CASE OF HARI KARI

Shannon News, 17 July 1925, Page 4

CASE OF HARI KARI

VENERATION OP THRONE.

PATHETIC SUICIDE IN TOKIO. Because he had been officially listed as 91 years old, whereas he was in reality only 89, Kinsaku Tajima, former head man of a village near Tokio, committed suicide on April 20, killing himself in the ceremonial fashion of Old Japan by the hari kari method.

The Emperor and Empress celebrated their silver wedding- anniversary last month, and in commemoration of this they presented silver cups to all Japanese ninety years old and upwards. A census of such nonagenarians was taken and lists were compiled, and Kinsaku Tajima's name appeared on the list s ~nt to the Imperial Household from his district. Of course a gift from the Emperor is what any Japanese would most prize, 1 and the cups to be presented will be handed down as foremost among the family heirlooms. Beside the dead body of Tajima was found a note, explaining that he would not dare accept such a sacred gift un- J der any false pretences, while, inasmuch as his name had already gone to the Imperial Household, he knew it would be a great disgrace for the mistaken official to have to confess making an error. Death offered the only way out, and Tajima decided to follow it.

The news of this tragedy, reported in the Press, attracted wide attention, but it caused no surprise among- Japanese, all agreeing that Tajima had followed the only possible course. The veneration attached to anything whatever having to do with the Imperial Family is unbelievable to the foreigner. A high school teacher was recently forced to resign and leave the service because a printed copy of an Imperial Rescript concerning education was found not carefully wrapped up and put away, but tossed on a shelf where wooden shoes are kept. Such disre- j spect, even of a circular worth a penny, was highly condemned.