Because of the large number of suicides, the Chuo train line (in Tokyo) has become a quite unreliable mode of transport. But what is it about Japanese society that is causing so many of its members to take their lives?
Recently I spoke to a woman of retirement age who told me that her ward office had impounded her entire monthly salary three times in the past year, leaving precisely zero yen in her account each time. As she earns very little, it seems bizarre that she should be taxed to this extent. Worse is the mental torture that such treatment entails. She never knows whether her salary will be in her account or not. Such a situation is calculated to drive anyone mad or to push them to suicide.
I wonder if there are any human rights lawyers investigating the behavior of ward offices.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.