May 23, 2019: Tokyo, Japan: On the Keio Line, a major commuter line stretching out to the western suburbs of Tokyo, an unidentified person committed suicide by jumping into an oncoming train at Kami-kitazawa Station at approximately 3:35 PM. This caused over an hour long disruption of service for hundreds of thousand of commuters in both directions, just before the start of the evening rush hour. At nearby Tsutsujigaoka Station where these photos were taken, commuters were abruptly stranded as station employees scrambled to diffuse the situation. Many were provided alternate transportation by bus lines, while others just waited it out. Although Japan has seen a decrease in suicides which peaked at over 32,000 deaths in 2003, it still ranks high among major industrialized countries with around 20,000 suicides per year. This is now the leading cause of death among youths aged ten to fourteen. Photo by Torin Boyd.
{}