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A man was struck and killed by a shinkansen (bullet train) in Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture, on Monday night in what police believe was an apparent suicide.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 9:45 p.m. on the Joetsu shinkansen line that connects Tokyo to Niigata Prefecture, Fuji TV reported. The driver of the train bound for Tokyo told police he saw a man standing on the tracks near Honjo-Waseda Station. He said he applied the brake but couldn't stop in time.
Police have not identified the man yet but said he appeared to be in his 20s to 40s.
© Japan Today
5 Comments
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Sherman
**Police have not identified the man yet but said he appeared to be in his 20s to 40s.
I would think he did not appear like very much after that impact.
AgentX
And suicides will continue to happen daily because the root causes are ignored and largely swept under the carpet. With such a high suicide rate, you would think meaningful changes would be made but...
I feel for this man, (more than likely) yet another that was simply driven off the edge. RIP.
Aly Rustom
So do I. I feel for him too. You get hit by a bullet train, its different from a regular train. I would be surprised if they managed to identify him. They are not called bullet trains for nothing. They go real fast..
borscht
Aly,
Niigata bullet trains slow down considerably once they hit the populated areas of Saitama in order to reduce the noise level. They aren't going even close to top speed in that area.
I feel sorry for him, too. I hope they discover what pushed him to suicide and warn others, be it over work, bullying, or a feeling of despair or depression. As AgentX said, no more sweeping the causes under the rug.
Aly Rustom
borscht- you're right. I stand corrected. Thanks for that input.