80-yr-old woman found dead in Shizuoka apartment; grandson says she died 3 years ago

how much will the rent the appartment after that??? 1000 5000 yens >?

Perhaps it was a loving family. Perhaps they just kept on going like nothing had happened.

Grandson: Hey Obaachan, it is almost New Years again. Would you like to visit the shrine and drink a little sake?

Grandmother: (Silence)

Grandson: Ok, have it your way, but I am starting to worry about you. You need to get out and live a little.

Grandmother: (More Silence)

so the ex wife only moved out jan 10, but the rent was already in arrears?? how long had the ex wife been living off grandma (god rest her soul)??

But the retirement checks kept rolling in.

Many of us would say "wood for the trees".... certainly everyone I grew up with, and its not an isolated case.

Japan lovers who cannot see the wood for the trees

We would say 'wood from the trees', but in both cases, you're still wrong. This is one case out of a possible 130 million!!!!!

I wonder what smell was around from this decomposed body. It is strange that no one could smell anything unusual outside the apartment. This is a very strange story, and we will have to wait for further developments. Knowing what is the cause of her death is most important? 'WHAT A WAY TO GO.'

In publications like Japan Today (and perhaps Japanese media in general), we do get a lot of articles on violence/crimes committed towards family or neighbors. The image painted (judging from some of the comments here) is that of sick or disturbed people prone to acts of transgression. But I cannot help but think that these kinds of crimes would occur in any large enough country at about the same rate. Surely this is just an example of sensationalist, tabloid reporting? Petty crimes with petty reasons seem to go unnoticed by these publications, whilst family crime seems hugely overreported by comparison. Of course, you would have to check the numbers to know for sure.

I can say this though, the crimes committed by Japanese citizens seem to be particularly morbid in comparison with crimes committed by foreigners. Think I will start collecting this data for my next thesis.

Moderator: Comparing this to crimes committed by foreigners is irrelevant. Please stay on topic.

The story is missing some details surely? It's an apartment, not a house, so I assume the kotatsu table was in the apartment and not in a separate building? The smell would have been unbearable. The corpse would have been covered in maggots. And this family ate and slept there??

What kind of sickos would live with a corpse and not try to at least get rid of it?

Maybe they were doing things to it!

GG2141- Big deal! Who cares!

Does "80 year old" mean she would be 80 now, or did they adjust the age for when they assume she died. Meaning she died at 77, but as she has not legally been declared dead, she is 80 according to Government records?? OR, was she 80 when she died and is technically 83 were she not actually dead???

FYI, since my first comment, JT have added "this year" after Jan 10.

Despiration and greed will make some people do some nasty things but this is crazy. three years, they didnt even mummify the body, just imagine the smell, how could they sleep, eat live there.. they all should go to jail and then hell.Oh BTW this would make a great horror movie

I am used to reading about the occasional nutter, but here a whole family lived with the dead an rotting corps of grandma in their apartment?? Unbelievable.

Nice caring family??

What kind of sickos would live with a corpse and not try to at least get rid of it?

Even in Japan, which has lots of such wierd, iunbelievable stories, this one takes the biscuit. There is no doubt in my mind now that Japanese society really IS falling apart at the seems. Please, you Japan lovers who cannot see the wood for the trees, tey to tell me differently. Family murders, young people living in their rooms for years and not coming out., and now this - a 22 year old living with his grandmother`s rotting corpse for three years? Is this for real? What a sick country this is.

I called the police and they found her lying there with the TV on. That comment says loads about the quality of programming on Japanese TV.

that seems to be right Mz, I had to read it twice once you pointed that out. The whole family lived there with th edead rotten body lying under a kotatsu for three years, collecting pension payments, then did a runner and left on eof thier sons behind. All in all its pretty sick. Ive never heard of people doing this kind of thing untill I moved here to Japan...

This should give "westerners" the heebie Jeebies

Am I reading this correctly? The ex-wife and family only moved out on Jan 10? So all those people lived together with a corpse???

The stink didn't annoy anyone in the apato complex?

Something here stinks....

And what about her pension payments?

Perhaps among 50Million missing records.

Many years ago an old lady passed away in the apato next to mine - it was August and the smell was horrendous, so I called the police and they found her lying there with the TV on. This was in Shizuoka, as well. Coincidence?

And what about her pension payments? Were these being sent? And if so, to whom?

Abandonment of a corpse might not be the only charges laid in this case.....

Awe, c'mon! The grandson had been living with her corpes for three years? What's the bet he was collecting her pension too!