Japan’s chilling Internet suicide pacts - new trend highlights social problems

MSNBC.com ^ | 6/10/03 | Kari Huus

[Libloather]

Japan’s chilling Internet suicide pacts

New trend highlights social problems, mental health crisis

By Kari Huus
MSNBC

June 10 — The discovery Sunday of the bodies of four young Japanese men in a car at a vista point near Mount Fuji appears to be more evidence of a grim new trend in the prosperous country — group suicides of strangers who meet over the Internet. The suicide pacts, which have resulted in at least 18 deaths since February, are shocking to experts, even in a nation plagued by an astronomical suicide rate.

[Libloather]

Be careful out there...

[Ronin]

The son of my Japanese mentor killed himself last week. It was a shock. He seemed to have almost everything going for him.

His funeral was last Friday. I attended. Since he was a Christian (even though his family wasn't) it was even more surprising. The funeral was held in a church.

I have no idea if he got the idea from the Internet. It was and still is a huge mystery to me, and to everyone I have talked to.

[jjm2111]

I would be interesting to know if Japanese-Americans have anything close to the same suicidal rate.

[jjm2111]

Is Japanese culture as conformity-prone as I have heard or is that an urban legend?

[Mr. Silverback]

Ping!

[BlazingArizona]

Is Japanese culture as conformity-prone as I have heard or is that an urban legend?

The suicide phenomenon is a strange but ancient part of Japanese culture. It's part of their sense of honor: rather than disgrace the family by, say, not doing well on an exam, young Yoshi may kill himself on the way home from school.

[Ronin]

I would probably have to say it is about 75 to 80 percent as conformity-prone as it is made out to be. The more extreme examples that are often cited are relatively thin on the ground, i.e. NOT common. But as an overall attitude and worldview, there is no denying that following the crowd and blending in is important.

The most common saying on that line is "The nail that stands up is the one that gets hammered down."

On the counterside, Japanese teenagers and young people do tend to be self-centered and hedonistic, so in a strange way it balances out.

I don't see teenagers rushing lemming-like to join these suicide pacts, but it is something that the Japanese society as a whole is going to have to start addressing with far more seriousness than it has been.