The complete manual of suicide

[Starseeker]

CCR's thread reminded me of a movie that I saw recently.

It's pretty old already, but it was one of the most popular cult movie in Japan.



http://www.aarrgghh.com/no_way/handbook.htm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425153/

http://www.amazon.com/thislinkhasbeenshortenedbykharn

There are almost zero info on this movie/book in English media.

Google didn't turn up anything good.

The book was a runaway best seller, and the movie was very famous. I just saw the movie because a friend happens to have a copy, and he transfer it to my HD.

The movie is about a journalist trying to dig up a story about someone who actually used one of the method in the book to kill himself. In order to dig up the background story, he joined their little suicide group. And in the end, he killed himself.

If you want to compare, the feel is similar to Ringu or the Korean movie where it involes vores.

As far as I know, the book has Chinese, Korean, and maybe other translations. The movie is available in some of these languages. I believe there are some fan subs for it.

If you never heard of it, that's fine, since there are almost no English information on this at all.

But I am curious about some opinions about this -
1. Mass suicide - like what happened in Japan after the book was published. Is it the culture? Is it difference in views of death? Is it lack of understanding in the field of psychology? What caused a SAC like this to happen? Is it just because we are more relaxed than they are?

2. I can understand when people fear death. But why are some people fascinated by it to the point that they want to enjoy it and saviour every last fleeting moment of dying? Death is almost a fetish to some of these people.

Since there are so many different people from different countries here, I am curious as to NMAers' view on this and their cultural perspective.

Are they stupid, weak, or just mental? Well, I am assuming that there must be something going on that I am not sure of, because if you enjoy killing yourself- 1. It can't be a long time hobby 2. I don't believe that it's very good for you health.

If any of you have seen the movie, feel free to post review/thoughts.

 

[Bradylama]

1. Mass suicide - like what happened in Japan after the book was published. Is it the culture? Is it difference in views of death? Is it lack of understanding in the field of psychology? What caused a SAC like this to happen? Is it just because we are more relaxed than they are?

Something that usually comes up in discussions on gun control is that America has a society which vents its aggression outwards. In Japan, however, it is exactly the opposite. In fact, the homicide rate for Japan increased increadibly when a form of suicide where a father murders his family, then kills himself was declared illegal.

2. I can understand when people fear death. But why are some people fascinated by it to the point that they want to enjoy it and saviour every last fleeting moment of dying? Death is almost a fetish to some of these people.

The moments leading up to your last seconds on Earth can be easily seen as highly significant. Some people would rather experience this significance and loss of life sooner rather than later. Though I don't quite see the point, I do see the appeal.

 

[Sander]

1. Mass suicide - like what happened in Japan after the book was published. Is it the culture? Is it difference in views of death? Is it lack of understanding in the field of psychology? What caused a SAC like this to happen? Is it just because we are more relaxed than they are?

Historically speaking, suicide was seen as the honorable way out if you mess up in Japan. Hence why suicide is more popular there: it was never seen as the ultimate sin.

 

[Bradylama]

That was ritualistic suicide, though. It wasn't simply a matter of killing oneself that brought honor, but the act of seppuku itself. Seppuku was an increadibly painful method of suicide which required the aide of an assistant, or kaishaku for a purpose I'll get to in a second.

The method in which seppuku was carried out, was that one had to disembowel oneself with a short blade across the abdomen, while then continuing the cut upwards to eliminate any chance of survival.

The job of the Kaishaku was to wait by his lord's side with katana in hands. The Kaishaku would wait for his master to complete the cut before lopping his head off with the katana in order to avoid a long, drawn out death. The Kaishaku would also go through with the beheading if his master stopped in the middle of the cut as a means to avoid dishonour.

By performing this increadibly painful act, the Samurai or Daimyo would have proven his resolve and honor in death.

Interestingly enough, before Buddhism, the concept of suicide was foreign to the Japanese. It was Buddhism's view of death as the natural transition of life that allowed the concept of an honorable suicide to develop. That's why suicide didn't have negative connotations, as Buddhists didn't think death was so bad.

The practice of seppuku was outlawed in the late 1600's, however, though it remained in practice for awhile after that. Why, though, the concept of honorable suicide has remained despite the Nippon's disdain for it is beyond me. Particularly since suicide was seen as a privilege of nobility or samurai.

 

[Sander]

Yes, although the head was never entirely lopped off since that would be a great dishonour, that was ritualistic suicide. But the fact that that was seen as honourable and has become part of history has undoubtedly affected the view on suicide in general there.
In most other cultures suicide is historically seen as a grave sin, since you are murdering a person, albeit yourself. This aspect is completely lacking in Japanese culture, and that could explain the ease wiith which they, apparently, commit suicide.