Woman kills three children and herself in charcoal-burning murder-suicide

6-9-10.... how sad to take their lives away from them.

I wonder what happen Divorce depression debt?

Tragically sad! Why kill her kids too? Just because she stuffed up her life doesn't mean she has the right to murder her children too! It happens all too regularly in Japan.

Said it before and I'll say it again, its tough being a kid in Japan

Said it before and I'll say it again, its tough being a kid in Japan

Sorry - cant quite agree with this. I think it is fantastic being a kid in Japan IF you have good parents.

Horrible selfish Biatch of a woman.

This is just so depressing....

Japan's unfit parents strike again: Contributing to the country's dwindling population on a daily basis. Truly sad news.

Not the mother's but the society's (and our's) fault. Nobody should be allowed by a civilized society to go that deep under... We are obviously not THAT civilized yet...

Why are there so many selfish parents in Japan. There is no acceptable reason for murdering your children. If you do not have the backbone to deal will life yourself fair enough and farewell. Just know that if you harm anyone else whilst you cowardly check out, your life was worthless and you will always be considered a POS by those that knew you..

For Japan's sake, I hope this is investigated as a real murder. I can't imagine the children went with this voluntarily.

For Japan's sake, I hope this is investigated as a real murder. I can't imagine the children went with this voluntarily.

Of course it's a murder, hence "murder-suicide" in the headline above. Since the murderer is herself dead though, they can't exactly charge her with it.

Not a whole lot of information to this article and no mention at all of possible reason (ie. single mother and stressed out, money problems, etc.), but anyway this is yet another example of a parent murdering her own kids, and quite frankly I wonder how many more times this month we'll hear this kind of thing, or this year, or in the future, before something is done to try and combat it. Again, we don't know WHY the woman did what she did (and sorry but I'm only checking this on JT -- I'm not going to bother with other news sources for this paritcular story), but I'm guessing stress and/or depression were involved, and that she could have used some support.

Now, that's not at all to say she is not to blame, and of course ultimately she's a murderer, I'm just saying we need to do more as a society to try and help people and avoid this type of situation when and where possible.

ebisen: "Not the mother's but the society's (and our's) fault."

Yes and no. Like I said, we can do more in general, and there needs to be a better support system to help people with stress, depression, suicidal tendencies, etc., and less stigma attached to emotional problems and disorders, but it was ultimately still the woman's decision to do what she did, and she took three innocent lives with her. It someone hits rock-bottom like that it must be very hard to reach them, and for them suicide very tempting, but PLEASE stop taking others with you!!!

I think it is fantastic being a kid in Japan IF you have good parents.

OMGhontoni, having "good parents" or not should not be a question of life and death for the little ones. Japan is not particularly a safe place for children, since there are no established safety nets for parents going through hard times. It's swim or drown, there is nothing in between.

I would gladly see my tax money (yes, I DO pay them to Japan without receiving anything in return) spent for active social programs.

bluesea67May. 24, 2012 - 07:55AM JST

I wonder what happen Divorce depression debt?

All of the above? Maybe the father's not alive? Who knows, but what a depressing story. And I agree with Smithinjapan in that, sure the mother is abviously a murderer, but with so many suicides in Japan, it's hard to understand why there isn't more support from the government. The Government should be making a big deal about this and set up full-blown campaigns with support/call centers, and financial help, yet they seem to be doing nothing (either nothing, or if they are, it's not enough).

Japan is not particularly a safe place for children, since there are no established safety nets for parents going through hard times. It's swim or drown, there is nothing in between.

I didnt say rich parents - money shouldnt come into whether or not your childhood is happy. Having good parents absolutely does.

And there actually ARE plenty of safety nets established for people having a hard time. They are not great, but they are there.

Sad this woman found herself in such a hopeless situation, even sadder for the children who had no say in the matter.

And there actually ARE plenty of safety nets established for people having a hard time. They are not great, but they are there.

Very poor safety nets, if in fact they can even be called that. Mental health issues are too often swept under the rug here. Mental health care is decades behind most modern countries. That's not to say this couldn't happen elsewhere, but it does seem to happen a lot here. These people obviously feel there's no way out.

Tragic for those kids. Tragic.

tamanegi, what does "being a kid in Japan" have to do with this article? The vast majority of children lead normal lives and are NOT being killed by their parents.

28 y.o mother with 10 y.o. kid, which means she had the kid when she was 18. I think this says a lot. If you are that young with kids and no education, and with no support from family... My mother had me when she was 18, but my grandmother was beside her all the time, and my father was very, very responcible. Besides, at that time , in my darn socialist country it was pretty easy to have children- free child care, free medical care, free school until university, cheap food and clothes, 3 years maternity leave (my mother didn't use it, though, but my grandmother was allowed 1 year leave for child care!)

But what puzzles me most is the fact that there were no visible injuries. If a 10-9 y.o kid doesn't want to die, he would put a hell of a fight. Especially if there are two of them. Especially in a car.

I always enjoy reading the comments to thought-provoking articles here. This one is a recurring yet increasingly problematic societal issue. Japan has always had a long tradition of infanticide, matricide, patricide, and yes suicide.

If you are infirm, unstable, unemployable, no-longer productive or able to contribute to this inter-connected and collaborative society then by all means, exit! Excuse yourself. Make some onigiri or omusibi and go for a long, one-way stroll into the forests of no return - places like the Japan Alps or aogihara.

Period movies and moral tales all celebrate the stoicism and determination of men and women who realize the future is hopeless, their lives are ruined, they are burdens on society, hopeless, useless, rejected, and ignored. Sadly, the rest of society here "understand" and even in their sympathy often see the act as noble and appropriate. "Sick?" Oh yeah! But only in the eyes of the beholder... it happens everywhere but only so visibly here in Japan... Isn't that how Tunisia started the Arab Spring?

So Sad...

WTF...? Why are we reading about this again...?

If you want to kill yourself, FINE, Do It, but don'ta take any innocent kids with you!

They have a right to live too!

Rest in Peace to these 3 Angels.

Rot in Hell to the evil, vile woman. These cases are sadly becoming more and more common here by the day.

At least this headline says murder-suicide" unlike previous ones. Quality of life depends on love, money and health. Parents should protect their kids and if they can't, find a means to do it. There really needs to be more support and understanding for nutcases like this... If she had been seen to be suicidally depressed then help from either gov or family shouldve been forth coming. It is both society and family that have failed these kids. The monster mother I really couldn't give 2 hoots about. RIP little ones. RIH mother.

This was in Yanaga near Fukuoka Jogakuin University in Kasuga City, near Oonojo City, to the South of Fukuoka City. The mother was rumoured to be concerned over some health issue. Sometimes I have wondered if HIV spread among family members might be a cause of such murder-suicides, in an attempt to explain why anyone would do this.What went through the lady's mind? I guess that it is more of a case of sense of inseperableness. Perhaps the mother believed that her childrens' lives would be less than zero if she was not around. Perhaps she had a high and or inflated view of her childrens' dependency upon here. Or perhaps she did not have as a negative view of death as some of the posters here. Or perhaps she thought if she died the children would seperated from each other and felt that that was going to be too unpleasant for the children.

Agree with people above. This happens waaaaaay too often in Japan. Its population is getting older and older, and they're killing their own kids, be it a murder, a suicide or an accident (like that one when mother killed her kid with the car accidentally).

And to use this kind of torture-like tool - charcoal burner. Parents in Japan seem to find more and more unusual tools to kill their children.

Poor kids, and three of them! It must be pure horror for their grandmother...

With so little info to go on it's difficult to say anything other than RIP little kiddies.

I wonder what drove the mother to do it? It wouldn't surprise me if her husband didn't kill himself prior to this, sending her into a spiral of despair, depression, etc... but like I said, we don't know.

28 y.o mother with 10 y.o. kid, which means she had the kid when she was 18. I think this says a lot. If you are that young with kids and no education...

Since when does having a child at 18 make you uneducated? Rather judgmental statement.

Just wrong!!! Kill yourself but why kill your kids too!!???

But what puzzles me most is the fact that there were no visible injuries. If a 10-9 y.o kid doesn't want to die, he would put a hell of a fight. Especially if there are two of them. Especially in a car.

We don't know the time of death, but my guess would be that she took them out there in the night, since they weren't missed till school time- if they were even half asleep they wouldn't fight. So where was dad?

I knew one person who took her life this way & not being a strong drinker, she had a couple of glasses of wine before the act (but after sealing the room) - we assume she wanted to be unable to fight back. I think it's Singapore where charcoal is under lock & key in stores, to stop people loading up for suicide attempts.

And I have to agree that age 28 with 3 kids from 6 to 10 is a pretty stressful situation - was no one looking out for her? Sasoriza did qualify the no education comment with "If"... but it's a reasonable guess in Japan.

Poor kids & poor granny & teacher who found them.

How terrible... >.< RIP

RIP little ones selfish mother

Firstly, the woman could have had any of a number of problems that may have affected her ability to function. She perhaps had psychosis for example, and therefore calling her evil and selfish would be just plain wrong.

Secondly, what's with everyone always calling people who kill themselves, cowardly and weak, or selfish? I mean, carrying on with life is much easier in most cases, your brain is wired up to keep you going. Anybody can just exist, it's not difficult. Suicide is not the easy way out, just existing is.

Also, people calling the mentally ill or potentially mentally ill people, such things as nutcases, mad and evil, etc, hardly helps anyone. Why would someone try to go and get help if there's a good chance of being stigmatised and abused in such a way? You reap what you sow.

What a selfish b#$%&.

Sometimes I have wondered if HIV spread among family members might be a cause of such murder-suicides

That would not be a rational reason. 20 years ago, at the limit. But now, in rich countries, having HIV is like having diabetes, they need medication to avoid developing the illness, but they have normal lives.

The mother was rumoured to be concerned over some health issue.

Likely to be her mental health the issue. You must be crazy at the highest degree to kill 3 children. I have seen people that crazy and you don't discuss "You don't have the right... you know that's bad...". They need an injection and a stay in hospital. Sad the grandma and others did not see that woman was going to lose her mind. Or maybe they did, but eventually the children were let with the instable mother for lack of suitable health care. That's rarely "the first time".

It's Singapore where charcoal is under lock & key in stores, to stop people loading up for suicide attempts.

This is JAPAN unfortunately. You will find these items being sold just about everywhere, especially in those DIY stores like Joyful Honda and D2. Killing yourself is honorable in this country, not many Japanese people will be condemning this act, instead some would probably just "praise" her courage and determination. Sick if you ask me. RIP

This is tragic. Until Japan can face up to the realities of mental illness this will be all too frequent. I wonder if this woman was ever comforted with the irritatingly empty 'gaman suru'.

A little question... where is the father of the children ? Mothers are always alone... good times, bad times... too easy to blame them..

americangioMAY. 24, 2012 - 11:12PM JST

A little question... where is the father of the children ? Mothers are always alone... good times, bad times... too easy to blame them..

Excellent question indeed... Perhaps the children were "abducted" and the father wasn't allowed to meet with them as it happens in many of these cases... Perhaps the opposite and the father didn't care or offered any help? Too many questions that will go unanswered until we know more details. Only one thing for sure:

THREE INNOCENT YOUNG CHILDREN WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED BY THEIR OWN MOTHER.

Like it or not and understand it or not, the 'logic' behind killing your kids as well as yourself in Japan is so that you and them won't be a burden on anyone else. Whether that is a stupid reason or not (in our minds) is irrelevant, because that is the thinking behind it. We think it is the ultimate act of selfishness and cruelty but by ending one line of a family, it also eliminates any potential problems for the kids in the future. Not easy for most to understand but some still feel completely responsible for various kinds of problems or mistakes and are willing to terminate themselves and their offspring (i.e. any future generations) to avoid the (perceived) stigma they would carry with them if they continued to live. Quite scary but very interesting at the same time, if you really think about it hard.

For the life of me I can not understand this kind of mentality. RIP little kids!

Franchesca

All murders could be considered 'brutal', but that word makes us think of torture and/or being hacked to death or burned or starved etc. The kids would probably not have realized what was going on and then would have just gradually fallen unconscious (just like going to sleep) as the fumes increased. Not that anyone can speak from experience of course, but it is said that this method is basically a painless way to die.

For those who've been wondering why these occurrences still go on and on and on and on in Japan.

Allow me to explain; there is this uncanny behavior of suicide pact, which is called a ‘Shinjyu’, in Japanese society. Originally ‘shinjyu’ meant ‘the center of the heart’, in Kanji, but the meaning is ‘obligation to others’. It then changed for what the f$#@ ever reason by a hell of a lot of clueless sheeps in meaning to describe suicides performed together.

The Subclasses of Shinjyu

1) ‘Ikka-Shinjyu’ refers to a family suicide or a parents-children suicide, in which the suicidal individual kills their member(s) of family first and then themselves;

2) ‘Muri-Shinjyu’ refers to a forced suicide, in which the person wishing to commit suicide kills other people first before killing themselves. For this reason it’s considered to be a suicidehomicide, and the attempter, if he survives, is then indicted as a murderer. This also applies to ‘Ikka-Shinjyu’;

3) ‘Ato-oi-Shinjyu’ refers to a situation where a close relative/friend/lover commits suicide which causes another person to commit suicide out of grief;

The reason why the heartless b@stard parents had to take their children to the underworld with them because in this 'Shinjyu' thing; they would've been seen by their relatives or neighbours or whatever, as the lowest form of sh!t in the universe if they left their children to keep living alone, so instead they killed them too.

As long as this crazy a$$ 'Shinjyu' thing still in the back of Japanese people's mind, case like this will never ever stop.