87-year-old man arrested over murder of 85-year-old wife

Harakiri, old skool.

Wow! Imagine the surprise by the daughter. Very sad for the family, More family communication, less harikiri. I'm glad there weren't children present.

Japan needs to enact an assisted suicide law, similar to that in progressive countries such as the Netherlands and the American State of Oregon.

People need the option of ending their lives with dignity, surrounded by loving family members, rather than be forced to resort to ineffective & messy measures.

And with the lack of elderly care options and an aging population I worry these kind of stories are going to be more frequent..

There’s nothing surprising or shocking about this sort of incident. Maybe only shocking for people who haven’t been here long enough.

GaijinjlandToday  12:34 pm JST

There’s nothing surprising or shocking about this sort of incident. Maybe only shocking for people who haven’t been here long enough.

.....or had the unfortunate experience of being at their wits' end.....

@Gaijinland,

You have hit the nail firmly on the head.

These stories are going to become a daily event what with the aging population continuing to rise. Sad for everyone involved. Japan needs more elderly care facilities and they need to be transparent about the availability of these services.

Danielsan’s comment is appalling. Does he have any idea whether Sumiko-san wanted to die? No one, including the state, has the right to play God…I was living in Hitachi when the couple was younger than my children are now…Growing old is not a crime. There is nothing “progressive” about killing people!

No one, including the state, has the right to play God

A person should have the right to choose to die if they have a fatal disease, are in constant pain from an ailment etc. Assisted suicide is not done without careful care and consideration. The patient will have consults with therapists and doctors and there is a procedure to follow. However, in the end, it's their body and their life and they should have the option available to them at the very least.

In practice, purple san, assisted suicide is often not done with “careful care and consideration.” Physically healthy people have been killed by those in the business. Pain can be relieved, and if medication has the effect of shortening life, such is not immoral. Suicide is. If the husband in this case had badgered his wife into a one-way trip to Oregon, would you have cheered him on?

Danielsan

Japan needs to enact an assisted suicide law, similar to that in progressive countries such as the Netherlands and the American State of Oregon.

People need the option of ending their lives with dignity, surrounded by loving family members, rather than be forced to resort to ineffective & messy measures.

It's hard enough to find a vet in Japan who will help put an animal out of its misery and suffering. Good luck convincing doctors to do it with humans.

What a tragedy.

In practice, purple san, assisted suicide is often not done with “careful care and consideration.” Physically healthy people have been killed by those in the business. Pain can be relieved, and if medication has the effect of shortening life, such is not immoral. Suicide is. If the husband in this case had badgered his wife into a one-way trip to Oregon, would you have cheered him on?

Perhaps if you cracked open a book...or in this day and age, opened up a website page, you'd be able to educate yourself about the process of assisted suicide. It's not an option given wily-nily to patients; there's lots of paperwork, lots of consults; lots of guidance and advice to ensure that the patient is equipped with all the necessary information and details to make an informed decision. And please try to read this properly: it's the patient who makes the decision. Not their loved ones; not the doctors or the nurses or the therapists. The medical staff are simply there to provide any all necessary options, information etc. In the end, it's down to the patient to make the choice.

As for your glib suggestion of pain being relieved via medication, this is false. I am someone who suffers from chronic pain and let me tell you, the pain doesn't go away. Would you let your loved one suffer and live a life of misery and pain just because you believe that suicide is "immoral"? You'd rather they suffer and hurt and be in constant, endless, unrelenting agony 'til the end of their days? If so, then perhaps you should revisit the definition of "immoral".

In practice, purple san, assisted suicide is often not done with “careful care and consideration.”

In countries like Canada, it's extremely regulated with all sorts of checks and balances. It's compassionate to allow those who want to die, to do so. It's selfish to expect them to live simply because you are uncomfortable with death.