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Gov't official looking after returnees from Wuhan found dead

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It is possible he feared he had been exposed to this horrible disease. 

Because jumping off a tall building is better than catching the flu?

15 ( +20 / -5 )

I hope this isn’t a case of karoshi and that his so-called supervisors insisted he work 20 hours a day non-stop forever.

I also hope an investigation is completed and believable so we can learn exactly why he jumped.

I hope he has found rest from whatever drove him to suicide.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Poor fellow. The pressure piled on him by his supervisors and the public got too much for him? May God care for him.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Fear is far more deadly than the flu.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Condolences to the departed survivors family and friends at this tragedy.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Just an interesting observation.

There are quite a few back-seat socio-psychologists weighing in on a bare-bones sketch of a suicide. Having lived in Japan for over 36 years now, I am one of those who have worked for an all Japanese firm, and then later worked for an all Japanese University, both of which shall remain unnamed in accordance with JapanToday policy.

That being said, shortly after the apparent suicide of a Japanese colleague, I resigned in protest from a tenured position in that Japanese school, or risk my own suicide. That was 5 years ago. I am still on a monthly prescription of anti-depressants, still unemployed, and now having reached an age where I am no longer in the running for employment.

Looking at the downvotes of my earlier comment ... I wonder which of my two points are so unpalatable to those readers:

1 - The veracity of Reporters Without Borders

2 - My right to even 'wonder about one possibility'

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Who's naive enough to believe this is just a coincidence?

6 ( +10 / -4 )

RIP poor man.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

That's really weird. Why he'd jump from there among all other places ?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

As a couple of posters have hinted at, I can not help but to wonder about one possibility ... that the suicide was because the worker knew something the rest of us do not, and are not permitted to know. Reporters Without Borders have good reason to rank Japan 67, and China 177 respectively.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

"Found collapsed" is hardly the term I would use to describe the state of a body that fell from a few floors !!!!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

 It is possible he feared he had been exposed to this horrible disease. The health workers risking everything to help during this disaster - with no vaccines to protect them - are real heroes, and deserve thanks.

Let's not get carried away - it's not ebola. A 2% mortality rate, mostly the elderly or infirm. For most, it's just a case of the flu.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

”whatever drove him to suicide”

The virus scare probably factors in there somewhere, but I’m guessing that the real reason is the same one that drives so many of his fellow countrymen to call it quits and check out before their time. Unrealistic expectations from superiors, lack of support, over-reliance on powers of “gaman”, the constantly reinforced feeling that I’m expendable and the hive won’t miss me.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The job no one wanted given to the guy that didn't mean anything to anyone. I would investigate how this guy was selected and why!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What a strange incident. RIP, and hope the cause is found.

borschtToday  08:45 am JST

I hope he has found rest from whatever drove him to suicide.

Of course he did, He's dead.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

@Let's not get carried away - it's not ebola. A 2% mortality rate, mostly the elderly or infirm. For most, it's just a case of the flu.

Sure I got the flu shot so I'm not worried! Yeah keep telling yourself that since the flu shot does not cover coronavirus nor is there a vaccine yet that does. Yeah just the flu no reason to worry or panic, by the way achoo. sorry I just blasted in your face, but don't worry its just the flu.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Only people who've worked in a 100% japanese company (unrelated to any foreign business) know what might be in one of these people's minds.

How come? You rather kill yourself than quit your job? It sounds ridiculous but the reality is that once in a "shain" position, the company takes over your soul, you are only allowed to go home, have a 3-day trip or enjoy any life outside of the company when your boss says so, too much pressure and responsibilities on your shoulders, during your first week you are paraded around within and outside of the company (for clients etc) as the "new person in charge", this during your very first week while you don't even know you are going to stay or not.

You start questioning your own existence. So much stuff undone everyday you don't even feel hungry anymore.So this is life? Same train, same people, same seat, same pressure everyday for the rest of my life?

Fortunately the environment is pretty much different at international companies in Japan, but I really feel sorry for the average japanese. There is no different between a man and a hamster running-sleeping-running-sleeping.

My own japanese wife opened my eyes 3 months later. Why did you choose a japanese company to work? "Gaikokujin wa isogashiku shigoto shitakunai noyo" (foreigners don't like to work with so much pressure and urgency everyday). After so many years in Japan I totally forgot about that.

Working for a j-company/having a japanese boss, never again!

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Yikes.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Hmmm, can't tell if he's collapsed or fallen from a great height, let's bring in the prosecutors to investigate, lol.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

I hope this isn’t a case of karoshi and that his so-called supervisors insisted he work 20 hours a day non-stop forever.

This ^. Labour shortage, extraordinary unanticipated crisis, specialised skills....

RIP tireless worker.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Maybe he was pushed.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Seriously, seriously MESSED UP!!

RIP

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Which came first, the suicidal impulse or the egging on?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What comes to mind is the thought that this assignment might have been a kind of punishment, suggesting a bigger backstory to his problems. Of course that's pure speculation. Only his family and friends would know if he was being harassed at work.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tamiflu?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

RIP. It is possible he feared he had been exposed to this horrible disease. The health workers risking everything to help during this disaster - with no vaccines to protect them - are real heroes, and deserve thanks.

-9 ( +13 / -22 )

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