# Is suicide legal in Japan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 29, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390 "2002-07-29T16:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/1 "2002-07-29T16:40:55Z")
I tried googling \ and variations thereof, I search the archives. I know all about \*shinju, jisatu, \* and \* seppaku \*. I know that it is an honourable option to causeing shame to befall upon you and all those with whom you associate. But, i need the straight dope here: is it **legal**? ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/2 "2002-07-29T16:43:28Z")
how did that smiley get in there. . . . As I understand it, different developed countries have conflicting laws on the act of suicide as well as euthanasia. I am really only concerned about the suicide laws. Euthanasia brings too many other apects into my curiousity. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/3 "2002-07-29T17:34:28Z")
Uhhh… since when is suicide ever illegal? What are they gonna do, execute you? (To use an old joke) ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/4 "2002-07-29T17:42:33Z")
And the smiliy showed because you put a “;” followed by a “j” hence happy li’l orthodox jewish man. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/5 "2002-07-29T17:53:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smiling bandit \* > \*\*Uhhh… since when is suicide ever illegal? What are they gonna do, execute you? (To use an old joke) \*\* Well according to Alvarez’s great book on suicide “The Savage God” suicide is still illegal in Britain. He said when he tried to kill himself the cops came by and said, rather suggestively, “It was an accident, WASNT it sir?” They did not want to have to prosecute someone for suicide. Before teh 20th century suicide was riddled with taboos. Suicides (attempters) used to get all sort of attrocities performed on them. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/6 "2002-07-29T17:59:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by \*\*\*smiling bandit \*\* > And the smiliy showed because you put a “;” followed by a “j” hence happy li’l orthodox jewish man. And you didn’t check Disable Smilies in This Post. I have disabled smilies in the OP. Preview is your friend. **DrMatrix** ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/7 "2002-07-29T18:18:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pythagoras \* > \*\* > > Well according to Alvarez’s great book on suicide “The Savage God” suicide is still illegal in Britain. He said when he tried to kill himself the cops came by and said, rather suggestively, “It was an accident, WASNT it sir?” They did not want to have to prosecute someone for suicide. > \*\* I do believe this is a case of _attempted_ suicide, which I have heard is illegal in certain, if not all, states here in the U.S. as well. I’ll look for some links. Don’t know if _suicide_ is illegal anywhere, but even if it is, I find it highly unlikely someone would be prosecuted for it. ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/8 "2002-07-29T19:32:00Z")
Thanks **DrMatrix** , preview and I haven’t been getting along very well lately because the computer gets in the middle and takes too long. it was rhetorical, **smilingbandit** I don’t really care if you are prosecuted for it, I am just curious to know if it is on the books. ---
**Author:** ![Boobka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Boobka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boobka)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/9 "2002-07-29T19:56:55Z")
I can’t find (quick search through Texas Penal Codes) that suicide is illegal, but a police officer may use force in order to prevent yourself from harming yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/10 "2002-07-30T04:00:59Z")
I don’t believe it is, although there can be some penalties depending on how you do it. Most of the railway companies now will fine families of people who kill themselves by jumping in front of trains to make up for the delays (and to discourage people from using the trains to off themselves). Depending on the line and time of day, the fines can be as high as US$50,000. Also, until recently, most life insurance policies in Japan would still pay out if the insuree committed suicide. Suicide therefore became a last-ditch way for desperate people who had racked up huge debts to help their families get out from under. Since the end of the bubble economy, the number of finance-related suicides has soared, and most insurance companies have now made suicide grounds for non-payment. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/11 "2002-07-30T04:02:46Z")
Whoops! I mis-read your question. I don’t believe it’s _il_legal to commit suicide in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/12 "2002-07-30T06:24:08Z")
I Googled “suicide illegal” in japanese and to my surprise a great many sites popped up that all confirmed it is indeed illegal, though non-punishable. However, helping someone commit suicide is a punishable offence. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/13 "2002-07-30T06:41:28Z")
Sorry for the double post, after checking more serious sites, I have to say I was wrong in my first post. From [this site:](http://www1.plala.or.jp/kunibou/houritu/k016.html) (translation mine.) > [@](#): > > Suicide-related offenses - articles 199 onward. > > (…) > 2. Participation to suicide, consent to murder (article 202). > Participation to suicide: suicide itself is not a crime. (Disposing of one’s own life is not illegal.) However, the act of influencing on someone else’s death cannot legally be left to the responsabilities of the parties involved and is thus illegal. Sorry for the wrong info, but there seems to be a lot of rumours flying around in Japan too about the actual legal status of suicide. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/14 "2002-07-30T08:22:34Z")
I Googled “suicide illegal” in japanese and to my surprise a great many sites popped up that all confirmed it is indeed illegal, though non-punishable. However, helping someone commit suicide is a punishable offence. ---
**Author:** ![kase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@kase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kase)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/15 "2002-07-30T10:16:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Most of the railway companies now will fine families of people who kill themselves by jumping in front of trains to make up for the delays (and to discourage people from using the trains to off themselves). Depending on the line and time of day, the fines can be as high as US$50,000. You’re joking, right? **Sublight**? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/16 "2002-07-30T11:50:08Z")
How can a railway company fine someone? I know that corporations run Japan, but is it really that extremem? ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/17 "2002-07-30T15:28:23Z")
\*\* jovan \*\* you are amazing! i don’t suppose you have that site still in your history? unless it is in japanese, which I cannot read. **Sublight** , is that railroad companies in Japan? thanks guys so much! I feel that my curiousity has been well-satiated. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/18 "2002-07-30T15:29:55Z")
right, just noticed that was link-text. . . thanks again **jovan** ---
**Author:** ![breaknrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@breaknrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaknrun)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/19 "2002-07-30T22:58:57Z")
Suicide used to be illegal in the US but according to this[site](http://www.pitt.edu/utimes/issues/31/990429/21.html), not any more. Regarding the question of prosecution, would-be suicides could be (and sometimes were) involuntarily committed to an institution and for many, this isn’t a desirable experience. I found another site which says that assisted suicide is legal in Japan if certain conditions are met. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390/20 "2002-07-31T03:11:05Z")
As I recall, part of traditional Seppuku involves the suicide (Suicide’ee?) being beheaded by a friend with a sword. I’m guessing THAT part would be illegal these days. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal-in-japan/121390.md?page=2)