"完全自殺マニュアル" or “The Complete Suicide Manual” is a book of Japanese
origin that portrays the problem of the “harshness of life” in Japanese
society, while also addressing various methods of suicide in an effort to make
a “suffocating society a more bearable place.”
Publication and author.
First published on July 4, 1993, and having sold more than 1 million copies,
"The Complete Suicide Manual" was written by Wataru Tsurumi, who shares the
following in the book itself:
“If you believe that, at the worst, most critical moment, you can escape
the pain by committing suicide, you can get through that moment more
easily. That is why, by distributing this book, I want to make this
suffocating society a more livable place. That is the purpose of this
book. And I never intend to encourage readers to commit suicide.”
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| Wataru Tsurumi |
Content.
Since the book is intended to be a manual, the author does not focus on
discussing the reasons and philosophy behind suicide, although he
rhetorically poses the question, “Why must we live?” Wataru simply
presents the methods of suicide one by one and then analyzes each one in
detail.
Methods.
Spanning 198 pages (in its original version), the book provides detailed
descriptions and analyses of 11 methods of suicide:
- Medication overdose.
- Hanging.
- Self-defenestration (jumping from a high place).
- Incisions in the wrist, the carotid artery, and the abdomen.
- Collision, being struck by a vehicle, or being crushed.
- Gas poisoning.
- Electrocution.
- Drowning.
- Self-immolation.
- Freezing.
- Special cases (firearms, starvation, quicksand, being devoured,
euthanasia).
Statistics.
Taking a scientific approach, the book provides a practical assessment using
a chart that evaluates the method in question in the following terms:
- Pain.
- Time.
- Effort.
- Unpleasant.
- Annoying.
- Impact.
- Mortality rate.
Each of these topics is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 skulls, with 5 skulls
indicating the highest rating.
Informational purposes only.
It should be noted that the book neither encourages nor discourages suicide,
nor does it tell those who are considering suicide to seek help, although it
uses expressions such as “completely painless” and “wonderful experience” to
indicate that certain methods are less painful and more fatal than others.
Furthermore, the book shows that certain popular methods of suicide have
very low success rates.
Controversy.
Yugaitosho.
Since its publication, and as expected, the book has been the subject of
controversy and public debate. Although it was not censored by the Japanese
government, since the Japanese Penal Code only censors graphic depictions of
sexual organs, some prefectures designated it as “yugaitosho” (a book
harmful to young people), restricting its sale to minors.
A cause of suicides?
Over the years, there have been reports of people who took their own lives
and were found with the book next to their bodies, including several cases
of high school students committing suicide.
Some attribute Japan's high suicide rate not only to the number of people
who attempt suicide but also to the fact that people are using more lethal
methods. While some argue that since its publication, the book has made
suicide attempts more fatal, the extent to which the book has contributed to
this trend is unknown.
Sequel.
Following numerous negative reviews and a few positive ones, Wataru Tsurumi
published a second book titled “僕達の完全自殺マニュアル” or “Our Complete
Suicide Manual,” in which the author addresses the letters and emails he has
received, both supportive and hateful, and helps shift public attention
toward the reasons why people commit suicide. This sequel helped to quell
the controversy surrounding the original book.
“The Complete Suicide Manual” in popular culture.
In 2003, Osamu Fukutani drew inspiration from the book for his film
“自殺マニュアル” or “Suicide Manual.”
The book has also been referenced in the manga series “Bungō Stray Dogs,”
written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa.
Availability.
Currently, “The Complete Suicide Manual” and “Our Complete Suicide Manual”
are available to the public in Japanese, English, Spanish, and other
languages.
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