JAPAN'S SUICIDE CLUB IS BUSY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 26

JAPAN'S SUICIDE CLUB IS BUSY

Chuji Egawa, organiser and president of Japan's Suicide Club, died recently of tuberculosis, but even his natural death troubled Tokio's police, says the "New York Times."

A girl and a man immediately, committed suicide and three other 'members of the Let's Die League were missing. '■.'■;■

Miss Chise Emai fled from Mr, Egawa's bedside after he died and slashed her wrists and throat with a tin can top. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

The police found Masuo Aoki, in the white ceremonial robe of harakiri, tumbled' on his face in a nearby .warehouse., He had disemboweled himself in the traditional "honour death."

The league Was organised to reform the Nichiren Buddhist sect by acts of violence and self-sacrifice. Members of it were arrested in July, 1933, when the police accused them of planning to kill Japanese leaders and all the

priests of the head Nichiren temple, but were released.

Five of Mr. Egawa's followers attempted to commit hara-kiri on February 17, 1937, in front of public buildings because of grievances against the Government. They accused it of taking away, their religious freedom,

The police had kept members of the group under surveillance since the 1933 accusations and prevented the five from ending their lives. At that time there were fourteen members in the league. There had been twentyeight in 1933.

Egawa died under police surveillance.

In the 1937 demonstration league members marched through the streets carrying banners which said:

Let us die. We have deserted parents, parted from brothers and sisters, abandoned our wives and children, left homes, and sacrificed everything dear to life. Now let us fight! Now let us die!"