Japan's Christians and Buddhists join to prevent suicide

Japan’s Christians and Buddhists join to prevent suicide

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

In the aftermath of the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, a Christian network is joining with Buddhists to provide bereavement services and prevent suicides, according to a Japanese interdenominational network.

With the goal to offer counseling and spiritual support, the Sendai Buddhist Federation through the Miyagi Prefecture Liaison Council of Religious Corporations established a counseling room at a funeral hall in Sendai. A joint memorial service is also planned to offer “condolence,” to those whose loved ones were killed or remain missing.

The Sendai death toll had reached 13,392, including 8,190 in Miyagi Prefecture, while 15,133, including 8,025 in the prefecture (state), remained missing.

The National Police Agency reports 59,806 buildings have totally collapsed.

Japanese experts warn that in these circumstances it is important to prevent increased levels of suicide.

“Studies of suicides have revealed that, when one’s family member reaches an unanticipated death, the bereaved suffer from a guilty conscience,” said Reverend Naoya Kawakami, head of the Sendai Christian Alliance Disaster Relief Network.

Kawakami observed that condolence can be the most effective measure to prevent suffering, and if no condolence is expressed, others often commit suicide to follow the loved one in death.

Christians and Buddhists have “taken this matter seriously and begun to look for what we can do,” Kawakami said.

Kawakami explained that under the Japanese Constitution, and the principle of separation of church and state, the government cannot help just one religious tradition. It is therefore important for various religions to work together, with the government, to combat the problem of suicide.

Together Buddhists have led prayers and Christians read a scripture reading and prayed for the dead at many of the Sendai funerals, including at around 500 of those unidentified bodies brought to the funeral hall for cremation.

Sources