完全自殺マニュアル

by Wataru Tsurumi, 鶴見 済

Japanese

Genres: Nonfiction, Death, Japan, Psychology, Japanese Literature, Research, Self Help

198 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

About the author

鶴見 済

Reviews

[Lyn-Aleccia Dinh]

I had started to get very interested in Aokigahara, the suicide forest in Japan. I searched for documentaries and movies about the forest, and it all eventually lead me to this book.

I found that this book contained a detailed set of instructions on how to commit suicide in the forest and it tells you directions to find the perfect spot to die.

This really piqued my curiosity and I tried to search for an english version of the book. I ended up finding just a translation of the preface (which you can read here
http://geefitch.tumblr.com/post/62405...) , and I have to say it is well written and interesting.

Maybe one day it will be released in english. I'd actually like to read the whole thing.

[Cellobows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translation taken from

http://agreatpuzzle-blog-blog.tumblr....

"The Complete Manual of Suicide (完全自殺マニュアル Kanzen Jisatsu Manyuaru, lit. Complete Suicide Manual) is a Japanese book written by Wataru Tsurumi. It was first published on July 4, 1993 and sold more than one million copies. This 198 page book provides explicit descriptions and analysis on a wide range of suicide methods such as overdose, hanging, jumping, and carbon monoxide poisoning. It is not a suicide manual for the terminally ill. There is no preference shown for painless or dignified ways of ending one’s life. The book provides matter-of-fact assessment of each method in terms of the pain it causes, effort of preparation required, the appearance of the body and lethality.

image

Several years ago, I found an okay translation of the book’s preface and just dug up a document I’d copied and pasted it to. I, geefitch, did not translate this myself, but I did clean it up as much as possible to make it more understandable. Some bits are still a bit hazy, but you get the gist. I neither condemn nor condone suicide by posting this, rather The Complete Manual of Suicide is one of my many morbid interests and I find the preface quite disturbing. That’s saying a lot. This book has been found on bodies in the famous Aokigahara Forest and the preface itself provides a very dark insight into a certain mindset of youth and young adults at a very particular time in Japan’s history - a time which saw the aftermath of the economy’s bubble collapse (refered to as “The Lost Decade), the ripples of which stretched far and wide across the country - among the other, usual factors (discussed in the text to come.) Culturally, I feel this is some striking and unique stuff.

So yeah, just wanted to throw in a little perspective in there. I really needn’t give a trigger warning here but if you’re feeling depressed at the moment, I’d definitely give it a miss. Anyway, enjoy.

The Complete Manual of Suicide


Foreword

This book describes the methods of committing suicide in detail.
It was not written by people who have attempted to commit suicide many times, and it is not written to explain the reasons behind committing suicide.

Although the book can be treated as a record of events, the whole book follows the main objective of showing anyone how to commit suicide.

Long ago, the topic “why do young people commit suicide?” had been discussed by various parties. In the 70s, the conclusions were something like “nihilism”, “age of sorrow”. Nevertheless, the questions, “why can’t I commit suicide?”, “why must I stay alive?” were never really resolved.

There’s a need for a book, which can help one to commit suicide, to take actual actions, but not just having the idea in mind. Books with such aims were once published ten years ago - “The Ways to Commit Suicide” is an example. However, the book was not well organized and is boring. We only need to know the ways to commit suicide, not any other unrelated things.

In America, a scholar invented a machine, which allows “mercy killing” to be put into practice. And this book will be the only “suicide machine” in Japan, making use of words.

Speaking of this, I want to start introducing drug overdose. But to help you understand the question “Why do we need to commit suicide now?” better, and for other commercial reasons… I have to talk about some other things first.

A student rebellion took place 20 years ago. I was waiting for my time to show off my ability. Everyone thought that someone great would emerge. The Apollo landed on the moon. The oil crisis. The Soviet Union’s invasion of other countries. I thought my actions would affect the whole world. But it just caused a little vibration - only a wall collapsed. Students faced each another and smiled. “That’s great!” The rebellion is going to end…

At the end of the 80s, there was a trend of believing in the end of the world, and talking about dangerous topics, the famous bands performed songs about Chernobyl, the jokes coming out of kids’ mouths all had the taste of death, teenage girls prepared for the world war by seeking a mate. And we cheered for beliefs like “the emergence of the mighty”, “tomorrow may be the end of the world.”

The end of the world didn’t show up, the atomic bombs were left intact, the dream of having a world-wide nuclear war vanished. The revolutionists of the 80s were greatly depressed.

At last, everyone realized that there would be no time to show off their own ability, the 22nd century must arrive. (Of course, the 21st century is approaching, there won’t be any world war.) There will never be an end of the world. We stretched our arms into outer space, but it couldn’t bring us enough satisfaction. If we want more excitement, if we really want the world to come to its end, we have to do “something”.


A Long Vocation

It’s useless to say “it’s dull and boring.” We are all unlucky. We were born on this stage of past events. We will wake at 7am, either going to work or going to school afterwards. We will repeat the pointless speeches. At school, we keep reciting English vocab, histories, the reign titles; at work, we keep saying senseless things while we keep on working over different senseless projects, for a few weeks, a few months or a few years.

New inventions will be introduced at a slow pace. The slow-paced politician will keep on accepting bribes. The TV programs keeps on bringing excitement to its audience at a slow pace. After we switch off the TV, it will be just another ordinary day.

Yukio Mishima once wrote the lines, “ordinary life is even more horrible than a war.” in his autobiography “Confession d’un masque”. We tolerated the nervousness caused by the terrifying ordinary life, in return for the ridiculous “calm and bright future.” We have to be careful throughout our life, trying in vain to avoid any mistakes.

There’s no happy ending like the ones in the comedies. Happiness keeps on emerging repeatedly at a slow pace. Yes, the key is “repeatedly” and “at a slow pace”. Substantial events keep on emerging repeatedly at a slow pace. This is the first element leading to suicide.


Another brick in the wall

A bridge maze suicide event took place in Japan in 1978.
Two sisters living in Toyoma, Japan were found dead, hanging on a tree. In a diary which belonged to one of the two sisters, four straight lines and several sidelines were drawn on one of the pages, forming a maze (a form of game finding the root by following the lines drawn.) Under the diagram, the following were found, “Japanese”, “Commit Suicide”, “ROS”, “Three Houses” (Families that would be eligible for Tokugawa shogunate.) These incomprehensible words.

The line being drawn on that particular page led to “Commit Suicide”. Their parents couldn’t understand the motive behind their daughters’ decision to commit suicide, therefore the conclusion that the girls died for the maze was formed.

It was thought that ROS meant “Rolling Stones”, as the page also carried phrases like “Japanese”, “I hate Asian.” Nevertheless, no one can understand the true meaning of the words on that page.

A judge once said “One’s life is more important than the planet earth.” This is a pitiful misunderstanding of the fact. Just like what the two girls had realized, life is as fragile and as unimportant as can be, just like “Japanese” and ROS.

At the end of the 50s, scholars of the US said that everyone seems to lack strength. At the end of the 70s, rock bands sang “We are a brick in the wall.” and became very famous. Even in the 90s, this situation has not changed in Japan.

Just like the old days, we are still a brick in the wall. The proof is, assume one of us dies; there must be a replacement for the deceased very soon. Everyone can be replaced by somebody else. Therefore, no politician warrants assassination. That is just one brick less in the wall, the wall will not collapse.

Everyone lacks strength, it doesn’t matter whether we exist or not. Life is unimportant. This is the second element leading to suicide.


Clockwork Orange

We, people who lack strength, keep doing the same things repeatedly. We’ve forgotten the feeling of being alive. We can’t tell if we are living or dead. Do you feel that you are “alive” now? At this stage, only a thin line separates living and dead.

Therefore the sayings, “life is valuable, you should not commit suicide”, “if you stay alive, everything will have a turning point”, “your friends and relatives will feel sad for your death, so you have to stay alive” can all be put aside; these are not convincing anymore. The convincing words which can stop one from committing suicide vanish; the signal for committing suicide emerges.

Yes, you can commit suicide. If you feel discomfort, resentment or even pain in your daily life at school or at work, you can take one step across that thin line into death. No one can stop you. Just like the previous paragraphs, nothing will change even if you stay alive and keep on facing these challenges. Although we don’t have extraordinary powers, we can still tell what will happen to ourselves or to the society in the future.

“Future! Future!” It’s useless even as it’s convincing. Your life will essentially be growing up and receiving your education in your hometown. You’ll attend supplementary classes in the hope of getting a good result in the exams. You’ll enter a high school or university and fool around for a few years before you start your career in a local company. If you are a man, you will get married between the ages of 25 to 30 and have your first child the following year. You will face several changes in your occupation, and at most be promoted as a manager. You will retire at 60 years old, and spend the rest of you life enjoying your habits. Finally, you face death. This is what you will get. And depressingly, this is the ideal life in many people’s minds.

If this is the case, living an ordinary life is meaningless. You live as if you are the chicks in the farms, destined to be consumed in future. “You are given the life to live. You are not living your own life.” Therefore, putting a full stop to it at a suitable time isn’t a matter of feeling despondent, thinking that it won’t happen twice or fear that the decision will trigger off massive chain effects.


Committing suicide is a positive act.


Angel Dust

I have a friend. He has a drug called “angel dust”. People feel dazed after taking it and would be able to jump off a high-rise building without feeling anything. He has put the drug into a metal follicle and has attached it to a necklace, bringing it along with him wherever he goes.

He says ”I can take the drug and commit suicide whenever I need to.” My friend has no fixed job. He lives in idleness and is very happy about it.

I hope this book can be your little metal follicle necklace."

[gansarchive]

Interested in learning what Osamu Dazai was thinking, I decided to read The Complete Manual of Suicide. At first, I thought this book would encourage suicide, but it doesn't. Wataru Tsurunumi originally wrote this book because he was tired of "no suicide" if life is a painful thing to live, he wants everyone to have the right to decide what to do with their lives. Thus, he provided the necessary information for a quick, easy, and painless suicide. It is not just that he taught us basic methods, but he also explained what to avoid during those methods in detail, so that it will be successful with those in need of it. Shortly, this book is worth reading even if you are not feeling depressed but you have to be in stable condition, as it will expand your knowledge and open your mind.

[André · Rating 1 out of 5]

SUICIDE PREVENTION LINE (US): 1-800-273-8255
自殺予防いのちの電話（0120-738-556） 。無料です。

I read the original japanese version but I am sharing my review in English in order to reach more people.

I will be brief: this book is an absolute atrocity and I believe the author and the publishers should be held accountable for their possible contribution to the suicide of others. This is not a work of fiction nor an essay on suicide, but an actual manual on how one can kill oneself. It contains detailed instructions of how and where to do it, mixed with accounts of past suicides that made the news throughout the 20th century. If this were simply a book stating how people have killed themselves throughout the past decades, I could consider it a useful study on human behavior. However, what really infuriated me is how the author seems to constantly be teasing the reader. He actively lowers the reader's self-esteem by writing, over and over, that their life is a vicious cycle of boring tasks and painful experiences and that he has the perfect solution just for them. "Hang yourself!" "Jump on to the train tracks!" he writes as if he were telling a child to play ball. It is one of the most despicable books out there and it should only be read as a way to try to understand the zeitgeist of the 90s in Japan.

[Dr. Barrett Dylan Brown, Phd]

This book has been in the top ten for amazon.jp.com in Japan for years, but I can't find a good link for it...

The Internet is not as free as we believe it is, or as it once was..

[Ryannah Flett · Rating 5 out of 5]

dazai <3

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gives you a lot of weird facts to sneak into a conversation

[your morbid obsession Minerva&#x1f5a4; · Rating 4 out of 5]

How could I forget I actually own this 😭 well, it’s far away from me, lol! If you’re wondering wether it’s real, then YES it is, and the book is an actual manual(how to do knots, cut flesh, which pills to take). Although I don’t think there’s a translation in English(my edition is in Japanese), because this book has been banned in most countries. And don’t be mistaken, I don’t promote or condone suicidal ideation, please seek help if you are feeling low!

[Yu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a real book written about suicide instructions.

[Demian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigo esperando que saquen el segundo tomo, el completo manual de como revivir.

[Nguyên Trang]

Cẩm nang toàn tập về tự tử ;)) Mình không có nhu cầu về nội dung này lắm nhưng bà chị hết lời khen về sự thú vị của nó nên cũng tò mò đọc. Tuyệt đối không giới thiệu với ai có suy nghĩ tự tử.
Ở góc độ là một người chắc chắn không (và không thể) tự tử như mình thì dù sao mình cũng rất khen ngợi sự tận tâm của tác giả. Quan điểm của ông rằng ai muốn sống thì cứ sống và để yên cho ai muốn tự tử thì tự tử, mình cũng không có vấn đề gì vì can thiệp vào việc của người khác là điều mình rất cấm kị.
Sách có viết chi tiết về các kiểu tự tử, với những tiêu chí rất đúng nhu cầu như: có đau đớn khó chịu không, mức dộ thành công, thực hiện dễ hay khó, thậm chí quan tâm tới việc chết xong thì trông có dễ coi không. Anw mình không có cảm giác đây là một cuốn cổ súy tự tử. Mình thấy nó chi tiết, khách quan, hiệu quả, đôi khi ấm lòng. Anw nếu có một cuốn như thế này version Việt Nam thì hơi kinh, kiểu hướng dẫn chi tiết là đi tới chỗ này chỗ kia, nói dối này kia blah blah để tự tử cho dễ.
Điều mình thích nhất chính là ông tác giả. Ông này về già có lối sống mà mình rất thích. Kiểu gần đây nghe đọc nhiều về các nhóm người sống theo kiểu xưa như người Amis ở Mỹ, người gì đó ở Canada hay nhóm người sống không tiền ở Hà Nam. Ông tác giả này cũng chủ trương lối sống như vậy. Nghĩa là con người quay lại với thiên nhiên, tự cung tự cấp, trao đổi hiện vật. Không cần phải có khái niệm về xa hoa hay thậm chí là công việc (và nhờ đó, kết nối giữa con người và sự lương thiện gia tăng).
Nhiều người sẽ cho rằng đó là lối sống tụt lùi nhưng hãy xem, sự phát triển đã dẫn con người tới đâu. Trong cuốn sách này cũng cho thấy áp lực và lối sống hiện đại là nguyên nhân dẫn tới tự tử. Anw nói vậy thôi chứ một mình chống lại cả guồng máy phát triển là điều không dễ, ngay cả khi mình thật sự muốn vậy, chứ chưa nói là bản thân mình vẫn còn ham hố nhiều =))) anw con người luôn có thể sống chậm lại một chút, trong vài phút thôi cũng được, thì khi đó sẽ dễ thở hơn một chút ;)) ngay cả ông tác giả cũng thừa nhận ông không bỏ được hoàn toàn việc dùng tiền, chỉ là dùng ở mức tối thiểu. Ông cũng lấy ví dụ về bà Heidemarie Schwermer, một người sống mà không có đồng nào giữa thành phố Đức. Nói chung thì vẫn là thiểu dục tri túc đó hoho

[edisa]

would probably have 5 stars if the people who were Truly Touched could rate it

[kit kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

pongámoslo a prueba edición 2024

[Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a Chinese version, which I pulled through Google translate, so some stuff may have been lost in translation.

The book really is just a manual, in that each chapter describes a method, lists the materials needed, the advantages and the disadvantages to each suicide method. Some anecdotes of people who tried the method are also included.

After reading it, I'm convinced that access to the book should be less restricted, as the best way to prevent unnecessary suicides is rational thinking. This book may be the most rationally written work on suicide possible, as it is only discussed in a purely practical way, so that the reader can focus on his real struggles and hopefully overcome them without following this book.

[Sashi345 · Rating 4 out of 5]

That’s why I like Japanese…they are serious about everything, even writing a detailed book about how to commit suicide

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve heard the title before, but I’ve never had a chance to actually read it until now. And I gave this book a try only because it came up in the conversation between my friend and I.
(And I’m afraid I’ve made the librarians anxious for keeping this book on hold for such a long time...)

Ever since it came out in 1993, I had a vague impression that this book is nothing but an emo kids’ bible, a so called “メンヘラ” type of book; a book that tells you that it’s okay to feel ostracized, to feel different, that there is a way out of everything, i.e. suicide. I thought this was a book that tells people to kill themselves.

But no. I had it all wrong.

This book was a detailed and practical book about the ways to kill yourself, and not a book that suggests killing yourself (small difference, but a huge difference)
It starts off with a detailed description of an everyday medicine (at least those you could have gotten at the local supermarket in the early 1990s Japan. It shocked to me find out that the medicine I’ve taken for a common cold when I was a small kid was among the list); a dosage, time, best ways to take them with maximum affects. I was surprised how technical and detached the authors words were.

Then the author goes on to list other popular ways to commit suicide;
-hanging yourself (with detailed figures),
-throwing yourself off the buildings (and its first case in Japan: 1926 (Taisho 15) from the Matsuya Ginza building. I realized that until that point, there were no high buildings that people can throw themselves off from besides temples and waterfalls, and that was the reason why waterfalls like Kegon was famous for suicides) + (reason why the famous apartment complex that people killed themselves where popular)
-electrocution (painful, but high rate of failure)
-cutting themselves (it can be done neatly if you prepare)
-jumping in front of a moving train (sadly the daily occurrence in modern day Japan. A week doesn’t go by without a single incident of “人身事故” in Tokyo. And the delay that causes... and the high compensation the family of the deceased have to pay)
-drowning (messy)

... I forgot the other details (I had to return the book), but all the methods came with a simple diagram of painful ness, messiness, successfulness, etc.

I feel suicides are often viewed as a cowardly way to end one’s life (and sometimes a nuisance), but this book doesn’t belittle you for wanting to escape the pain in the world.
But at the same time by suggesting the ways to escape the world, it feels like the author is saying “now you know you’ve got an escape route. Why don’t you give your life another chance before trying these methods to kill yourselves?”.

It IS a shocking title and sometimes nauseating content, but in the end, this book ended up more entertaining than I initially thought it would be, and I’m glad I gave this book a try.
(Aside from the occasional cringey VERY 1990s phrasings and expressions. Ugh. Why.)

[matilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

challenge

[Shed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why yes. Of course I'll read it on a chill Sunday afternoon while listening to nostalgic 80s songs. A guide on how to effectively off myself? With this brain of mine, that's entertainment. Sue me.

[jigyasa ⋆₊˚✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

had to google translate since there's no english version of this so far and wow that was more detailed than i imagined it to be. great easy to follow and detailed instructions

[Cheibby]

What can I say. It's really a manual how to commit a suicide. An insightful one. What frightens me is how much research the author did to write this book.

[☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5/5) it have good explanations.

[Daria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Istg ta książka to spełnienie marzeń (interpretacja dowolna)

[ᖰhiᖱeɭia]

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM SAD, EMPTY, AND VOID

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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A SAD, EMPTY LOOP

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PLEASE NOTE THAT I CANNOT HAVE ANY EMOTIONS
PLEASE NOTE THAT I WILL DO NOTHING

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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN ENDLESS, EMPTY LOOP

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PLEASE NOTE THAT NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE

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PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM FULL OF HOPELESSNESS
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A VOID

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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WILL NEVER END

[Bisan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do NOT read this book if you are not in a stable state of mind. If you find yourself suffering from suicidal ideation please seek professional help. Life IS worth living and you will find your happiness no matter how impossible and faraway it may seem.
Palestine helpline: 1800500121
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255)
-
Now that we established that, if you’re like me and have an interest in forensics and the human psyche carry on.

"Suicide is a positive act."
This books states plainly while the author claims that he is not encouraging suicide, and that he only wrote the book to help give people the right (and the means) to choose. "Each one of us is full of a sense of powerlessness; and it doesn't matter whether we exist or not."
The author tries to apply the advice, "if you don't like where you are, you can just leave." To even life itself, he insists "yes, you can die. If life is uncomfortable, boring or even painful [...] seek death, and may no one stop you." He tells the reader to ignore the advice of life being precious and how one should cherish it. To not think of their parents, siblings or even children when they decide to end their lives. He tells people who want to commit suicide to actually commit to it, no turn backs and no hesitations, otherwise why attempt it in the first place?

I may not agree with the ideas that this book is pushing (or not pushing, however you decide to view it) but do I think that the author should be punished or ostracized? Not necessarily, the book is very informative and interesting, it provides a look into the mind of people who want to end their lives and the way they would go about it. Still, i don't agree with the claim that it doesn't encourage suicide, as mentioned above, there are many instances in the book where the author throws an implication or says something that could be considered as romanticizing. "It is best to not leave a suicide note, to enhance the mystery." “Use this method, if you want to go down in history books.” “This situation is a relaxing experience when one's consciousness separates from the body and watches one's own soul escape and the body become like a feather.”
It may only "implicitly plant an idea" but sometimes that's all it takes. Maybe the Japanese version was more subtle but since I can’t read Japanese, a translation will have to do.

`~
This book is extremely detailed, suicide isn't an easy act as many of the examples and case studies given by the author can show you.

"If you can get your hands on it, there's no better suicidal drug than this."

First half of chapter one talks about taking medications (or drugs, medicinal or otherwise).
A somewhat painless but also very boring way to go. It provides detailed descriptions about the amount of pills (in grams and milligrams) it is needed to be "lethal", the prices (although i think they may not be as accurate considering the book was published in Japan 30 years ago), where to get them from, what excuses to use in order to get them if the pharmacy doesn’t give them without prescription, best way to consume them (oral or intravenous) and how you could crush them and add them to yogurt so it’s easy to digest and to insure the person doesn’t puke them out and survives. You know, information that many killers would find very useful.

"There was once a question, 'should i stop stimulants or should i stop my life?' The correct answer should be 'i should stop my life by stimulants.'"
Yeah, the author clearly doesn’t encourage suicide.

"Pure ethylene glycol is sweet which is better than the weird taste of other things but If you take ethylene glycol, you will die in pain."

The second half talks about household items like rust remover, antifreeze, hair dye and even salt.
Nail polish remover is the most dangerous product in cosmetics, taking large amounts (the lethal dose is said to be 100 ml so like a small bottle) could lead to coma and if suicide fails, the liver and kidneys will get damaged.
Hair dye contains even more dangerous things that can lead to liver failure, respiratory distress, nausea, hearing impairment and even coma. However, the dOwNsiDe is that you need consume at least a kilogram and i can't imagine that being a fun experience since it tastes like, you know, deadly chemicals.
Also, apparently you can swallow an entire tube of toothpaste and not die (only suffer terrible stomach ache).
`~
"The triple benefits of certainty, simplicity, and painlessness is overwhelmingly loved by men, women, and children alike."

The second chapter talks about hanging.
The author describes it as "a work of art," and "superior to other methods."
“Painless, no pain, you lose consciousness so you feel nothing,” these are the things this chapter keeps repeating, and if you are still doubting the author? "you can put a rope around your neck and hang yourself to see if you really would lose consciousness in an instant."
Oh, but remember the author isn't encouraging suicide! He's just here to help! <3
"Death by hanging is not only painless but could also be comfortable."
Don't get too excited though because apparently hanging isn't really that simple. If you go too hard and too fast the neck joints will get dislocated which will lead to cardiac and respiratory arrest, and If you use the wrong kind of rope, you might end up decapitating yourself, which will accomplish your goal in leaving this mortal plane but will make it traumatizing to the people who find your body later.
This chapter provides information about the type of rope to use, measurements in comparison to the human’s weight and blood pressure, places it is possible hang yourself (without being found) and the several positions to make the hanging a success (apparently you can still hang yourself even if your feet touch the ground).
It goes on explaining what happens to your body after you hang yourself (convulsions mostly) and the appearance of the body after discovery (spoiler: it is NOT pretty).
`~

" In order not to leave any feeling of pain, you should choose a height where you can die on the spot or at least pass out."

Chapter three talks about leaping, it claims this to be a painless way to die, "there's no pain, no discomfort." It claims that if you climb to a high enough building, you won’t feel anything. Which is very dubious, considering the breaking and/or fracturing of bones, the contusions and injuring of multiple body parts like liver and kidneys, and the fact that you might NOT lose consciousness or die on impact which means lying there, bleeding out and suffering, waiting for everything to just end already. I mean, yeah the "leaping" might not be painful but, technically, it isn't the leaping that kills. I'm starting to suspect the author's pain scale.
The chapter goes on explaining the exact height to insure the best experience (four floors is not high enough) , and things to avoid landing on like car, trees, flowerbeds or bushes (concrete is apparently the best, you could end up looking like a pancake but at least you will die immediately)
A funny contradiction caused maybe by translation: There may be corpses that are so miserable that they don't want others to see them, however this is not such an ugly way to die!
The body of a person who committed suicide by jumping off a building is horrific to look at, especially when the head hits the ground first, as you can probably imagine for yourself.
The chapter ends with a note about how those who got bullied are gonna be bullied no matter what they do so "It is important to commit suicide early."

`~
"When stabbing the heart, you should feel the chest with your hands to confirm the position beforehand."

Chapter four talks about cutting the wrist and/or carotid, it claims this is one of the most peaceful ways and describes it as fashionable, the author ,however, advises against it since failure chances are high compared to other methods.
This method has always been portrayed in an almost romanticised way in media, and this book (shocker) isn't any different.
"Want to know what it's like to have your own blood fountaining all the way to the ceiling?"
Yes, the book tells you that it's ugly and messy but it also tells you that it's a simple and cheap way. It tells you where best to cut and what sharp object to use. It teaches you how to keep your blood warm and flowing even after you pass out.
`~

"If you want to crash and die, then hit the train without hesitation!"

Chapter five talks about death by vehicle; death by car, truck, or even a train.
It starts like every other chapter with the preparations, apparently you cant just choose a random car to jump in front and be done with it. " [...] But if you fall outside the track, unfortunately, you can still survive."
Choosing the right time, place, speed and kind of vehicle can mean the difference between life (with severe complications) and certain, messy death. But don't worry so much, the author says that looking into these things can be a fun way to prepare for your death!
"If the clothes are caught by a vehicle, they will be dragged up for more than ten meters, and then the body will roll multiple times and various parts will be run over multiple times."
As you can surely imagine, the corpse won’t be very pretty. Limps get crushed and/or go flying, blood sometimes sprays on the people on the platform, heads and hands sometimes go missing, and if you really unlucky(?) your face might get attached to the front of the vehicle and go on one last joy ride before it's finally discovered. "It is the most brutal looking of all suicide methods."
Also, apparently the railway companies in Japan sometimes contact the deceased family for compensation which can't be super fun for the family.

`~
"Gone are the happy 1970s when you could easily poison yourself in your room."

Chapter six talks about death by gas poisoning. Although one small misstep might lead to an explosion (not a very fun thing to experience let ME tell you, which could result in the injury and death of people who really don't want to die), if done properly, this death is described as beautiful and easy, mostly because there aren't any visible external injuries or blood.
The book tells you how to kill yourself using the exhaust port in your car, gas stove, charcoal and even a plastic bag, while also providing examples and case studies for and against this method. It also emphasizes the importance of suicide manuals, apparently there is a similar French book which has me intrigued.

`~
" the important thing is to keep the heart in the path of the electric current."

Chapter Seven: electrocution, mostly used by men, this method is caused by instantaneous respiratory cessation, cardiac arrest, shock, etc. Pain is described as bone chilling but momentary, the whole body would twitch and the muscles would spasm uncontrollably before one loses consciousness.
This chapter was shorter than the previous ones, supposedly because there isn't much to do, wet your body (preferably with salt water to reduce the resistance) and attach a plug or something that will conduct electricity directly to your heart, "if you want to die [...] other parts won't work" .
If this seems complicated, throwing an electric razor into the bathtub while bathing works too but with less reliability. Asides from a few burn marks the body will look mostly clean, but if the current isn't stopped anyone who might touch the body later will get electrocuted, too.
`~

"People who can't swim are at an advantage."

Chapter eight, drowning. It's described as painful and miserable (also wet and cold i imagine), but also as a favored method among the elderly women in Japan with 80% success rate.
Although it's easy to drown oneself the author still recommends putting rocks in the pockets, binding the limbs before jumping in the water and drinking alcohol or sleeping pills to add to the disorientation. The chapter continues with detailed instructions for good swimmers who really want to drown. Swim at night, follow the tide, make sure to inhale a lot of water into the trachea even if you are choking, etc.
I read before that drowning, unlike in the movies, is quick and silent. Apparently, it takes just three minutes to lose consciousness and 10 to 15 minutes, for the heart to completely stop. Book says it's generally difficult to resuscitate someone who has been in the water for more than 2 minutes, however, there was an unusual case in which someone was resuscitated after 65 minutes underwater.
"Eventually, you will stop breathing, lose consciousness, and sink to the bottom of the water."
Once discovered, decomposition will have already started so corpse appearance is swollen and ugly to the point where it's almost unrecognizable by its own family members. Skin will be peeling off and moss will cover parts of the body, the gas produced by the body is so great that there was once a corpse tied with a weight of nearly ten kilograms that floated to the surface anyway. Bodies, once retrieved from the water back to the land, will also spit out a large number of small bubbles from their mouths and noses, so here's another horrifying image.

`~
"If you are going to suffer the extreme agony of burning to death, you should let people see that it is you who are burning. Having others see you burn is the entire point of self-immolation."

Chapter 9 , self-immolation (self-burning).
"Has the strongest impact on others, can definitely kill you, and it can also burn your name into the history books." But remember we are not glorifying suicide!
With its extremely intense pain, absolute long and very miserable death and indescribable ugliness, and although there are cases where people with 100% skin burns that do not die immediately and suffer for a long time in the hospital (up to ten days) this method is rated 5/5 on the lethality scale.
The chapter gives good advice like, don't forget your lighter, put down a flame retardant carpet so you don't burn the whole place down, soak your clothes in gasoline beforehand, and try not to get kerosene in your eyes because it can be ouchy.
Corpse appearance is going to be horrendous as one can imagine, and there's no need to describe the smell of burnt human flesh. The hair will be burned out, the skin will be peeled off revealing red flesh, the trachea will be burned due to inhalation of hot air, the corneas will turn white and the tongue will stick out.
This method is mostly used for people wanting to make a statement, similar to Aaron Bushnell, may his soul rest in peace, a serviceman of the United States Air Force, who as a protest against the current war in Gaza died after setting himself on fire outside the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C.

`~
"A person's tolerance to cold is an important factor, so this method of suicide is not suitable for people who are too tolerant of the cold."

Chapter ten, freezing.
Although this method is best applied in winter, or places with colder climates, there are still cases of people who walked into a big freezer and died. "Anyone can go to places that are cold enough to freeze to death!"
The book advises using sedatives and painkillers to stabilize the mood and help the person fall asleep. Fasting, taking the clothes off, pouring water into oneself and going to places where the body will be hard to find is also encouraged.
This method seems to require a lot of patience and can be really miserable, sometimes it takes a whole day for people to freeze to death sometimes a little more. If found while the body is still partially frozen, the hands and feet might need to be amputated. Corpse appearance is beautiful compared to other methods, pale skin and rosy cheeks. That is, of course, as long as it's still frozen and not half eaten by wild animals.
`~
"You can do anything, if you can die."

Chapter eleven talks about suicide using methods not mentioned prior like gun, starvation, quicksand, running into the cages of wild animals, and using a special suicide device called "Thanatron".
Like previous chapters, It provides case studies with details about the lethality, pain, and time it takes to die. " it is a method one would only choose after suffering all the hardships that life can give. Because they were so exhausted that they no longer had the strength to even commit suicide."
`~

The twelfth and final chapter provides statistics about the methods of suicides most used throughout the years ( 1950 - 1991) in Japan. The most common among men or women, what's most popular among teenagers, which time of year is where it's at its peak (Apparently it's May, and on Tuesdays and during the night ). It's really interesting seeing a peak and then decline in certain methods for reasons such as ( a singer committed suicide this way so it's cool now or urban gas supply got converted to natural gas so now it's not as deadly).
"Men commit suicide more than women." That's a gap we don't want to bridge my guy.

Finally, I think that this book and other similar books should have certain restrictions (which apparently isn't the case in its country of origin where the book is widely available to anyone who want it) not banned, just restricted to certain audiences. Especially considering it IS a manual and that there are several recorded suicide cases where this book was found next to the body. It was an entertaining read but like I said, one should be in a stable state of mind to read it, because some of these methods are tempting, even if it's just for the sake of seeing whether it would work out or not, which funnily enough seemed to be the case of many case studies mentioned in this book.

[Partof Shan · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Do not practice..." said who sent me the book to read.
It is a scary book actually, so many details and technical issues. and the author has a sort of cheerful and positive attitude(that reminds me of the only anatomy seminar I took many years ago, when I was surrounded with dried dead bodies and body parts and the teacher was teaching with a simillar bright and happy voice).
In this book the author wants people to be less judgmental about suicide and gives advises for people in need, live freely..or die freely...(if you can't live freely for some reasons and that bothers you...)

[Dulce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so this book personally weird. Don’t get me wrong it gives great tips. How-to, where to get stuff, how badly it hurts, these things are all great but I couldn’t help but ask myself, “how would he know?”. Now I understand there could’ve been failed attempts or he could just be assuming so nonetheless this is a good book.

[Pierre-Jean Colas · Rating 4 out of 5]

À défaut d'appliquer les conseils prodigués dans ce livre, on peut au moins apprécier le travail de recherches et l'abondance des détais, que l'on ne peut souhaiter que sérieux et efficaces pour ceux qui s'y sont essayés...

[Nana]

Where can I get a copy of this online? If there's any.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is a slogan. It's not what the book is about. The suicide methods mentioned in the book are definitely not complete.
But this is indeed a practical book on methods of suicide, some of which are still applicable.

I found this book incredibly comforting, especially in this era. It feels stuffy when there is a social norm that everyone got to be positive and ought not to harm/kill themselves. Being suicidal is in some societies necessarily considered a sign of ignorance and/or pathology. Harsh people would blame suicidal people (especially youngsters) for their blasphemy to the sacred life. Softer ones would indulge in a medical or pedagogical sympathy, thinking they are in demand of therapy, or enlightenment. While these therapy/enlightenment might indeed be helpful sometimes, but they are suffocative when they become the only “right” ways (morally acceptable ways) to treat suicidal people. 

Each individual is thrown into existence. Having life is just an occurrence, nothing sacred. In addition, (most of the time) every person is the first sufferer (and beneficiary) of their life. No one can choose to be born, this is another natural occurrence. But, as something we can decide, why shouldn’t there be a choice for anyone to quit early? 

In some places, suicide is illegal. Even in places where it’s legal, it’s still considered something out-of-line and knowledge regarding to how to suicide is suppressed, as it’s illegal to help another person suicide or plan their suicide. On some occasions it’s even illegal to not report a young suicidal person who shows suicidal potential…
A Complete Suicide Manual is apparently able to help readers suicide. In Taiwan, it was first translated and published, but soon banned by the government due to its potential negative impact and most copies were collected back by bookstores. The book is banned or not allowed to be sold to people under 18 in some cities of Japan, excluding Tokyo.

Suicide is not a simple act—even apart from the various factors and effects, just considering the practice. There are different ways to suicide, most of which requires at least some skill to be successful (of course the person doesn’t have to be skilled, but a successful suicide is usually skillful to some extent, meeting the conditions the life to end quickly). Each method has its strengths and limits, and unique features. Different methods serve different people. Some suicidal people (I believe a lot of them) want to die as painless as possible, while some don’t care much about pain or even pursue pain; Some people want rigorously planned suicide, while some prefer impulsive suicide; Some people value decent appearance while they die, some don’t care; Some people hope to conduct a shocking and influential suicide (such as firing themselves in public), while some want to die quietly…

There is an insurmountable barrier between the self and the other. We can never understand other people as if we really are them, and we can never experience, think, and decide in replacement of other people (well you can do that if your brain is physically connected to another person’s). If for some reason, or for no reason (or for some reason not understandable to others) someone insists on killing themselves and wouldn’t change no matter how others persuade them (and if they consistently reject therapy or the medical treatment doesn’t work for them), they ought to be provided information which may help them die in a more desirable way (“desirable” in their perspective). 

Suicide itself is legal in most areas of the world. But this is not enough, because suicide without relevant knowledge can be extremely painful/awkward/tragic. Maybe suicide itself tends to be considered tragic anyway. But from the perspective of a stubborn suicidal person, isn’t it much better to learn about different methods of suicide and then choose the one they prefer? Having some control over one’s life is (for most people) sweet. This is the practical reason I feel the book is so comfortable. Beside this there is a conceptual reason, that the access to informative and practical knowledge about an activity is an important measure of the extent an activity is really accepted and respected in society (by respected, I simply mean not deemed wrong, not meaning advocating suicide). 

Wataru Tsurumi respects suicidal people (regardless or their age) and want to help them in the “death” aspect. There needs to be help in both the “life” and “death” aspects. People need help on how to live a better life, and people also need help on how to die in a preferable way. There needs advocation for positivity (don't ever give up your life) but there also needs to be an accepted idea that "it's okay to suicide if one insists on doing it" (because at the end of the day, life is only experienced by oneself and each individual should have the right to negate it). 

There needs to be a balance. That's why I really appreciate Wataru Tsurumi for writing this book.

[CotardSyndrome · Rating 5 out of 5]

The contents of the book are a fairly matter-of-fact review of the biology and preparation of suicide methods, interspersed with case studies and the odd commentary here and there, and references to Japanese society and events, especially those of the 1950s to 1980s. They are organized into 10 chapters for the 10 classes of methods, plus an 11th chapter on other methods. There is also a chapter on suicide statistics. The preface and postscript describes the outlook of the author, concluding that "I'm not proposing some boring idea as "Let's all commit suicide!". If you want to live, you must live with ease, and if you want to die, you must die with ease. That's how life should be, to live and die as you wish."

Overall, it is a rather unique book in the history of publications. It is hard to say whether there is, or will be, another book like it. It is a pity that there probably will never be an official English translation. On GitHub there are many repositories where unofficial Chinese translations are hosted, in various formats and states of completion. On GitHub there is also an unofficial English translation, at least at the time of writing.

When the book was published in 1993, it was an immediate hit across Japan, eventually selling over one million copies. In 1997, it was finally designated as "harmful to the youth", and thus could not be sold to people under 18. However, it remains legal to sell to adults and is still available in Japan.

Riding on the waves of the popularity, Tsurumi anthologized another book that was published in 1994. 『ぼくたちの「完全自殺マニュアル」』 (Our 'Complete Suicide Manual'). It contains two parts, the first part describes how the Japanese society viewed The Complete Suicide Manual. The second half contains reader letters sent to the author about the book. As far as I can see, the book is like last year's hamburgers -- tasty at the time, but it's not going to last. In any case, the book is not available on the Internet.

Both books were quickly translated and published in Taiwan in 1994, and then banned in 1995. The book was also banned in Hong Kong. As for China, though there is no explicit ban, it would have never made across the publisher's office anyway.