# Is there any likelihood of mass hari kari occuring in Japan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-likelihood-of-mass-hari-kari-occuring-in-japan/574884 "2011-03-16T05:47:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-likelihood-of-mass-hari-kari-occuring-in-japan/574884/61 "2011-03-21T02:55:19Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Oh, apparently in 2000, some Quebec nationalist/rock singer did so too. You’re talking about André Fortin (frontman for Les Colocs, actually one of Quebec’s most famous bands in the 90s), but I’m not sure why you’re singling him out and especially in such a manner. He committed suicide because he was depressed. He did slice himself up with a knife, but I don’t think he’s the only one who did it recently; you only heard about it because he was famous. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-likelihood-of-mass-hari-kari-occuring-in-japan/574884/62 "2011-03-21T03:56:10Z")
I’m singling Fortin out because he and Inokuma were the only two reasonably famous people to commit seppuku since Mishima. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-likelihood-of-mass-hari-kari-occuring-in-japan/574884/63 "2011-03-21T07:07:38Z")
> [@wellanuff](#): > > In regards to my earlier comment about Tokyo Electric’s hands being dirty in this incident and that I would not be shocked to see someone take their life (although I do not think it is “likely” ), . . . . Japan does see a fair number of suicides for taking responsibility for things. Not a very high number in absolute there, as a percentage of suicides or as a percentage of those responsible for scandals, fatal accidents, bankruptcies or negligence in any of these, which are all cases where I have heard of suicides. I used to go to a friend’s family house for cherry blossom viewing at his house in Oita-ku in Tokyo. The father, a predominant attorney had borrowed heavily against the house to purchase stocks at the end of the bubble in the late 80s. The bubble crashed, he lost everything including the house which had been in their family for generations. His father killed himself rather than move out. Was that a case of responsibility suicide (to his ancestors) or being depressed? I don’t know, but what a waste of a really good man. > [@Susanann](#): > > Yep!! I remember that. It was not just officers, and it was not just Kamakazi either. Even Women civilians committed suicide instead of allowing themselves to be captured. I had several uncles, and several good close friends in the Pacific Theater fighting the Japanese. They told me everything. > > Frankly, I am as surprised as you are. > > The lack of suicides today regarding the unsafe Nuclear plants is certainly a puzzle all right. Humm. I’m never sure when I’m being whooshed or not. It’s “kamikaze,” although the Japanese use _tokkotai_ > [@Susanann](#): > > But of course!! obviously!! at least so far, which is why, which is the point of this topic. The facts appear to be that the Japanese today, esp those responsible for the nuclear reactors(and their construction, maintenance, placement, and destruction), are NOT committing suicide in large numbers. Given past history… Why aren’t they? What are the differences and what is the likelihood of future suicides? Exactly. That is a question I have as well, which I’ll address after the question of why we still aren’t burning witches at the stake. > [@](#): > > ( Your lack of knowledge about Japanese society and culture in the past as most vividly displayed during WW2, combining with a lack of knowledge of how the Japanese are reacting/will react today in today’s different situation prevents you from seeing “the puzzle” , and is preventing you from seeing > why this topic question itself is now being asked.) Can I play along? I don’t understand your point and I live in Japan. (Except when I play the part of a refugee.) Can you provide more hints as to why the outcome of two completely different scenarios should be the same, other than that the location is based in the same country? > [@Monty](#): > > You seem to misunderstand. I do not buy that someone could have “absolutely predicted” this particular quake and its ensuing tsunami. After all, it’s pretty darn obvious that nobody expects someone to build a freaking massive sea wall in less than a bloody half-hour. > > In short: I buy that the engineers involved built the reactor for the most probable incidents. If you use nuclear power, you must be prepared to deal with accidents. Coal-or gas-firing plants will not cause as wide-spread contamination if there is an accident. Japan experiences 20% of the world’s strongest earthquakes and the fault lines run in the sea by the island. If there is a major earthquake, there will be a strong likelihood of a major tsunami. If you cannot predict that, and decide how to design the facilities to handle the subsequent damage, you need to review your 8th grade geology and change jobs into something which your incompetence will hurt the public as much. Maybe start running tours or something. Whatever you do, you don’t just utilize a [model which is inherently dangerous](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/19/world/asia/reactordesign.html) for your location. Anyone who thinks that the idea on how to take precautions is _after_ an earthquake should never be let within a hundred miles of the plant, thank you. I do not buy that planning was adequate. The plant was designed to handle an 8.2 earthquake. > [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > It’s been 70 years, and cultures can change a lot in 70 years. Plus WWII Japan was weird, by Japanese standards, I mean. The government in WWII was pushing this militaristic nationalism that it linked with this fictionalized concept of Bushido, which explains why some of the military officers did so. Sixty-six, but close enough, and I agree with the points you make. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-likelihood-of-mass-hari-kari-occuring-in-japan/574884/64 "2011-03-30T10:10:07Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > In short: I buy that the engineers involved built the reactor for the most probable incidents. The Washington Post had an article the other day which said that it was likely that an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 would have produced a tsunami large enough to knock out the generators. In other news: The president of Tepco has been hospitalized from a failed seppuku attack. NOT. Stress from hypertension. Damn, they don’t make them like they used to. ---
**Author:** ![Anticounterrevolutionary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Anticounterrevolutionary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anticounterrevolutionary)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-likelihood-of-mass-hari-kari-occuring-in-japan/574884/65 "2011-04-26T18:41:52Z")
The LA Times this morning has an [article](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-suicides-20110424,0,3717274.story) **Japan fears post-quake rise in suicides** > [@](#): > > Reporting from Tokyo— Naoko Sugimoto has heard the news through the nation’s fledgling mental health grapevine, ominous reports of suicides in the region devastated by last month’s magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-likelihood-of-mass-hari-kari-occuring-in-japan/574884.md?page=3)