Manami Kodaka is a Professor of the Department of Social Welfare at Musashino University, Tokyo, Japan. Professor Kodaka has devoted herself to the development and evaluation of suicide education programs for social workers, social work students, and gatekeepers. Professor Kodaka is also interested in epidemiological and cultural aspects of suicide and had experience in conducting psychological autopsy studies for seven years while working at the Japan Center for Suicide Prevention. She is an adviser on suicide prevention activities to the Japanese Association of Certified Social Workers.