Man arrested for killing 82-year-old mother after laundry argument

Japan is a safe country I am told often. But, I wonder?

Another full time dementia carer flips out and kills their ailing parent. Same scenario just different names and places. All Japanese people pay a small fortune in health insurance and pension, but get no support later in life. These kinds of events are common and will continue to happen under the Japanese health benefits and pension system.

Tragic end to a long life, maternal love lost in a fog of an insidious illness. Japan’s elderly and families need help.

58yo man living with his mother. Enough said.

an argument because she rebuked him for not following the rules on doing the laundry

Couldn’t that brutal psycho not only wait some minutes until she forgot the whole laundry thing because of her dementia?

The Pension, Health, and Kaigo/Nursing system is fantastic in Japan.

And just because the man is 58 does not mean he was a loser, he was living with his mom to help her out.

Dementia is tough and he just lost it when it came time to hang the laundry perhaps because Japanese women do have rules on how to hang the laundry.

I don't want to let the son off the hook for what he did, but the lack of government support for caregivers, specially anyone trying to care for a dementia sufferer at home, can tip some people over the edge. Caregiving is not easy at the best of times, but if the person has dementia, you can be stuck in a loop where you repeat the same conversation, sometimes only minutes after you last had it. This can tip people who are already mentally fragile over the edge. We don't know enough to say what was the situation with this son - there are so many possible scenarios - but if we want to avoid more situations like this, we need to step up support for relatives caring for someone at home. Can you imagine not knowing how long you are stuck in an oppressive situation, maybe with noone to talk to, stressed out, and having crazy-making conversations with someone who may not even remember you are their son?

On the other hand, he could have been a self-centred ''()=&%$! who was used to being waited on and couldn't take the change in roles, but didn't want to see his future inheritance spent on a care home for his mother. I know a few cases like that around my neighbourhood, too.

All we can do is try and make our society a more supportive and compassionate one so that old people can live out their last years, specially when they become frail and vulnerable, in safety and dignity.

Japanese women would go to an extent to ensure they bear a boy. Raising the boy with lots of love and even spoiling the child. See what happened, the boy is not grateful at all.

No mercy just beat poor old mammy to death....disgusting

"he lost his temper" a morbid rationale epidemic.

"said his mother had died and that it might have been because he hit her."

You reckon?

ruin lives and go to jail over trivial matters, "play stupid games win stupid prizes"

Terribly sad. He will have to live the rest of his days with the guilt of what he did to his own mother, the one who bore and nurtured him as a child.

I think a lot of elder abuse is due to the very demanding care required, especially for those with dementia and invalids, which in recent times is increasingly being performed by the solitary child the parents had. It's a huge job and very difficult. I'm glad that my parents had a handful of kids and we share the heavy load of thier care.

ShinkansenCabooseToday 05:52 pm JST

The Pension, Health, and Kaigo/Nursing system is fantastic in Japan.

No, it is an absolute joke. Try any other European country for comparison.

Kentarogaijin - The problem is the education and the hearts of a few lunatics who harm the weakest, as it happens everywhere

Yes, that’s right! It does happen everywhere (in Japan).

Is it just me, or has this sort of thing been escalating the past 18 months?

Not according to those rusted on true believers in the see, hear, speak no evil idea that ‘safety country’ is, was, and will forevermore be as safe as houses. While the rest of us have adjusted our expectations and personal safety strategies in line with the obvious, this last bastion of denial remain wedded to their nothing to see here, move along mantra.

Dementia is a serious illness. My grandmother had it. And one thing i can tell you. Is extremely frustrating to care of such a person and it can totally burn you out. My grandfather and my sister couldn't bear it anymore and went to live in a hotel just to avoid her. In the end, we all had to scrap enough cash to put her into a care home. My grandfather even pray that she go sooner. So i kinda get just how hard it is for people taking care of their dementia family member.

My wife even make a joke that if she ever suffer the same fate in the near future, she rather go out with dignity and that she doesn't want no care home.

There is no exuse for the man hitting his mother to death, but i also understand how a man could snap when it's limit has been reach at a certain point. This is a pitfall where many families are stuck with when they can't afford a care home for a family member that suffer a illness. I wish the government does more in this area instead of wasting money of military, olympics, foreign aides or whatever moon food development nonsense etc.

Very sad.After living in Japan for more than 24 years I've observed somethings in the society.

1.Cup is very clean on the outside.But inside..?By this I mean Japanese people mind a lot about outside appearance and will do anything to protect that but on the inside,there's a huge problem.

2.Gvt and media have done an excellent job brainwashing the populace that Japan is the best country in the world.Many Japanese people keep on asking me whether I love Japan etc expecting me to reply that I love everything about Japan,but when I reply that there are things I like and things that I don't like,they get surprised.

Many Japanese people think that they live a good life but when I compare to many of my friends overseas,life here is miserable.Life here is a virtual robot,die sad,alone and miserable or get killed by a family member who is tire of taking care of you.

@Hiro Very well said, many here can post and speculate what the son did. What one does not realize is they never know when they have to walk down that very same path. Try walking in the shoes of the man, yes many say 58 y.o living with his mom. I can think of many reasons he was still there one would be love, but on the other side of love is the ugly word hate, perhaps it was not that he hated his mother it could have simply been he hated seeing the one he loved so much in such a human state. Sad ending for mom and son regardless.

Laundry is serious business here considering we're only one generation away from beating the kimonos on the river rocks.

@Ken: "Cup is very clean on the outside.But inside..? By this I mean Japanese people mind a lot about outside appearance and will do anything to protect that but on the inside,there's a huge problem."

and denial and image is a huge part of their reality perception, criticism, is attacked, censureship is a utility, and IMO the justice system is just them.

"Noguchi visited a police station..to confess to his authorities.

his conscience recourse.

When words are not enough…

58yo man living with his mother. Enough said.

In the west, proper people hide their elderly parents away in care homes where they can be abused by underpaid staff. Much more civilized than doing it oneself.

Another pathetic excuse of dementia. Brutal cold blood murder was what it was.

@commanteer

In the west, proper people hide their elderly parents away in care homes where they can be abused by underpaid staff. Much more civilized than doing it oneself.

Well said.

And,

See what happened, the boy is not grateful at all.

And for the 'grateful' child, there are the diaper changes...

Someone suffering from dementia is not a valid excuse for dusting them off. this is unjustified and now this 58 year old loser has messed up his own life. Hope you find a confortable cell, buddy boy.

@kenntwatogaijinAug. 13  05:18 pm JST

These kinds of events are common and will continue to happen under the Japanese health benefits and pension system.

The problem is not the Japanese health benefits and pension system.

The problem is the education and the hearts of a few lunatics who harm the weakest, as it happens everywhere.

No more drama.

An interesting point you made. It’s almost as if it’s a short cut to thinking.