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one sad story related to pachinko addiction...

Aichi parents arrested after 2-month-old boy dies in car while they played pachinko for 5 hours
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 07:12 EDT

NAGOYA — Police on Monday arrested the parents of a 2-month-old boy on suspicion of causing his death the previous day by leaving him inside a car for five hours while they played pachinko in Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture.

Rio Takeuchi died at a hospital of heat stroke and dehydration after being left in the car in the parking lot of a pachinko game parlor from around 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday while his father Masato, 24, and mother Rie, 23, were playing pachinko, the police said.

The parents, who are being held on suspicion of parental negligence resulting in death, admitted the allegations, the police said.

The mother reportedly told the police she found the baby limp in the car, which had been parked in an open space with its windows closed.

Temperatures soared to 25.5 C in the area on Sunday.

The hospital reported the case to the police, and the mother initially told police officers that she had been shopping at a mall in Kariya, not playing pachinko, according to the police.

The Takeuchis live in Toyoake, about 1 kilometer from the parlor.
Security guards at the pachinko parlor, which bars children from its premises, had been patrolling the parking lot, but apparently did not notice the baby inside the car, the police said.

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Source: http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/373981

gov't to improve matchmakers' image

http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/371983

related article: http://www.crisscross.com/jp/kuchikomi/414

suicide: japan's growing nightmare

In the past several years, much has been written about suicides and their connection to high unemployment rates in Japan. Dire statistics show that in the years since 1998, Japan's suicide numbers have topped the 30,000 mark annually. This has the general population, as well as health and social welfare critics around the world taking notice.

Newsweek and Time magazines have both covered the phenomenon, and each time one of the regular Japanese language newspapers comes out with a higher unemployment figure, they tie them together with the growing suicide problem, and with a great deal of justification.

There is an unhappy little spot near the base of Mount Fuji called the Aokigahara woods which happens to be one of the most infamous places in Japan for suicidal people to do themselves in. According to figures released by the Fuji-Yoshida police station in Yamanashi Prefecture this year, approximately 78 suspected suicide victims were found hanging from the trees, an increase from the former record of 73 found back in 1998.

Statistics from the World Health Organization show that the majority of suicide victims are males from age 40 to the mid-60s. Many of these men committed suicide because of a feeling of dishonouring the family name. Others simply watched their companies let them go after years of devoted work, and couldn't find gainful employment because of their age.

Source: http://www.theforeigner-japan.com/archives/200304/news.htm

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Update: 2006/06/01

Suicides in 2005 top 30,000 for 8th straight year

http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/374357

great time with snow...

sea paradise adventure...

lyrics: venus

by Tackey & Tsubasa

Kiss de mezamete cha cha no rizumu de
Ama ku mozaiku midnight
Wazato jirashite igai ni mujaki de
Haru ka ikoku no moonlight

Yume de mita keshiki to
Ikutsuka no sadame to
Memagurushiku kawar i hajimeta
Hikari to kage no yuuwaku

Atsuku Venus moete Venus
Kimi no me ga mune wo kogasu
Shirukuroodo ai wa senri
Tameraunara wasuretai

Atsuku Venus kanjite Venus
Arashi no you ni kaze wo misete
Kimi ga korae?? shitteru
Ai no kagayaki hanate

Akai kuchibiru ga denjarasu nomihoshite
Mukdashita naifu tsukisasaru
Renai no keishiki sekirarana ishiki
Haruka ikoku no Rendez-vous

Shinju no kiramekide
Ai ni hikizurarete
Kohakuiro no toiki ni kieta
Sabaku sae mo mitashitai

Atsuku Venus moete Venus
Hoshi no deruta yousora wo some
Sazankurosu yureru dachi
Yubisaki se mitsumetai

Atsuku Venus kanjite Venus
Inazuma yori hikari misete
Shinkirou ayatsuru sora ni
Ai no kagayaki hanate

Atsuku Venus moete Venus
Kimi no me ga mune wo kogasu
Shirukuroodo ai wa senri
Tameraunara wasuretai..Wowww...

Atsuku Venus moete Venus
Hoshi no deruta yousora wo some
Sazankurosu yureru dachi
Yubisaki se mitsumetai

Atsuku Venus kanjite Venus
Inazuma yori hikari misete
Shinkirou ayatsuru sora ni
Ai no kagayaki hanate