Japan’s Cliffside Suicide Vigilante

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By Anthony Hines

 

Japan is known for its high suicide rate and it even has a few locations named after the amount of suicides there. To quickly look into this, it is because Christianity was never a part of Japan’s culture, so suicide was not considered a sin. Another issue apart of the suicide rate is elders living in solitary. Before this happened, it was different. When parents got old, their children would take care of them, but that is no longer the case.

 

However, some are here to help change the suicide rate. A retired Japanese police detective, Yukio Shige, has begun work that he imposed upon himself. He patrols the Tojinbo Cliffs and tries to find people who are attempting suicide to prevent them from doing so. This is a huge accomplishment for the community, saving lives, and getting them back on track in life.

 

When he finds someone about to jump, he will talk them away from the cliffside and have them come towards him. Afterwards, he takes them to a cafe, where volunteers of the shop can help those individuals seek mental help. His hard work has saved the lives of over 500 people.

For a developed country, Japan has a very high suicide rate, about 70 people a day commit suicide. People like Yukio Shige are trying their best to save all more and more people. Gatekeeper is a documentary about Yukio Shige you can watch to see what it’s like on those cliffs.