"I am sorry but I am going to take refugee in the grave" - A 93 year old lady left her suicide note and committed suicide at her own house in the nuclear plant mid-danger zone of Minami-Soma city, Fukushima in June. Because of the Fukushima 1st Nuclear Plant accident, she has been living by herself away from her family and hometown temporaly and this has discouraged her to take care of herself. Her suicide note also says 'an old one like me will be a burden to everyone'. She was living in a quiet rice paddy area in Ichihara town looking after the fields which had been passed on from generation to generation. When the earthquake hit she was living with her oldest son (72yrs), his wife (71yrs) and their two children. According to her son, she was very fit and healthy and could do the chores all by herself.
After the second explosion at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, the 93 year old lady's neighbors started evacuating. Her family left their house that was only 22km away from the plant to the house where one of her daughters lived in Soma city. The nexy day, Minami Soma city chartered a coach and the family moved to an evacuation place in Gunma prefecture. However, the lady stayed at the relatives house as she would not be able to bear the stress of the long trip and of living with others. In late April, she got sick and stayed in hospital for 2 weeks. During this time, she repeated 'I would like to go home', therefore she returned home to Minami Soma City, often ringng her son in Gunma and asking him to come back and live with her again.
On 6th June, her son, his wife and their children returned home late. The lady looked very happy but did not say anything when her son encouraged her to evacuate with them if there was another warning in the future. "She might have made her mind up by then" says her son. On 22nd June, the lady was found dead by her daughter-in-law. She had hanged herself in the backyard. There were 4 suicide notes she made and left inside the house. One for her family, her ancester and her close friends. Her family decided to open her note to the press because they would like people to understand why their mother had to end her life.
<The whole suicide note she left to her family>
Due to the nuclear plant accidents, and the hard time that we experienced after the earthquake and the tsunami on March 11th, my family was taken away from me to Gunma on 18th March. I have my own daughter in Soma city, so I was told to evacuate to her place on 17th March. I got sick and stayed in hospital for about 2 weeks and then got well, so I returned home on 3rd May. I was living alone for about a month. I have been watching TV every day and it seems that they don't know when things will get better. If we had to evacuate again, an old one like me would be a burden. My family returned here on 6th June, so I am relieved.. but I feel more dead than alive as every day we hear about the nuclear plant. I know this (my actions) will bring disgrace on our ancesters and family but I can see no other way out. Good bye. I will take refugee in the grave. I am sorry.
Inoue & Jinbo, Mainichi Japan News, 12 July
