TEPCO admits culpability in Fukushima farmer's suicide

Well it's a start, and the saddest thing is that it took someone to die in such a gruesome manner to have it hit home!

TEPCO should be ashamed of itself, but sadly it won't be.

Sorry but TEPCO is not at fault here. A natural disaster occurred along with a nuclear disaster and this guy couldn't deal with reality. Others went on as difficult as it was, is. He didn't. His fault for talking his own life.

I want them to come to my house under the name of the company and bow to my father's altar. My fight is not over yet.

Um, yeah it is. Time to stop denying someone else is at fault for your father's own decision.

along with a nuclear disaster and this guy couldn't deal with reality

not a "nuclear disaster" , a "men made nuclear disaster", TEPCO has already admitted it.

iceshoecream: "Sorry but TEPCO is not at fault here."

They absolutely are. Sure, a natural disaster occurred, but TEPCO is responsible for ignoring repeated warnings about such an event occurring, having outdated backup power sources (UNDERGROUND, where water goes, for that matter!). They are responsible because they could have avoided a lot of the fall out if they admitted they had no idea what was going on and let in extra help (government's fault as well in this case), and if, instead of trying to salvage the plant in desperation should have DAYS before dumped sea water on reactors.

They are 100% to blame, and not just for this man's death, but for many others as well.

Neither TEPCO nor the Government of Japan foresee the gravity of the calamity. of the accident.Moreover the area is predominantly agricultural and.Its difficult for a farmer to switch over to other occupations for livelihood ,.so a large number of farmers taking to suicide. PM Abe should take this farmer rehabilitation on priority basis.

@ iceshoecream - that's pretty cold buddy. The government and TEPCO have admitted this was a man-made disaster, and it most likely couldve been avoided if safety had been a priority rather than profit. The very least these grubs who still "work" for that rotten company can do is get on their knees and apologize at the poor mans shrine.

Neither TEPCO nor the Government of Japan foresee the gravity of the calamity.

Maybe not on the level that it happened, yet consider this; If TEPCO had kept it's backup power generators off the ground up on a higher level chances are we wouldn't even be discussing anything about it right now. Like smith noted, TEPCO and all other nuclear power companies here were warned and they ignored the warnings. Not to mention their lying through their teeth to the government and public after the tsunami hit.

It a truly tragic way what happened at Fukushima has opened the eyes of many regarding the inherent dangers that this country faces with it's nuclear reactors and maybe, hopefully, this disaster will end up having a positive effect in weaning the country off nuclear energy in the near future.

TEPCO is responsible for destroying this man's livelihood and future and should be made to pay for it!

The government has officially recognized that at least 80 people had committed suicide by December last year because of the Fukushima disaster.

And I hope the naysayers here who continue to defend TEPCO by saying no one has died because of Fukushima, you are wrong. Whether it be by radiation or suicide TEPCO is to blame!

TEPCO has admitted the meltdown was a man-made disaster due to not having sufficient back up procedures and ignoring warnings over many years, this makes them criminally culpable for all deaths associated with the meltdown. This article states that at least 80 people have committed suicide in the wake of the meltdown and I have no doubt this number is a conservative estimate. I also have no doubt this number is growing daily. But, I have to ask the same question I have been asking for over two years: Why hasn't anyone from TEPCO faced criminal charges?

Suicide has two causes, both external and internal. The external cause is Tepco's nuclear accident and the internal cause is the man's mental state: am sure he suffered depression , and his responsibility is to overcome that depression, through counselling, etc.

To blame Tepco alone for the man's suicide is to negate the man's (who took suicide) responsibility to make the right decision about his life (not to kill himself). Sorry for the man's family but Japan should have a stronger moral stand against suicide to prevent easy attempts to suicide.

The future/now responsibility of Tepco is to learn from the accident , and establish proper safety measures.

zichi: "Now it'll cost more than ¥50 trillion to try and clean up the LEVEL 7 disaster."

And that 50 trillion is certainly not coming out of TEPCO's coffers.

It really doesn't matter if this was a man made disaster. There was a disaster and he couldn't deal with the situation at hand. Not even seeking help. He himself, not TEPCO, decided to put a rope around his neck and end his life.

The only slightly worrying aspect of this decision is whether it may set a precedent where others in similar situations may consider suicide to financially benefit their families. I know it sounds outlandish, but there have been many cases in Japan where people have committed suicide for the financial gain (usually through life insurance plans) of their family or to pay off yakuza loans.

"Consumer loan companies have much to do with the suicide rate. The National Police Agency states that one fourth of all suicides are financially motivated. Many deaths every year are described as being inseki-jisatsu ("responsibility-driven" suicides).[4] Japanese banks set extremely tough conditions for loans, forcing borrowers to use relatives and friends as guarantors who become liable for the defaulted loans, producing extreme guilt and despair in the borrower.[24] Rather than placing the burden on their guarantors, many have been attempting to take responsibility for their unpaid loans and outstanding debts through life insurance payouts.[4] In fiscal year 2005, 17 consumer loan firms received a combined 4.3 billion yen in suicide policy payouts on 4,908 borrowers — or some 15 percent of the 32,552 suicides in 2005.[25] Lawyers and other experts allege that, in some cases, collectors harass debtors to the point they take this route.[25] Japanese nonbank lenders, starting in the mid-1990s, began taking out life insurance policies which include suicide payouts on borrowers that included suicide coverage, and borrowers are not required to be notified.[25]" source wikipedia

While Tepco has much to answer for, accepting that the actions of others "cause" suicide only results in ... more suicide

How many Workers Disappeared When The Reactor blew the Roof off Never admitted to that either.

“I just didn’t want TEPCO to keep saying no one was killed because of the nuclear accident,” said Kazuya Tarukawa, the dead man’s 37-year-old son.

This was the best way for Mr Tarukawa to honour his father. I applaud him.

I know people who had to evacuate within 20km from fukushima dai ichi. they got 40,00 yen in compensation. i kid you not. they now live in chiba.

there you have it, TEPCO officials should be behind bars...

“I just didn’t want TEPCO to keep saying no one was killed because of the nuclear accident,” said Kazuya Tarukawa, the dead man’s 37-year-old son.

Why not? It's true. Just because your father decided that life was not worth continuing and ended his life doesn't give you the authority to blame TEPCO for your father's inability to cope. Rather than trying to blame the nuclear accident for your father's death, you should ask yourself why the other 10's of thousands of people directly affected by the disaster have found reasons to KEEP living. Your father was a quitter. Deal with it - but not in the courts.

TEPCO officials should be behind bars...

Clearly, except in nuclear business, if another "lambda" company was acting similar and admitted a "man made disaster" of that importance and " culpability in somebody's suicide", officials will have to face the law.