A 71-year-old Tokyo man who died after setting himself on fire on a speeding shinkansen train had failed to pay his rent on the day he died, according to the property managers of his apartment in Suginami Ward.
Haruo Hayashizaki, who had complained to a neighbor that his pension was too meager to support himself, called a member of the Suginami Ward assembly seeking help with his financial problems in mid-June, telling them he was unable to pay his rent, they said.
His rent for June and July was due on Tuesday, but the payment wasn't made.