Citation

Takahashi Y. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1989; 19(3): 289-296.

Affiliation

Department of Neuropsychiatry, Yamanashi Medical College, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2799880

Abstract

This paper reports an instance of mass suicide committed by seven members of a local religious cult following the leader's death in Japan in November 1986. The case is discussed from the following viewpoints: (1) a Japanese feudal form of suicide called Junshi; (2) religion and current social changes in Japanese society; and (3) the destructive aspects of a cult.