Toxic fumes suicide forces evacuation in Japan

Toxic fumes suicide forces evacuation in Japan

www.cnn.com

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Police evacuated dozens of residents after poisonous fumes escaped from an apartment where a man killed himself by inhaling a detergent-laced gas, authorities said Wednesday.

The death in the city of Kanazawa, northeast of Tokyo, is the latest in a spate of suicides where people have mixed detergent and other chemicals and inhaled the resulting toxic hydrogen sulfide gas.
According to local media reports, more than 180 people across Japan have committed suicide in such a manner.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 5-6-2008 by ImJaded]

2 people a day, since March ?! Wow, I had heard of the 50 or so suicides committed in this manner a few weeks ago, in one weekend alone, and thought it horrible in itself only to see and read this now.
I am surprised to learn CNN is reporting on this, my mother just called me to ask about it as I live in Japan but not near where this particular incident occurred.

The "instructions" are listed on sites on the internet and authorities have been removing them as they find them but the fact this has persuaded 180 people to kill themselves, and in this fashion, is very unnerving.
To harm others in this selfish and cowardly act is just despicable and really angers me.

What is going on in Japan ?


www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

The article says that Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Why, I'm not sure, but that fact could explain why these individuals killed themselves in the manner they did.

I think it may just be a copy cat situation, or a disturbing trend among those who have decided to end their life.

I think the real issue should be to figure out why Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Of course, someone has to be the top, or one of the top in that category, but since the topic is Japan, that would be a good place to start in explaining this.

But I do think its a copy cat phase though. Just like the school shootings. Most of them are murder-suicide, so the shooter clearly decided that was how he/she was going to end things, and that decision is usually based on a recent school shooting that has been in the news or simply just a sort of sick homage to Columbine.

Perhaps rising food prices, which have had a large affect on items such as rice and miso, could be playing a part. I'd be interested to know how many of these people were struggling financially or were of lower income. Rising prices of essential goods can be enough to send anyone over the edge.

reply to post by NovusOrdoMundi


Yes Japan does have quite the high rate of suicide, I am not so much shocked at it happening but the manner in which it is happening and just how many people jumped on board.

From what I recall of the earlier news on this, the weekend incident, the people who were involved ranged from teenage school kids to grown businessmen and women in their 30's and 40's. There was no particular demographic, it was like 50 people just decided to off themselves in a matter of 48 hrs.
I just found it very disturbing.

No doubt the more recent economic struggles people are facing have not helped but Japan has always had a quite high maintenance living standard, in most areas anyway.

Just doesn't make any sense to me.

Appreciate your reply

There was no particular demographic, it was like 50 people just decided to off themselves in a matter of 48 hrs.

What the??? Okay, that's VERY weird.

Very.
I mean even for a country such as this, who does boast a high suicide rate, isn't this just so odd ?

I guess I am wanting to know what made these people jump on board, as Novus mentioned, were they struggling financially? clinically depressed and had had enough ? on meds ?

It's just too sad.

Originally posted by ImJaded
There was no particular demographic, it was like 50 people just decided to off themselves in a matter of 48 hrs.

That reminds me of this movie thats coming out next week called The Happening.

The synopsis, as provided by the movie's page on IMDB.com, says (**POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT**):

The Happening is a paranormal thriller in which a family must survive a global environmental crisis. The film will portray the earth's vegetation unleashing airborne neurotoxins that cause all those who breathe it to commit violent suicide. The protagonist, a science teacher named Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), goes on the run with his estranged wife (Zooey Deschanel) and friends as hysteria grips the planet.

Its not exactly the same but when I read the news article it seemed eerily similar and reminded me of the movie.

I'm not calling conspiracy on this but its just some interesting food for thought in this whole mess.

[edit on 6/5/08 by NovusOrdoMundi]

Originally posted by NovusOrdoMundi

Originally posted by ImJaded
There was no particular demographic, it was like 50 people just decided to off themselves in a matter of 48 hrs.

That reminds me of this movie thats coming out next week called The Happening.

The synopsis, as provided by the movie's page on IMDB.com, says (**POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT**):

The Happening is a paranormal thriller in which a family must survive a global environmental crisis. The film will portray the earth's vegetation unleashing airborne neurotoxins that cause all those who breathe it to commit violent suicide. The protagonist, a science teacher named Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), goes on the run with his estranged wife (Zooey Deschanel) and friends as hysteria grips the planet.

Its not exactly the same but when I read the news article it seemed eerily similar and reminded me of the movie.

I'm not calling conspiracy on this but its just some interesting food for thought in this whole mess.

[edit on 6/5/08 by NovusOrdoMundi]

I was thinking the same thing.

I'm not really all that surprised by the high rate of suicide over in Japan nor by their grizzly methods. The Japanese don't view suicide in the same light as us westerners do, its and ancient tradition in Japanese society. Couple that with the fact that Japanese society is very regimented and one's position in the social hierarchy is anything but a mystery and it's not hard to see why Japan has such a high suicide rate.

Odd Japanese suicides are nothing new either, I remember reading not long ago about people who would meet up online and commit collective suicide in a car or something. There have even been movies about it before, on of which is entitled "Suicide Circle" or "Suicide Club" I believe.

Japanese society is very different than our own and they view many things in different ways often attributing an element of beauty and perfection to their actions. Ceremony plays a large part in Japanese tradition and I believe that it plays a large part in their methods of suicide as well. I think suicide is seen quite differently over there than it is here and may not even always be seen in such a negative light.

perhaps they didn't make the poisonous concoction. maybe they bought the detergent and it was water activated and independently made that ....sulfide stuff

otherwise, it just doesn't add up.