Turning the Tide: The Fight to Reduce Suicide in Japan

Announcement from SSJ-Forum:

"Saving 10,000 - Winning a War on Suicide in Japan" is a 52-minute documentary directed by TUJ ICAS Adjunct Fellow Dr. Rene Duignan. At this event, Rene will discuss the movie's key findings while showing some excerpts. Unusually for a small documentary, "Saving 10,000" has attracted a lot of media interest with Rene giving over 20 interviews to date. The movie has also sparked interest from politicians with DVD requests from a Minister and Vice-Minister. A special screening/Q&A will be held at the Japanese Parliament in March. Rene has had the privilege of sharing his ideas in a meeting with the head of the Suicide Prevention Unit of the Cabinet Office. After the Japanese media coverage, screening/speaking requests have been coming from all over Japan. 

Date: Thursday, March 14, 2013
Time: Door open 7:00 p.m / Talk start 7:30 p.m.
Venue:Temple University, Japan Campus, Azabu Hall 2F
(access: http://www.tuj.ac.jp/maps/tokyo.html)
Speaker: Rene Duignan, ICAS Adjunct Fellow and Economist for the Delegation of the European Union to Japan
Moderator: Robert Dujarric, ICAS Director
Admission: Free (Open to general public)
Language: English
RSVP:icas@tuj.temple.edu

More info: http://www.saving10000.com/

See also Killing Yourself To Make A Living: In Japan Financial Incentives Reward “Suicide”
http://www.japansubculture.com/killing-yourself-to-make-a-living-in-japan-financial-social-incentives-keep-suicide-rates-high/ 

UPDATE: "Saving 10,000" has been receiving much attention in Japan and internationally in terms of awards and the effort to reduce suicide. The film is now available for free on-line: http://www.saving10000.com/

"Belgium allows euthanasia for deaf twins"

Text borrowed from Independent.ie, 1/14/13:  

Identical twins have been killed by Belgian doctors in a unique case under the country's euthanasia laws. 

The 45-year-old brothers from the Antwerp region were born deaf and sought euthanasia after finding that they would also soon go blind. They told doctors they were unable to bear the thought of not being able to see each other again. 

The twins, who have not been named but have been pictured on Belgian TV, had spent their entire lives together, sharing a flat and working as cobblers. 

Belgium's 'Het Laatste Nieuws' newspaper reported at the weekend that doctors at Brussels University Hospital in Jette "euthanised" the two men by lethal injection last month. 

Under Belgian law, euthanasia is allowed if those wishing to end their lives are able to make their wishes clear and a doctor judges that they are suffering unbearable pain. 

David Dufour, the doctor who presided over the euthanasia, said the twins had died together and had taken the decision in "full conscience". 

"They were very happy. It was a relief to see the end of their suffering," he said. "They had a cup of coffee in the hall, it went well and a rich conversation. Then the separation from their parents and brother was very serene. At the last there was a little wave of their hands and then they were gone." 

The case is unusual because neither of the men was terminally ill or suffering extreme physical pain.

Link: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/belgium-allows-euthanasia-for-deaf-twins-3350658.html

More text from Flandersnews.be, 1/12/13:

The fact that they were born deaf never formed an obstacle to them enjoying a fulfilling life. However, when a few years ago their sight also started to deteriorate they faced losing any way of communicating with each other. The idea that they wouldn’t be able to see each other was unbearable for the two brothers.

Under Belgian law euthanasia is allowed if the person wishing to end his/her life has made their wishes clear and a doctor has ruled that his/her patient is suffering unbearable pain.  

However, in the case of the two brothers neither was terminally ill, nor suffering any physical pain. Despite this, doctors at Brussels University Hospital in Jette agreed to their request to be euthanised.

The double euthanasia on the two brothers was carried out almost a month ago on 14 December.

Link: http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/130112_Double_euthanasia

Personally, I find this to be very troubling. This would seem to suggest that being blind or deaf-blind is akin to a terminal unbearably painful condition. It is also troubling that this euthanasia was state sanctioned and carried out in a hospital setting. I would like to learn more about this particular case and about the ideas behind euthanasia in general. Any relation to eugenics or Social Darwinism here?

"Filming curtailed in 'suicide forest'"

From The Daily Yomiuri Online, 9/6/12:

The Yamanashi prefectural government has decided to prohibit the shooting of movies and TV dramas in the Aokigahara forest at the base of Mt. Fuji if the scenes include suicides, as they believe such depictions could encourage suicides in real life.

Yamanashi Gov. Shomei Yokouchi said he wants to erase the image of the forest as a famous site for suicide.

The decision was incorporated into the prefecture's action guideline for suicide prevention, which was drawn up Tuesday.

According to National Police Agency statistics, the prefecture's suicide rate was 36.1 per 100,000 people in 2011, the highest nationwide for the fifth year in a row. Last year, 312 people committed suicide in the prefecture.

According to Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry statistics, 212 residents of the prefecture killed themselves last year. The prefectural government said many people who committed suicide came from outside the prefecture.

A large number of them do so in the Aokigahara forest. Since most of the forest is owned by the prefecture, movie or drama producers need to obtain permission from the prefecture to film in the forest. In making its decision, the government takes into consideration what scenes will be filmed.

Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120905004579.htm