Well I just CAME from 4Chan, and they linked here, so you uhm... can probably expect a lot of mudkips flying around any time soon.

To comment on the article: why sleeping pills?

Why not jump off a building?

And poison has long been avoided by women as a suicide means, because it screws up the face.

I know Japanese names all look the same but there seems to be several switcheroos in the article regarding suicidee and genders. No?

Was in Japan for a bit. I can understand why they commit suicide. Unrelenting pressure to conform. Huge pressure to fit in, be just like everyone else, to not stand out or be "different" in any way. But an equal and completely opposite pressure to be innovative and imaginative in order to find new ways to consume and create new things that can be consumed, while still meeting the strictures of a work life that completely denies innovation or creativity! It's a society with lots of good things, but also huge numbers of pitfalls.

Females actually choose poison far more often than males do, at least in the United States.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwR/preview/mmwrhtml/00000561.htm

On another topic entirely, I was also looking forward to a torrent of desu and exploding van posts. What happened?

No

Where's the Paris Hilton angle?

...coat already on and taxi has arrived...

;)

"Revenge, drugs, assisted suicide, et cetera. I will do anything. For more details and rates, go to the web site or email me," according to officials.

I suppose this guy has a few loose screws, maybe he was also one of the Britney album pirates?

Paris angle anyone?

...but you'll be sorry...

I've been looking for a suitable answer to the question "why do Japanese people kill themselves so frequently?"

I thank you for that

At the same time... Where is the paris hilton angle? Can we please see the contorted dried up face of paris after she's found dead of some kind of poison overdose?

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temperary problem.

perhaps it was being suggested that Paris Hilton should be visiting aforementioned website?

Like the above poster, i'm at a total loss as to why anyone would risk sleeping pills (you might be discovered and have your stomach pumped, might throw them up involuntarily, etc) or for that matter poison, slit wrists, hanging, and a million other contrived forms of suicide when jumping off a really tall building is a) almost certain to kill you b) really good fun and c) lets you go out with a bang.. or at least, a splat.

Rules 1 & 2

Anyway - Japan does have a slightly different view on suicide than us. But more to the point have you watched their Dramas? And I mean live action not anime. I mean god damn the fact that they arn't all throwing themselves like lemmings from the ceilings of high rises is amazing.

Even rather funny entertaining series like sexy voice and robo have a really rather miserable ending.

Nice Boat.

If you're worried that poison will screw it up, I seriously doubt that jumping off a tall building is going to have a better effect.

I'll be honest.

Im a part of the 4chan anons and stumbled upon it on accident several years ago. However, I've been addicted to that site ever since. But Im extremely surprised that it has such a large online footprint and amused at how many websites can mention it in passing and (almost) everyone involved knows about it. I guess gone are the olden days where it was just an obscure site where smart people acted like retards and retards acted like smart people.

"like pissing in an ocean of piss indeed"

Oh, and dear 'anonymous coward' above me, rules 1 & 2 only apply to the place which shall not be mentioned within 4chan, but just mentioning 4chan is by no means breaking said rule.

Oh and yeah, isnt euthanasia illegal in the western countries too?

Remember, killing yourself is stealing from the state, and very illegal!

Also, I'm noticing a disturbing trend: this week it's getting very difficult to dig out the IT angle from the suicide, autoerotic asphyxiation, gun nut type articles. These are "the defendant ran a web site", "no excuse needed", and "he used email to express his opinion", respectively...not always immediately obvious. El Reg should IMO be better about ensuring that its stupider readers can locate said angle.)

never hurts to remind people of rules 1&2 just incase they forget that they're not to mention that place.

And I was talking more of the normal suicide folks then the crazy website guy who goes out to help people top themselves, and their dramas erally are miserable lol.

Anyway I know I'm really bored when I fall back on that place that shall not be named, the other boards and rest of the interweb generally keep me satisfied.

And the Memes spread like wild fire just becouse their memes, just look at poor old serious cat.

I really dislike the flippant attitude displayed in the last sentence of this article. Suicide is not painless and is not a "national pastime." That there are so many suicides every year in Japan is an issue which should be investigated and resolved rather than making jokes about.

Razors pain you, rivers are damp, acids stain you and drugs cause cramp, guns aren't lawful, nooses give, gas smells aweful, you might as well live...

;)