A 93-year-old man and his 90-year-old wife were found dead in the bathtub at their home in Tokyo’s Ota Ward, police said Sunday.
According to police, Miyozo Nozawa and his wife Chii were found by their 60-year-old son, who lived with them, at around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sankei Shimbun reported. He called 119.
Police said the elderly couple were naked and submerged in the bath. They were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead.
The son told police that his mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and that his father would often get in the bath to help her. He said it usually took about an hour but after they did not emerge from the bathroom two hours later, he went to see if they were alright.
Police said there were no external signs of injury on the bodies and that it appears they both drowned.
© Japan Today
10 Comments
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HARRYO
This is a tragic story or could it be a love story - How two people who have been married and shall we say in love for so many years seem to perish together. Live together, Die Together, Buried Together.
sensei258
Maybe, just maybe, the heartbroken husband had watched his wife suffer enough, and decided they should both go.
Dirk T
This isn't an uncommon way for elderly Japanese to die except in pairs it is quite unusual.
Lindsay
Very odd indeed. At least the died together, I suppose.
sensei258
I think you're right
Patricia Yarrow
Not regulated to only Japanese, of course. However, there is quite a literary history of this in Japan.
Omachi
Just as likely that the man had a heart attack or a stroke...
Will Goode
Are you sure its 119?
In some countries its 911, and in others its 999, or even 000
How daft the World can't even work together on this simple matter, to make it universal one code !
Very hard for foreign workers to know what to do, but I suppose they should know.
sensei258
You have two very old parents, one of them with Alzheimer's, and you waited two hours to check on them? I would have checked every 10 or 15 minutes at least.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Could the son be a suspect by any chance....