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The South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper reported on December 23 that the mother and daughter were found dead in an apartment in Minato district, Osaka city.
Police found the bodies of the 68-year-old mother and her 42-year-old daughter decomposing on December 11. There was no food in the mother and daughter’s refrigerator, while the gas and water were cut off. The mother’s wallet costs only 13 yen ($ 0.13).
It is determined that two people died a few months ago. Autopsy results showed they starved and were malnourished. The mother at that time weighed only about 30 kg.
The elderly walk down a street in the Toshima district of Tokyo. Photo: Bloomberg
According to the Mainichi newspaper, mother and daughter have lived in the apartment for about 10 years. Initially they were actively involved in local organizations. But earlier this year, the 42-year-old daughter quit her job, causing a shortage of money and earning a living on allowance from her relatives.
The Osaka city government said the couple did not apply for state subsidies. Psychologist professor Yasuyuki Gondo, from Osaka University, commented: “People tend to keep private and their neighbors are afraid of disturbing them because they think it is a private matter. But that means interaction. Society weakens.”
The phenomenon of “kodokushi” (people who die alone and are not discovered early) in Japan first appeared in the 1980s and is occurring with increasing frequency, especially in large cities.
Furthermore, the translation of Covid-19 leaves many people in poverty, requiring the help of the Japanese government. This week, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recorded 391,717 consultations at support centers across the country from April to September, three times the figure reported in the same period last year. .
Support centers posted a monthly peak of 95,000 thanks for help in April, apparently due to job losses and declining revenue due to the Covid-19 epidemic. This number dropped to about 40,000 inquiries in July. However, the number of similar cases is increasing as the number of Covid-19 cases in Japan surpassed 200,000 cases with more than 2,800 deaths.
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