Japanese man hid father's body in wardrobe for 2 years to avoid funeral costs
A 56-year-old man in Japan kept his deceased father's body hidden in a wardrobe for two years to avoid paying for a funeral, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
The man, Nobuhiko Suzuki, is now being investigated for possible pension fraud after police discovered the skeleton at his home in Tokyo. Suzuki reportedly admitted to officers that funerals were 'expensive' and that he chose to hide his father's body instead of arranging a burial.
The truth came out after Suzuki's neighbours grew worried when his Chinese restaurant stayed closed for a week. They alerted the police, who then visited Suzuki's home and found the body, said SCMP, citing Fuji News Network.
Suzuki told the police that he had returned home one day in January 2023 to find his 86-year-old father dead. Although he initially felt guilty, authorities said he later convinced himself that his father was to blame for his death.
The case has triggered a strong reaction online in Japan. Some internet users suspected Suzuki wanted to keep receiving his father's pension payments. One user said, 'He is just a bad guy who hid his father's body for his pension,' according to SCMP.
However, others expressed sympathy, pointing out how difficult it can be to manage funeral arrangements, especially for those without experience. 'When my father passed away, the hospital urged me to find a funeral home immediately. I ended up spending two million yen (about US$14,000),' one person shared online. 'Losing a family member for the first time is overwhelming, with so many unknowns,' SCMP quoted.
Another user suggested, 'People often do not know what to do after a loved one dies. We need a system to connect them with support networks.'
According to a survey by Japanese funeral company San Holdings Inc., the average funeral cost in Japan after the Covid-19 pandemic was around 1.3 million yen (approximately US$8,900). Over 60 per cent of people expected to spend less than one million yen on funerals.
This case is not unique. In 2023, a 56-year-old unemployed man was sued for hiding his mother's body for three years to continue receiving her pension. He admitted in court that he concealed her death because the pensions were his only income.
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