Japanese Man Broadcasts His Suicide On The Internet

A Japanese man broadcast his own suicide live on the Internet after communicating with users who encouraged him to take his life, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The 24-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was found dead in his Sendai apartment after police were contacted by web users. The man had been on extended sick leave from his job at a local bank since August and had previously posted complaints about his work online, the Daily Mail cites Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun as reporting.

According to the Telegraph, the man began broadcasting images of himself on the Ustream site on Sunday night, discussing his personal views on life while announcing his intention to kill himself.

The broadcast received a variety of exchanges -- some users reportedly believed they were watching a hoax and suggested he do it quickly, while others attempted to talk him out of going through with his plans. The Ustream broadcast resumed early Tuesday, and after a failed attempt with a twisted sheet, he finally succeeded in hanging himself at about 5:30 a.m. local time.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Comments

[SocratesFan]

01:11 PM on 01/03/2011

I'm not surprised.

Japan has been poisoned by the same "workaholism," to use Morris Berman's phrase, as us.

There are components of Japanese culture I admire, but there's a lot of Japanese culture that is borderline sadistic.

"Gaman," or the ability to endure pain and hardship without complaint, is one of the cornerstones of the country.

Except THAT means that in a lot more situations than the Japanese would care to admit to foreigners, if someone's metaphorically kicking you in the face, you have no recourse. They don't take rape seriously, they don't take bullying seriously, and their workplaces (like our own) are heavily corporatized and lacking in dignity.

Much of Japanese daily life is stressful, and Japan overrelies on technology even more than we do. And if anyone tries to improve this state of affairs, they are heavily stigmatized and marginalized as "not STRONG enough."

The Japanese will often shrug and say nothing can be done if there are significant power relations involved, and there's a heavy obedience culture.

In summary, in some ways the Japanese have adopted some of America's worst flaws, and then taken them even farther.

This is only offset by the fact that unlike us, the Japanese at least teach you to be mindful of each other.

Professor Nishitani, now deceased, advocated that Japan use the Kyoto school of philosophy instead, but the Japanese didn't listen.

No country in the world lives up to its "self-image." Not even Japan.

[Indigo1941]

02:08 PM on 12/04/2010

Yuck! You'd think he'd at lest invoke tradition and perform honorable sepuku.

[JaxReader]

12:26 PM on 11/15/2010

The technology itself is not to blame. Its how that technology is used, and our brains ability to rework life and social paradigms around it. Life is changing, as life does. We just need to grow and adapt with it.

[vulpecula762mm]

11:43 AM on 11/15/2010

That is a tacky way to go about it. lacks conviction.... read about Mishima.

One of my favorite authors....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Mishima

[Lady Doodlebug]

02:52 PM on 11/14/2010

Jeez, what is the world coming to? Suicide as internet entertainment? That's just sick -- someone should have called the police to try to stop him. The facilitators, those that egged him on, ought to hold some responsibility as well -- like a whole lot of community service and some monetary consequences. They need to learn that this is just wrong.

[Jason Potvin]

02:21 PM on 11/12/2010

Isn’t it time you killed yourself in front of millions too?

In a chilling case out of Sendai, Japan, a 24 year old man (as yet unidentified publicly) sat in a live chat room (Ustream)contemplating committing suicide in front of other voyeurs before eventually while being egged on deciding to take his own life.

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2010/11/japanese-man-streams-his-suicide-on-the-internet-as-chatroom-cheers-him-on/

[leanjhuls2]

07:46 AM on 11/12/2010

Boy that's horrible. The more we get connected the more we become strangers to one another.

[maxben]

09:22 AM on 11/13/2010

When we were less connected we were more friendly to one another? Ever been to a small town that dislikes outsiders?

[Waltereg0]

05:36 PM on 11/13/2010

This article and the other huffpo article about the facebook atheist who was arrested for expressing his views show how increased "connectivity" results in greater flow of hatred. When you have a disagreement with a relative, neighbor or coworker IRL, you have to check your hostility with the fact that they are part of your life.

[Tipotter]

06:27 AM on 11/12/2010

This is a quite common occurrence on some image boards....saw one myself about two weeks ago. Why broadcast it though?

[sbrannon]

04:32 AM on 11/12/2010

The Internet and social networks are sting tools for Influence. When some is feeling lonely and isolated, those people befriend can have a huge impact in their lives. It can also be a tool to speak broadly and to say things that someone would not normally say face to face. Remember the college kid who killed himself for the facebook broadcast of him being gay. This avenue has swept the world, and teens text each other instead of talking. There should be a study on this...I have the feeling no one would want to hear the results.

[Waltereg0]

05:37 PM on 11/13/2010

Yeah the rutgers kid and Walid Hussein in the PA too.

[wolfiegirl]

10:02 PM on 11/11/2010

The internet has truly desensitized some of us - I have to believe that is what happened with the guy who egged him on.

[Iron100]

12:33 AM on 11/12/2010

Don't blame the internet. It's the people not technology. People behave like this even when no technology is involved

[Waltereg0]

05:37 PM on 11/13/2010

No, they behave very differently face to face.

[mp146]

09:52 PM on 11/11/2010

To HP, could you stop the capital letters in the headline? like HORRIBLE, DEATH SENTENCE etc. Most of us are able to read in lowercase too. It looks like a tabloid online.

[CitizenIndie]

09:35 PM on 11/11/2010

Not sure why this is a story really.

If this person had been standing on a building threatening to jump, there would have been SOME people below urging him to while others would have tried to talk him out of it.

Suicide by internet is no different than suicide any other way. This has happened for centuries so I'm not sure why people are "shocked" over this.

The only thing these "stories" do is show someone else a way to do something MORE dramatic in the future.

HuffPo, stop with the sensationalism or as John Stewart said "Put away your magnifying glass".

[getoffthecross]

11:32 AM on 11/12/2010

HuffPo didn't broadcast the footage.

This is a story because THIS is what the Internet provides: Complete access to the human experience, warts and all.

Why is this different than someone on top of a building threatening to jump? Because you have to be at that building to understand the experience. On the net, that building can be miles or continents away.

If the Internet never existed, those so inclined would continue to find more dramatic ways of taking themselves out. It's not the web's fault, it's not Huffington's fault, it's not even the fault of the people who (most likely without any real sense of the moment) egged him on.

People have lived and died in quiet desparation for thousands of years. For good or ill, the Internet provides a spotlight on that desparation. We can either look away and tsk tsk such sensationalism, or recognize the myriad problems facing EVERYONE and try to make a difference as a community. The choice is ours.

[Quinny]

09:33 PM on 11/11/2010

There is NO "cure" for life....not even death.

[SocratesFan]

01:22 PM on 01/03/2011

Who suggested otherwise?

Who on earth was talking about a "cure for life?" That is a non sequitur.

I don't know why this man committed suicide, but what's the point of criticizing him now?

He's DEAD. He can't HEAR you.

How about instead, we all mourn the suffering this man had to go through, and then let's all work together to make the world a decent, humane place to live so no one would have even the slightest motivation to kill themselves.

[Charles Elk]

07:51 PM on 11/11/2010

This isn't the first time this has happened and it won't be the last.

[wolfiegirl]

10:00 PM on 11/11/2010

Yep.

[BlackYowe]

07:10 PM on 11/11/2010

Japan has long considered suicide as a legitimate way out.

[synergie]

11:38 AM on 11/12/2010

In Western society it's been considered the "honorable" way as well. Humanity has agreed however that this is a sign of mental instability and NOT a cultural thing.

[BlackYowe]

02:07 AM on 11/13/2010

It's not the same as Japan. There has never been a stigma, its considered honorable and positive if you are burden on you family. In Christian culture it has long been frowned on. I find it terribly sad. As someone who has suffered depression I know just how black things can look. It breaks my heart when ever someone young takes their own life.

[brahdog]

03:23 PM on 11/15/2010

"In Western society it's been considered the "honorable" way as well"

what western society is that one?