Aokigahara, the suicide forest in Japan.

I'm sure he would, he does look like the kind of person who likes to listen...

Just make sure they don't pass their depression on to you... personal experience... :look:
 
Someone who's really in to suicide particularly because of depression needs supervision though, not necessarily someone to talk to, those kind of attention has to come later when the person is stable, and that process of supervision is fucking difficiult. Hence why family, friends etc. are very often unable to cope with it. Depressions, serious depressions and suicide are simply not a normal state, at least for most people.
 
Does anybody know the traditional Japanese belief (Shinto) on what happens to a soul after suicide?
 
Huh. I know that, when Imperialist Japan ruled, and before that in the Medieval era, you (religiously) had nothing to fear for your afterlife if you were to commit it.

But thinking about all the different cultures that have been slowly introduced to Japan after the Meji Era, and then again re-introduced after World War II, it's hard to tell exactly who goes to that forest worried of what might happen to their soul, and who goes to that forest feeling down, believing that since their afterlife will be better, it would be obviously a better idea to commit suicide.

As Aokighara's suicide rates started to skyrocket in the 1950's, that drops you off right on the other side of World War II (end 1945). So, is it the fact that the Japanese are struggling to adapt to today's culture period, or that they are struggling to adapt to an increasingly western culture which was almost forced on them after the second World War. Because we all know that some people just aren't meant to live certain ways, and can't normally do it.
 
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Japan might seem to be "westernized" on the surface, but they are still pretty much their own thing, with a lot of the historical baggage still alive and kicking.

I mean these guys don't drink diary, you can't trust anyone who doesn't drink milk.
 
BigBoss said:
Huh. I know that, when Imperialist Japan ruled, and before that in the Medieval era, you (religiously) had nothing to fear for your afterlife if you were to commit it.

But thinking about all the different cultures that have been slowly introduced to Japan after the Meji Era, and then again re-introduced after World War II, it's hard to tell exactly who goes to that forest worried of what might happen to their soul, and who goes to that forest feeling down, believing that since their afterlife will be better, it would be obviously a better idea to commit suicide.

As Aokighara's suicide rates started to skyrocket in the 1950's, that drops you off right on the other side of World War II (end 1945). So, is it the fact that the Japanese are struggling to adapt to today's culture period, or that they are struggling to adapt to an increasingly western culture which was almost forced on them after the second World War. Because we all know that some people just aren't meant to live certain ways, and can't normally do it.
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The Japanese have readily adopted Western "sensibilities", so concern over the state of one's soul were they to commit suicide doesn't seem to be a part of their considerations.

As for cultural adaptation, it's a bit of column A and a bit of column B. SOME parts are difficulty adapting, but other parts are just the physical consequences of openly embracing changes. Case in point, Ita-Ita Byo (Pain Disease), a result of chronic cadmium poisoning from Japan's very recent industrial revolution (which took place in the early 20th Centure, as opposed to the rest of the West's 18-19th Century industrialization periods). All countries which undergo rapid industrialization suffer from consequences of the process, but they come out "the other side" much stronger and with far greater life expectancies and average health conditions and modern medical care. But DURING the process life expectancy suffers a sudden drop as work accidents and poisonings like the above mentioned spike and the unprepared people cannot quite cope with the sudden changes. Similar things happen to countries which transitioned towards nuclear power; more radiation exposure and more cancer-related deaths over several decades (by a small, but noticeably margin), but once the countries had established power plants and nuclear power infrastructures, the dangers decrease and the spikes in mortality rates drop.

Bottom line, Japan's a bit of a late-bloomer in some respects of modernization compared to much of the West (though far ahead of most of its Asian counterparts, and well ahead of any third-world country) so some of the "growing pains" afflicts its citizens. But its particular problems appears to stem from much more than just recent industrialization, as that ended many decades ago. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, it's possible that older Japanese customs which revolved around suicide may have influenced modern epidemics in an unfortunate way. There's a trend in Japan (as well as other cultures, which are looking into the cause, as well) where its citizens seem to be receding not just from social contact but also from life, itself. Decrease birth rates are attributed to these trends, and other factors. The high suicide rates are also added problems. Many different factors that aren't entirely understood or known seem to be leading its citizens down a very dark path, and studies and investigations are trying to determine exactly what all of the causes are, so that these can be avoided. But until it's all figured out, people will continue to morbidly disappear into forests to hang themselves... =/
 
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