(WARNING: some of the content and images may be unsettling to some)
It is a fine sunny day in Tokyo, the weather a gradation between the blazing Summer and the breezy Autumn yet to come. Now that the morning rush is over, people unhurriedly ebb and flow at the station. Taking in a fairly large number of commuters, the train runs through its daily routine at its usual pace, stopping at each station until the final destination. But this routine is broken when an announcement warns that the train will make a sudden stop. The train screeches to a jarring halt, waking up snoozing passengers. “There has been an accident,” a jinshin jiko (人身事故), as it is said in Japanese. Someone has jumped into the train tracks. No longer languid, commuters steadily stream out of the cars as the doors open, many immediately pulling out their phones to know what has happened or to announce late arrivals for meetings. Below on the tracks, a blue sheet hangs on a section of the train wheels hiding a body – the culprit of the trouble.
This is a common situation in Tokyo, where accidents such as this one have become a pervasive issue across train lines. It is not surprising that the frequency of suicides by train is high, given the globally recognized reputation of Japan as a suicide-ridden country. In the graph below, Japan is listed as 9th in terms of suicide rate; already, it is easy to grasp Japan’s critical state.
Image courtesy of WHO: In 2016, Japan ranked as 9th by suicide rate (per 100,000 population).
Suicides are daily, causing delays and inconveniencing hundreds of rushing commuters. For a heavily railway-dependent city like Tokyo, they are absolute nuisances, sometimes wreaking large-scale stagnancy across multiple lines. For instance, a 75-minute delay in train services that affected about 21,000 people resulted after a man jumped in front of a train bound for Shinjuku, on the Odakyu line. Thus, even a single person can potentially cause widespread trouble. The sheer number and frequency of suicides are astounding. For example, the Tobu Tojo line is notorious for suicides. Almost weekly, someone jumps into the tracks and stops the trains. One major cause surfaces: the lack of platform gates. Platforms gates or doors are found in almost every station, opening in sync with the train doors and crucially, preventing people from entering the tracks.
Not all stations in Tokyo are equipped with gates. Numerous stations on the Tobu Tojo line lack gates, meaning that there is nothing separating the tracks from the platform – making suicide possible with just a hop. On top of the lack of gates, high costs are another problem. Although JR (Japan Railways) is attempting to set up gates on all stations, the costs go up to ¥500 billion. While saving lives is an absolute, irreplaceable priority, fiscal matters cannot be put aside. With a dwindling economy, Japan must face hardships in taking on measures for suicide prevention.
Image courtesy of Naver: Rescue staff engage in a suicide case at Shimo-Akatsuka Station on the Tobu Tojo line.
The psychological impacts cannot be ignored as well. With so many suicides occurring in proximity, one cannot help but feel the negativity or fear evoked from the incidents or worse, experience the last straw when contemplating suicide. Signs displaying suicide hotlines and bland messages of hope are not effective measures. Rather, they can possibly backfire for inducing despair; having multitudes of “Don’t lose hope” or “You are not alone” signs on a short strip of fencing speaks volumes about the depressing situation. Train drivers directly feel the blow; 16.3% developed PTSD while 39.5% developed depression through dealing with suicide cases.
Platform gates are an absolute necessity. They are the foremost and highly effective measures against suicide; there must be at least something that holds back people from entering the tracks. Alongside suicide prevention, they can also serve to prevent people from accidentally falling in, especially at rush hour when crowds dangerously teeter on the peripheries of the platform. Though not a direct cushion for suicide, blue lights may be a possible answer. A number of Japanese railway companies began installing blue lamps above train station platforms as blue lights are found to reduce or alleviate stress. But even then, they are not to be seen as effective when compared to gates. In reality, its extent of effectiveness is still fuzzy; variables such as light, mental state, times, and such can produce different results. And importantly, there is a dire need for more organizations and services dedicated to suicide prevention, whether it is for offering therapy or creating networks to connect people in need.
Image courtesy of Buzz News: Blue roof panels allow blue light to shine through in Shin-Koiwa Station (Tokyo).
It is a terrifying reality that so many, including myself, have become more or less desensitized to such happenings. Train suicides have become no more than mundane occurrences, sometimes provoking a little fuss and then dismissed as daily routines are resumed. This treatment of train suicides indicates just how much the happenings have faded into ordinary life, inciting either some interest or even annoyance, in which the latter is often the case. Perhaps the mechanical, tight nature of Japanese schedules is to blame for both the nonchalant reaction to suicide and the cause of suicide itself. Just as Japan is frequently referred to as a “stress society,” stress is present in various areas of Japanese life, particularly in Tokyo. This constant pressure on aspects such as punctuality takes a toll on health, pushing the limits to hopelessness and later escapism. For instance, crowds are a persistent phenomenon in Tokyo. Trains, particularly at rush hour, are hotbeds for frustration, anxiety, and claustrophobia. For someone who detests physical contact and prefers solitude, trains cause immense unwanted discomfort. But stress, however, is just one out of many factors that contribute to widespread suicide. Poverty, bullying, and psychological problems are other causes.
When will it be when there is no need to worry about possibly becoming late due to suicide on the way to school? Missing an important meeting when the train crushes a human? Seeing someone getting minced into a bloody corpse before your eyes at the station? Suicides by a train are of course deserve attention, but suicide itself is another crucial issue.