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Saturday, March 11, 2006
A FAD TO DIE FOR: SUICIDES IN ASIA  The Japanese are the fad maddest people on the planet. They move from useless electronics to frightening fashions faster than you can say "Hello Kitty." Yes, we had fads when I was in school: Nehru Collars, Wee Willie Winkle Hats, Beatle Boots, Dickeys (especially the one you could see through your polyester shirt,) Maltese Crosses, Peace Symbols, and more. But, if there was a gold medal for fads it would go to the Japanese. The most disturbing new trend is Internet suicide. It seems young folks in their 20s and 30s discover each other on the Internet and then meet in the flesh to, most often, asphyxiate themselves in sealed cars. It is reported that 91 people died in 34 incidents last year. This was nearly double the figure from 2004. Japanese Internet companies are cooperating with police and mental health groups to monitor suicide websites and chat rooms. As an aside: Japanese psychological services are to psychology as Forrest Gump is to physics. And the Japanese police are to caring and compassion as Guantanamo is to Club Med. Don't expect any dramatic decreases in suicide rates due to these interventions. I have mentioned before how Japanese newspapers, carrying news articles about suicides on the subway tracks, print a short paragraph about the any individual who has died then devote several columns to the delays the insensitive lout caused. And here is a sick twist: Japanese Railways, because of trouble caused by the jumpers, expect up to $70,000 in compensation from their familes. I just read in Watching Politics.com that more "psychiatric experts" have been sent to Iraq. It is because of the 240 Japanese Self Defense Force soldiers deployed to Iraq (Wikipedia) some 64 of them committed suicide from January 1 to March of 2005. China's suicide rate, according to the WHO, is 17 in 100,000 and is led by females from rural areas and students in college. The US rate is about 12 in 100,000. The Japanese rate, which not long ago was about the same as America, is about 24 per 100,000. Among Japanese primary and middle school pupils, suicide rates, mostly due to "ijime" (bullying of those "different" socially, culturally or physically), suicides rose by almost 60%! 'The Perfect Suicide Manual'', which has been in print for years, was written by a a sociology graduate of Tokyo University. The book tells the reader, in lurid detail, how to commit suicide by hanging, setting yourself on fire, electrocution, drug overdose and so on. It often creeps onto the bestseller list in Japan. I am hoping this is one fad that loses its allure very soon and holds no fascination for the Chinese youth I love and respect. China humor Asia WHO China Blog Student Suicides Lonnie Hodge Suicide Japan Iraq Cartoons copyright, Cagle Lonnie Hodge maintains his China Blog at: ONEMANBAND Blogger News Network is advertiser-supported, and your visits to our advertisers help BNN to meet its expenses. Help keep us afloat! posted by Lonnie at 10:25 PM |
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