# Assisted Suicide In Places Like Japan.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assisted-suicide-in-places-like-japan/627193>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 4, 2012, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assisted-suicide-in-places-like-japan/627193 "2012-07-04T08:13:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assisted-suicide-in-places-like-japan/627193/1 "2012-07-04T08:13:15Z")

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Assisted suicide remains a controversial issue just about wherever it is brought up. But I was wondering something.

How does the issue fare in a place like Japan? Think about it. In Japanese culture, as I understand it, suicide can be an honorable act. So assisted suicide for those in terminal pain should be a non-issue there, right? Yet I’ve never heard of Japan legalizing assisted suicide.

So how exactly does the issue of assisted fare in places where suicide is accepted (for various reasons) to begin with? (I’m sure Japan is not the only place.)

:):)🙂

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assisted-suicide-in-places-like-japan/627193/2 "2012-07-06T03:01:30Z")

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From [here](http://www.assistedsuicide.org/suicide_laws.html):

> [@](#):
>
> Japan has medical voluntary euthanasia approved by a high court in l962 in the Yamagouchi case, but instances are extremely rare, seemingly because of complicated taboos on suicide, dying and death in that country, and a reluctance to accept the same individualism that Americans and Europeans enjoy. The Japan Society for Dying with Dignity is the largest right-to-die group in the world with more than 100,000 paid up members. Currently, the Society feels it wise to campaign only for passive euthanasia – good advance directives about terminal care, and no futile treatment. Voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide are rarely talked about, which seems strange to Westerners who have heard so much about the culture of ritual suicide, hari kari, in Japanese history. This is because, one Society official explained: “In Japan, everything is hierarchical, including academics, and government organization, and this makes it difficult for the medical staff and those who offer psychiatric care to join forces to treat the dying.”