The Death Penalty
I find this hard to believe, but a Japanese person told me this today. If you commit suicide in Japan by jumping in front of a train and don’t have adequate insurance, your family is liable for the costs of cleaning up your remains and any loss of business resulting from your death. I can only imagine what it’s like to be presented with an invoice which basically boils down to:
Further to your family member’s recent suicide, please inspect and honour the following items:
Cleaning (Blood etc; 4 people x 3 hours @ ¥2,000 ppph) - ¥24,000
Sundries (Removal of your father / brother / husband’s [Please delete as applicable] torso) - ¥50,000
Subtotal - ¥74,000
Tax @ 5% - ¥3,700
Total - ¥77,700
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Please Pay Promptly
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Unbelievable. And yet worryingly believable…