Unemployed temp worker found dead from starvation in Osaka

Friday 16th January, 01:47 PM JST

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tjfrancis at 12:44 AM JST - 17th January

Umm...technically isn't this just another suicide ?

I was hoping not to have to dignify that with an answer, but obviously nobody else will. (or maybe they're doing the right thing and ignoring this senseless statement.)

do you understand the definition of suicide? two problems with your remark, one, the article does not say he "starved himself to death" it states he "starved to death!" two, he had 90 cents in his whole apartment and the fridge was empty. I bet you could find more loose change in the cracks of the sofas in most homes.

JR and other suicidal hotspots must be thrilled he didn't off himself in front of a train that would've slowed down business for a few hours and cost a couple of hundred dollars to clean up.
rajakumar at 12:58 AM JST - 17th January

Japan going down here. Stop sending aid outside japan,help japan unemployed and poor first. Death by starvation in 2nd richest nation or may be richest.

I forgot we can't eat cars,TVs,machines,petrol-diesel and bricks in high inflated cost of living,japan.
usaexpat at 01:01 AM JST - 17th January

He must not have cared to stay alive or he would have been begging or stealing food or eating out of a fast food garbage. Sad case but there's more to it than what's written in the story.
Ke11iente at 01:24 AM JST - 17th January

There was a way for him to survive. Probably his pride wouldn't let him. At one point while I was in Japan, I was severely broke, waiting on scholarship money to come through. I took my last 500 yen (most of it in 1 yen coins) and ignoring the scathing looks from the cashier at the super, bought a half loaf of bread, six eggs, and a tomato. I lived off that for a week and when that ran out, I ate "crackers" made of flour paste baked in the oven and invited myself over to friends' houses for dinner.

This is why no man is an island unto himself. You need to have friends, or at the very least, acquaintances who will help you out in a pinch. And you need to be willing to swallow your pride and ask for help when you're desperate. I guess it all depends on whether or not you think pride is worth dying for. Tricky question, that.
HonestDictator at 02:13 AM JST - 17th January

Smithinjapan hits it right on the mark. Pride and arrogance(dignity is certainly not descriptive in this mans plight), are not really good traits to have.

As for those who are hungry and poor in your respective countries, if you are able to buy them a little food then do it... donate any funds or foods to orgizations that specialise in such things as feeding and sheltering the homeless as well.
ca1ic0cat at 02:20 AM JST - 17th January

If he was sick that would have complicated the effects of malnutrition. IMHO, you have to be pretty creative to get support in Japan when you are broke. Not like you can show up at a soup kitchen. Another tragedy in any case.
samsarks at 06:33 AM JST - 17th January

we are going to see more these year and i hope we will live through this.in as much as we criticize japanese we still live here and have no immediate plans of leaving.why dont we offer solutions than just criticizing out of hatred.in one way or the other we are all japanese
MeanRingo at 07:17 AM JST - 17th January

Come on, this guy had some options. He could have asked for help somewhere. I'm not too well versed in the Japanese religions, but I'm sure there would have been some sort of aid provided at one of the local shrines or a community centre or some place.

And as for the Japanese not being willing to help out the homeless, I can't really paint the broad strokes some have. I've seen people walk by homeless people without batting an eyelash, but I've also seen people reach into their pocket once or twice. All kinds really. Once, I even saw a homeless man selling The Big Issue refuse a handout from a nice old lady passerby. He had some dignity. He was willing to push the mag. He didn't want to freeload. I was really quite surprised.

What I'd like to know more about is where did this guy get laid off from? Who was the former employee? If he was a temp worker, where did he temporarily work? I would like to find these folks and inform them of his sad demise. Perhaps the people putting out these kinds of orders would be more willing to cut into the bottom line if they really had an idea of what was happening to the masses they fire. This goes beyond Japan. Capitalism truly is a sick and twisted system when the chips are down.
shiuu at 08:02 AM JST - 17th January

Yet another example of someone living their life in such a way that not one friend or relative gives a damn if they starve to death.
hakujinsensei at 09:40 AM JST - 17th January

Yes, the guy should have gotten off his duff and drummed up some enterprise. He could have cleaned toilets, collected cans, shined shoes, run drugs for the yakuza... there are a number of things a down and out person can do to pull himself up by the boot straps. When I was young, I walked ten miles backwards uphill with no shoes daily to my dirt floored school to get my education...

A man has died, blaming him is the last thing that should be happening but reading these posts, it is easy to see why this kind of tragedy still exists in this day and age. The gross indifference makes me think of the church in Kyoto not too far from my house that sits cold and lifeless 6 days a week with two chains locking the front door as the pastor does whatever he does in his living quarters above.

Depression is a disease. This goes far beyond just another case of someone having too much pride to ask for assistance. Rather than posting the general knee jerk reaction that the government has failed the populace, or that he was a jerk and that is why nobody helped him or..... a good first step to see this kind of case not repeated would be for every poster here to get out and volunteer one day a month. I wonder how many are doing more that just complaining?
whyamiinjapan at 02:21 PM JST - 17th January

Poor bastard.
notimpressed at 07:29 PM JST - 17th January

whyamiinjapan: Poor bastard

Thats probably the most fair and honest statement that could be made. The rest of you all up in your crystal palaces critizing the poor guy, need to clone a new heart for yourselves.
ultradodgy at 03:21 PM JST - 20th January

It's really, really, really hard to starve to death.

Something tells me there is more to this story.
Asara at 11:07 PM JST - 21st January

Is japan asian top nation or poorest minded nation in asia?! Even India and Chian are managing over billion people without much of food problem (but surely there are many people dye over there with starvation but in japan?)
nisegaijin at 12:22 PM JST - 23rd January

It is amazing what a person can do when he is forced to starvation. This guy didn't do anything. so he died. nothing more. nothing less. i am not blaming anyone or anything.