A Yale professor has ruffled some feathers by suggesting mass suicide as a solution to the ageing Japanese population. Yusuke Narita, an assistant professor of economics at Yale, was speaking during an online news programme when he made the strange suggestion.

“I feel like the only solution is pretty clear. In the end, isn’t it mass suicide and mass ‘seppuku’ of the elderly?”

Seppuku is a self-inflicted ritual disembowelment that was part of the honour code among samurais in the 19th century. Although the act was for ‘dishonour’, the professor believes it may be a possible solution for Japan. It may be a bit extreme, but Narita believes euthanasia and mass suicide to be something that may become mandatory in the future. How very maniac-dystopian of him.

[imagesource:twitter@narita_yusuke]

The professor is relatively unknown in academic circles, but his outspoken views on shuffling old people from the mortal coil have garnered some attention. He is, however, adamant that his comments were ‘taken out of context’, and were merely meant to discuss the ongoing debate about the number of elderly people in politics and business, and how to make room for the younger generations.

Taking Grandpa out to the field for a ‘long walk’ does seem a bit extreme though.

According to the NY Times he has now gained quite a social media following among younger Japanese who believe ‘their economic progress has been held back by a gerontocratic society’.

Given Japan’s low birthrate and the highest public debt in the developed world, policymakers increasingly worry about how to fund Japan’s expanding pension obligations.

The country is also dealing with a rising number of dementia cases among older people, and the frequency of people dying alone due to the disease.

Some of his critics believe the ongoing debate around the geriatric population can spark a renewed interest in eugenic laws, such as those that were passed in 1948. Under these laws, doctors forcibly sterilized thousands of people with mental disabilities, illnesses or genetic disorders.

It remains to be seen whether Japan finds a solution to their ‘old timer’ problem, but forcing mass suicide or euthanasia is a dystopian solution that is perhaps a bit too harsh and a little crazy.

[source:nytimes]