaking in 2007. The government vowed to cut the suicide rate over the next decade with new prevention measures.

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