Five more kids threaten suicide; minister says don't write

After receiving five more letters Friday apparently from bullied students threatening suicide, the minister of education told young people not to write to him, saying it would only "confuse" their parents and teachers.

The Education, Culture, Science and Technology Ministry received the anonymous letters, which were addressed to minister Bunmei Ibuki, ministry officials said. Two other letters were sent to him earlier this week.

During a session of the House of Representatives Committee on the Fundamental Law of Education, Ibuki cautioned others thinking of doing the same thing.

"I want students in real trouble to consult (teachers in) schools and their parents to save their lives," the minister said. "I ask those students to refrain from writing letters that can only confuse those people."

One of the letters was postmarked Machida and another Seijo, both in Tokyo, and a third was mailed from Amagasaki-Kita in Hyogo Prefecture. The ministry officials said the young people said such things as "I've been bullied" and "I'm going to kill myself."

The officials did not disclose any details of the two other letters. Those letters gave the names of the schools and teachers involved. The ministry has already asked the principal of one of the two schools to deal with the situation there.