A person who is American has a narrow understanding of death. Americans see most deaths as the same regardless of their cultural background. The majority of Americans have a narrow view of what death means. They are predominantly white, middle-class, Christian or some variant thereof. It is difficult to accept that death is inevitable. Other countries have different ideas about death than the United States. A variety of factors influence belief systems about death. These include religions, cultures, as well as outside influences. Japan has not seen any significant changes in its core beliefs regarding death over hundreds of centuries. Japan, unlike the United States, is more compassionate about death than most other non-westernized cultures. Family members often clean the body and keep it in their home. Funeral homes are uncommon. Instead, the funeral temple organizes and conducts the proceedings. The living honor the dead is one commonality between both cultures. Their customs on death regarding suicide are the exception.
Suicide is an unacceptable death in America. Friends and family often avoid discussing mental health issues. Sometimes, suicide is not recorded in obituaries. In the United States, people often cite suicide as a result personal dissatisfaction. Suicide is a socially unacceptable act that can be so damaging to a family’s image. Many Japanese people choose to go uninsured to die. This significantly complicates funeral ceremonies. Japan has seen suicide evolve over time. Less people will cite honour as the reason for their actions, shifting more towards western interpretations that see no point in life. The United States has a history of suicide that is not changing. Shame is the predominant factor. But in Japan, suicide has changed in its causes throughout history. The samurai were a lower-middle class of soldiers on hire who followed the bushido codes. Honor was the main principle of this code. Infractions to that value would be punished with a death penalty. To atone for errors or infractions to the honor of a lord, suicide was used in the past. The ritual of seppuku involved the disembowelment with a small blade known as a tanto. Seppuku was often performed in public with many spectators present to assist and watch other ritual rites. Although ritual suicide was less common in Western societies than it is depicted in film and pop culture, the practice continued to be used for many years, even after World War II. Suicide was a common method of suicide in feudal era rituals and traditions. As the samurai classes began to decline, seppuku was used as an atonement for moral violations that could bring shame on either an individual or their families, or Japan. After the Battle for Okinawa, General Mitsuru Umijima did seppuku as a way to make up for his defeat (BBC, 2014).
While ritual seppuku was still popular in World War II, kamikaze pilots have replaced it. Kamikaze, which means “divine wind,” was an attack on aviation by bomb-laden planes. In order to kill himself and cause more damage and disablement to the other side, the pilot would deliberately crash into Allied vessels or targets. The Japanese Imperial Army received threefold more applications than the planes they had, so the call for kamikaze-pilots was a remarkable success. Most of the pilots were students at university in their twenties who felt obligated to serve their country and the Emperor. Survivor Tadamatsu Itatsu said that he and other young men who volunteered for the service were not demented and did not enjoy the idea of death, but that they believed their actions were necessary in order to defend Japan from invasion by the Allies. Itatsu also claimed that they were honorable sacrifices. Admiral TakijiroOnishi, who was known as “the father in the kamikaze,” committed suicide on the 16th of August 1945. He left behind a note of apology to his fellow pilots for their loss. Itatsu, one of the kamikaze volunteers that survived wartime, had thoughts about suicide and struggled with guilt from being a survivor. Kamikaze pilots still represent Axis Japan’s fierce loyalty to their Emperor and unfaltering commitment to protecting their homeland.
Another reason for suicide in Japan is the response of soldiers and civilians to threats. The Japanese government gave a warning at Saipan, which was a small Japanese island, which led to many suicide attempts by civilians. While there are some disputes, it seems that citizens were given a warning by the government that they would be treated equally in the afterlife as those who had died in battle if they committed suicide before being captured or killed by American troops. Like seppuku, suicide is considered to be an act of honor for the country. Reports claim that grenades had been distributed to assist civilians with mass suicide. The survivors of the grenades found other methods or ways to die to attain the same honor as their peers.
As we look at the 50 years that have followed, suicide rates in Japan did not change in number, but in style and method. There were rumors about Japanese suicide cults in America in the 2000’s. This was a reason for many suicides that occurred in groups or as a result of pacts. These were often two to six young adults aged between 20 and 30 years old who died of carbon dioxide poisoning or overdose or a similar cause. These groups were often formed via online chat rooms and meetups that allowed people to share their ideas and resources. They often share a common theme because they rely on a nonviolent method. This involves meeting up and then moving to a remote location to execute the act. This is quite a change from mass ritual deaths that were brutal and public. In the past, suicides were driven by cultural traditions. However, today they are influenced primarily by Western individualistic ideals.
The Aokigahara forest, at the foot Mount Fuji, is a popular spot for suicides since 2008. This forest is ideal for this phenomenon because of its centrality in Japan. It allows for similar pilgrimage from all places. Because it has a dense structure, it creates a fairytale maze in which solitude can be found. Also, folklore and religion believe that it houses many spirits or demons. The forest is Japan’s version of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. This forest is the most frequently visited location in Japan for suicides. The forest is a popular spot for suicide, but the majority of locals do not visit it except to hike. Many Mount Fuji locals choose to suicide jump in front trains over traditional methods. Because of its low maintenance costs and express trains, one train line is the most popular for suicides in Japan. This is because the family that survives a suicide victim in Japan must pay for maintenance and repairs to the train.
The Tojinbo Cliffs, located in Fukui prefecture, is another scenic spot in Japan that is well-known for their beauty and ability to make suicide attempts. After suicide attempts continued to be common at the cliffs, local fisherman complained that they had to take the bodies out of their waters. The government responded by organizing a group to patrol the cliffs daily, looking for people who are planning to jump. Yukio Schige, a former police officer, became a hero in his community when he became a volunteer for the mission. Shige, who roamed the cliffs carrying a pair binoculars and offered resources to help the poor, saved at least 500 lives. The Tojinbo cliffside remains a famous suicide destination. However, local authorities have made provisions for a watch force and established a watch force to help reduce the rate of fatalities.
Demographics are often used to explain suicide statistics in modern times. Japan’s elderly and rural areas are the most affected by suicide. These are areas where people cannot provide for themselves financially. This trend is now more common after the 2008 financial crash and the 2011 earthquake. People in their twenties who were working-class and in their thirties had the highest rates of suicide. This trend is not consistent with current demographics. It can be linked to the traditional idea of honor suicide. Many businessmen who were unable to pay their bills due to economic failure cited their honor and family’s names as reasons for suicide. This trend was exacerbated because the majority of adults in Japan are part of Japan’s Lost Generation, a generation that is similar to Generation X in the United States. These were children of war-torn parents or absent parents.
This is often cited as one reason for suicide rates after World War II. Many people in this generation lack the necessary life skills to be employed due to the social tension and economic struggles after World War II. Many of these people are living in drifting conditions, where they don’t cook or have stable jobs. Instead, they make their own food and earn money. These people may have gone to great schools or colleges but Japan’s work culture is not conducive to retirement. Nearly every citizen of Japan who is legally allowed to work has an option. There is a great deal of stigma attached to those who are not able to find work. This can lead people to have mental health problems.
Religion is another cultural factor that plays into Japan’s shocking suicide rate. Shinto (the most prominent religion in Japan) does not have suicide prohibitions. Shinto beliefs that after death, a person’s spirit, or kami (or spirit), will continue to live in another world. It’s neither a good nor a bad place so it’s almost limbo. However their spirits may return to those who follow the proper rituals. Shintoism is not considered suicide, unlike the major religions that forbid suicide. Shintoism has been criticized for being somewhat ambivalent about suicide. Even ritual suicides can be accepted. Others disagree, arguing that Shintoism is ambivalent towards suicide. But, life is given to us by our ancestors. Suicide is not an issue that Buddhism is open to discussion. The Buddha was seen in one story before he achieved enlightenment. He had previously experienced extreme suffering along with the five ascetics, having discovered that there were old age and illness. He began to see the truth and realized that he doesn’t have to die to achieve bliss. This story is the only one that mentions suicide in Buddhism Theology. According to Buddhists, suicide has a negative effect on the Buddhist afterlife. They believe in reincarnation. The nation’s indifference towards suicide is likely to be due to its lack of religious prohibition.
The positive side of the mental health crisis in Japan is that it has made it easier for people to seek help from professionals and doctors. This is an exception. Many older people who are affected by mental illness believe that asking for help is weakness, or could cause damage to their family. This stigma, although not passed down through generations, contributes to suicide rates higher in rural areas and older adults. Japan’s suicide rates have fallen from the top five nations globally to the bottom ten. The rate is dropping steadily each year, thanks to ongoing improvements.
Japan Medical Association (JMA), a group of doctors from Japan, met eight times in the fiscal year 2010 and 2011 to discuss strategies to tackle the suicide epidemic. The committee decided to concentrate on four key points: education of physicians, root causes, youth education, and improvement of the medical system. According to the committee doctors should be more knowledgeable about mental disorders and have the ability to work in collaboration with psychiatric clinics. The committee found that suicide is linked to alcoholism and other drug abuse problems. To help those with substance abuse issues, the committee recommends that more resources be made available. The JMA recommends that undergraduate and postgraduate medical students receive better education. Finally, the JMA recommends that primary family doctors transition to psychiatrists more smoothly (Japan Medical Association (2013)). JMA is ultimately trying to resolve the suicide problem in Japan through preventative measures that fix the infrastructure of Japan’s medicinal system.
While the Japanese suicide laws were initially considered different to those in Western countries in that they believed suicide was an honorable act, these ideas have evolved with the times. Even though suicides have become more commonplace, some still hold some meaning for some people like businessmen who see financial disaster as an honorable act of suicide. Even suicide methods have changed. This once public and horrific event is now more private and painless. Suicide has been a problem in Japan for a long time, but it is now becoming more common. The stigma associated with mental illnesses is starting to recede in younger generations. Many people are beginning to realize that they can seek help without causing damage to their family. This is a huge benefit for those going through difficult times. Although suicide was once the easiest way to earn honor in difficult times, many people now realize that it’s much better to work through their problems rather than end their lives in an empty world. Or, for their spirit to return in a smaller body, possibly not human, through reincarnation.
The Japan Medical Association helps people gain a better understanding of why they feel the same way and how they can change it. The Japanese are beginning to understand the implications of suicide today. They have more knowledge and better decision-making skills. We live no longer in the feudal period of the Samurai when seppuku was widespread. We do not live in World War II’s era where kamikaze pilots were a popular choice to save their country. Japan’s suicide rate is falling and it’s hoped that it will stay this way in the near future.
