Japan Internet suicide deaths soar to 91 in 2005, golly :( Options

[*Zatanna*]

I wasn't sure if this should be in technology, since the internet was the method to which these people found each other - so move if necessary.

Japan Internet suicide deaths soar to 91 in 2005 By Elaine Lies
Thu Feb 9, 8:12 AM ET



The number of Japanese killing themselves in groups after meeting through the Internet -- strangers afraid to die alone -- soared to a record 91 last year, nearly double that of 2004, police said on Thursday.

The deadly pacts pose a grim challenge for officials struggling to deal with Japan's high suicide rate, one of the worst among industrialised nations.

No religious prohibitions exist against taking one's own life in Japan, where suicide was once a form of ritual atonement for samurai warriors and in modern times is a way to escape failure or save loved ones from embarrassment or financial loss.

Suicides surged by 35 percent in 1998 as Japan's economy was mired in stagnation and have exceeded 30,000 every year since then.

Group suicides make up only a small fraction of the total, but the steady annual increase, along with the widespread media coverage most get, has experts increasingly worried.

"Many people are too scared to die alone," said Yumiko Misaki, director of the Tokyo Inochi no Denwa (Phone of Life), a suicide counselling service. "So they reach each other through the Internet and make arrangements.

"And the worst thing is that people are often very influenced by reporting on this, so it's likely to keep on increasing."

In 2003, 34 died in group suicides, rising to 55 in 2004 and 91 last year.

SECOND TO RUSSIA

That compares with a total of 32,325 suicides in 2004, the latest year for which figures are available -- down from the record-high 34,427 in 2003 but second only to Russia among Group of Eight industrialised nations.

According to World Health Organization data, Japan's suicide rate was 24.1 per 100,000 people in 2000, compared with 39.4 in Russia and 10.4 in the United States.

The pace of group suicides was especially sharp during the first three months of last year. On one day in February, six people were found dead in a car on a deserted rural road.

As with most of the other cases, police found several charcoal stoves in the car, which had its windows sealed from inside. The three men and three women had died by inhaling carbon monoxide from the charcoal.

Experts warn that the Internet alone cannot be blamed for promoting suicide, but noted that the intensity of some suicide chat rooms may worsen the psychological state of those involved.

With mental care systems in Japan still basic and often overloaded, the Internet also has the potential to be a powerful therapeutic tool, particularly since many Japanese find it hard to share their worries with others face to face.

The time lag between people writing about their feelings and receiving an answer, however, is a hurdle that Misaki's group -- which plans to start an Internet counselling service later this year -- finds worrying.

"The best solution would be if we could break into the chat rooms and start communicating with people directly," Misaki said.

There are some hopeful signs, however.

From October, several communications industry groups began providing police with information on people who posted messages suggesting they might be close to committing suicide.

Deaths from group suicides in the last three months of the year, after the new system took effect, dropped to 11 from 36 during the same time the previous year, police said.

Source: Reuters

How sad. I understand not wanting to die alone, but to go to such measures.

[gelionie]

I think people who have the courage to kill themselves but not the courage to live are cowardy... except for those who suffer from mental illness of course.

Still, I find this saddening.

[demolished]

Whoah. i never thought of that before. i knew there was a religion related to sacrafising .... but i thought most people dont follow by that.

[illumineering]

It's rather ironic that people can find the assurance needed to commit such a personal act over the internet.

[EddieV]

Well, Japan does have the highest suicide rating in the world.

[rainbowish]

Poor people. I would hate to be alone. I would prolly kill myself too.

[sprezzatura]

I have never though of that before. I am stunned.

[NoSex]

Yeah, go Japanese culture! They're so much cooler than us! They have like... ANIME!!!



Yeah, different isn't always better. I would hate to be stuck in that society.

[artisticpariah]

Yeaaa and before during the WW2 many young japanese people used a kamikaze to help Japan win the war...

kamikaze is a suicide bombings with planes... i guess it rised even moree...

[*Kathleen*]

Yeah, go Japanese culture! They're so much cooler than us! They have like... ANIME!!!



Yeah, different isn't always better. I would hate to be stuck in that society.

HEY. THEIR CLOTHES ARE COOL. Anywho, wow. This is.. wow. Shocking? No, that doesn't even cover it. What's worse is that this isn't something a country can fix with a snap of their fingers. It's ingrained into their society.

[goodcharlotte]

Yes and worst of all it is acceptable. From what I have heard suicide is also a way to protest. I have heard of internet sites for ways to commit suicide but not places where you can come together and commit suicide.

[dinoooRAWR]

Poor people. I would hate to be alone. I would prolly kill myself too.

agreed

[soEXCLUSIVE]

There's that one Japanese movie, Suicide Club. And I saw another one where the trailer profiled ways of killing yourself (plastic bag around the head and jumping in front of a train are the only ones I remember).

I heard about this a while ago, actually. The story I read (I think it was the one they mentioned about the six people in the van) said that one of the women in the group was married with children and it even had her suicide note in the article translated, telling her children it's all right and that "mommy's going to a better place". Chilled me to the bone *shiver*

[Serendipity]

There's that one Japanese movie, Suicide Club. And I saw another one where the trailer profiled ways of killing yourself (plastic bag around the head and jumping in front of a train are the only ones I remember).

I heard about this a while ago, actually. The story I read (I think it was the one they mentioned about the six people in the van) said that one of the women in the group was married with children and it even had her suicide note in the article translated, telling her children it's all right and that "mommy's going to a better place". Chilled me to the bone *shiver*

^ that's creepy.

this is the first time i've heard of how people kill themselves in groups because they don't want to die alone. it's sad, and you somehow wish you could talk to these people before they go out and just kill themselves.

[goodcharlotte]

There was also a Law & Order about this. A japanese girl was burned in front of this guys apartment as a form of protest. Only thing is apparently there was brainwashing going on in Japan. Wow.

[daisybabe]

yeah I always knew about Japan having a high suicide rate =\

And it's true too, because actually I was talking to a japanese friend and told her about this Japanese movie I saw where people commit suicide and she was like its because they dont want to die alone :( .. and then I read THIS like a week later now, and i'm like whoaa its TRUE. o.o

[ParanoidAndroid]

I was watching an episode in Paranoia Agent (anime) about a group who wanted to commit suicide. However, since they met in the internet they didn't know (until the group met up for the "deadline") that one of the members was a young little girl.

Me mentioning that just proves how out-of-hand that got. They even involved a little girl! Suicide is stupid. What happiness can you find in the afterlife? When you die it's the end. Suffering through life is just what everyone goes through and will haveto.

[*Kathleen*]

I was watching an episode in Paranoia Agent (anime) about a group who wanted to commit suicide. However, since they met in the internet they didn't know (until the group met up for the "deadline") that one of the members was a young little girl.

Me mentioning that just proves how out-of-hand that got. They even involved a little girl! Suicide is stupid. What happiness can you find in the afterlife? When you die it's the end. Suffering through life is just what everyone goes through and will haveto.

How old was the "young little girl"?

[lalalaLANUH]

Just reading this gives me chills. The internet is so powerful in this way. I agree with what Kathleen said about how scary it is because the government can't fix this issue right away.

[pinacoolada]

That's just disturbing. What is the world coming to?

[ParanoidAndroid]

How old was the "young little girl"?

8 I believe

//edit

wow saying young little was redudant of me