Two Sixth-Graders Jump to Their Deaths in Tokyo

The apparent suicide of two schoolgirls, aged just 11 and 12, on Friday has left Japan in absolute shock.

The girls, who were elementary school students, jumped to their deaths from the seventh and eight floors of an apartment building in Tokyo's Ota Ward.

In the last moments which lead up to the suicide, the girls left their shoes side by side, along with a joint suicide note, at the building from where they took the leap.

The content of the suicide note has not been revealed by the police yet.

"The note is a matter for the parents - it is personal," Daily Mail quoted a police spokesman as saying.

According to the report, the sixth-graders were classmates. While the younger girl stayed with her parents in the same apartment building, the other girl also lived not far from there.

Statements from school authorities, according to a report by Japan Times, suggest the girls had attended school on Friday like it was just another day.

"There had been no incidents of bullying or anything like that. They were in the same class and appeared to get on well with everyone. Their classmates said the girls were both bright and considered as leaders among their friends," a spokesperson from the school was quoted as saying.

Friends of the girls informed police that they did not appear to be in any kind of worry or depression.

The girls hit the parking lot of the building after jumping off. While one died immediately, the other died a while later.

Social media in Japan is abuzz with the news and has raised questions about the driving factor behind such incidents among schoolchildren.

According to the World Health Organization, Japan ranks fourth-highest for suicide rates among high-income countries.