Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Japanese police have discovered that a 56-year-old restaurant owner, Nobuhiko Suzuki, concealed his father’s body in a wardrobe for two years, unwilling to bear the costs of a funeral. Reported by SCMP, Suzuki hid the body after his 86-year-old father passed away in January 2023.
Suzuki had not opened his Chinese restaurant in Tokyo for a week, which raised concerns amongst neighbours who subsequently contacted the police, according to reports from Fuji News Network. The police officers arrived at Suzuki’s home to check on him. However, they uncovered his father’s skeleton hidden inside a wardrobe.
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Suzuki admitted to the concealment, explaining his financial struggle: “The funeral was expensive.” While the circumstances surrounding his father’s death remain unclear, Suzuki claimed he found his father lifeless upon returning home that day.
Police said that Suzuki initially felt guilt but later felt relieved, believing his father was responsible for his suffering. Authorities have now arrested Suzuki and are investigating allegations of pension embezzlement.
FINANCIAL STRUGGLES BEHIND DECISION
According to a San Holdings Inc. survey, the average funeral cost in Japan stands at 1.3 million yen (US$8,900), a decrease of 156,000 yen since the Covid-19 pandemic, as simpler ceremonies become more common. More than 60 percent of respondents expected funeral expenses to be under 1 million yen.
NOT FIRST CASE OF CONCEALMENT FOR FINANCIAL REASONS
As reported by SCMP, similar incidents have emerged in Japan. In 2023, a 56-year-old unemployed man kept his 72-year-old mother’s body at home for three years (2019–2022) to avoid funeral costs and continued claiming her pension, totalling 2 million yen.
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He later confessed in court, admitting that her pension had been his only financial support.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
