Since 1998, more than 30,000 people have committed suicide each year, and suicide has become one of the most serious social problems in Japan. It is well-established that both acute and chronic alcohol intake are associated with suicidal behavior. However, the relationship between alcohol consumption and suicide has received less attention than that of depression in Japan. We showed the following: 1) Many suicide cases were heavy drinkers. 2) A positive correlation exists between per capita alcohol intake and the suicide rate. 3) Heavy drinking is a risk factor for suicide. Consequently, we reviewed the literature concerning the association between alcohol dependence and suicide.