If you saw last year’s hit film 「国宝」 (Kokuho, “National Treasure”), you may already have encountered the word 心中 (shinjū, lovers’ suicide). The film features one of Japan’s best-known theatrical works, 「曽根崎心中」 (Sonezaki Shinjū, ”The Love Suicides at Sonezaki”). Written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1724) and first performed as a 文楽 (bunraku, puppet play) in 1703, 「曽根崎心中」 tells the story of two lovers who choose to die together.
The work was so popular that 心中 remains strongly associated with lovers’ suicides in literature and theater, with 心中物 (shinjūmono) used to describe a category of lovers’ suicides plays in 文楽 and 歌舞伎 (kabuki). But 心中 is not limited to lovers. The term appears in expressions such as 一家心中 (ikka shinjū, family suicide), 親子心中 (oyako shinjū, parent-child suicide) and 無理心中 (muri shinjū, murder-suicide).
But can such deaths be considered suicides if the child is not old enough to consent?
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