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Dead Neighbor? (self.japan)

submitted ago by Dirtyrobotic[千葉県]

So I am now about 90% sure I have myself a dead neighbor!

I live in a three story apartment on the top floor and I am sure one of the tenants on the second floor is way beyond dead.
Thing is (10% doubt) why hasn't the landlord done anything?

The clues are these...
Fact. Seen guy who lives there about 5 months back. He has some potted plants out front, now dead (like the guy). He also hung some washing outside his front door a few times.

Fact. As a smoker I use the balcony for nicotine enjoyment. Sometimes I lean over and have a look down.
His window has now been open for the last two months during the friggin cold weather.
I have been keeping an eye on it for a while when I leave or return to the apartment, to see if there is any change. No change! window still open.

Fact. Mail box is full and his name is still on it! Why has the postie not checked on him!!!

Fact. Had a peek at his front windows this evening and saw quite a bit of litter against the kitchen window. He was a hoarder, lazy, or due to some illness unable to clean up.

TLDR, I suspect my neighbor has kicked the bucket and no one want's to get involved!

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[–]benjp2k1[大阪府] 12 points13 points ago

Talk to someone. Police or landlord. And, please update after.

[–]KyotoGaijin[京都府] 10 points11 points ago

What are you scared of? Tell the police what you suspect.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] -1 points0 points ago

Not scared. Will be chatting to the local boys tomorrow.
Just posted here as I am now to the point of having to do something when many Japanese could have done it or failed to notice it.
Anyway, I hope it's just my over active imagination.

[–]veltrop[山梨県] 14 points15 points ago

Just posted here as I am now to the point of having to do something when many Japanese could have done it or failed to notice it.

So it's the responsibility of Japanese and not foreigners? You are just as guilty of inaction as them up to this point.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] -1 points0 points ago

Is that Taylor?
Well I would think the Japanese landlord and the Japanese neighbors would have taken notice and done something when they noticed.
It seems a very Japanese trait to not get involved!

[–]veltrop[山梨県] 1 point2 points ago

Yup it's me, nice to cross paths with you again on here :)

Yeah I agree that it's a Japanese trait to let difficult social situations be. But I'm often just as guilty of it so I try not to point fingers.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 0 points1 point ago

Nice work you are doing with Nao!.
I guess growing up seeing lots of detective films, might make me too sensitive to a mystery when it happens.

[–]veltrop[山梨県] 0 points1 point ago

Hey thanks man :)

It looks like you've found a real mystery.

[–]kylearm[神奈川県] 1 point2 points ago

...Huh? You're the guy who has noticed for a long time and done nothing. You're just the same. I'm not judging, really, because this is the kind of thing that you just kind of notice one day, like, "Y'know, now that I think of it..." but to draw a Japanese/foreign line here doesn't make any sense.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 3 points4 points ago

How am I the same?
I did do something! After noticing an unusual situation I monitored the situation until I felt that I should act.
If I did not live in this apartment and it was left up to the locals, the poor man would have been bones before anyone noticed.

[–]GaijinFoot[東京都] 0 points1 point ago

Whats wrong with you?

[–]AnimeChicky69 5 points6 points ago

Why don't you get involved then? Knock, call police, call landlord.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 3 points4 points ago

Police just turned up and asked the landlord to open the door. The landlord couldn't open it!
I don't know what will happen next but it looks like the landlord didn't know and assumed the tenant was still occupying the apartment. :(

[–]EvoEpitaph[兵庫県] 0 points1 point ago

Keep us updated, add an edit to the original post if you still can next time you find out something.

[–]veltrop[山梨県] 0 points1 point ago

Wow! This is turning into a mystery indeed!

[–]kylearm[神奈川県] 0 points1 point ago

Keep us updated! This is fascinating.

[–]fapmonad[東京都] 3 points4 points ago

Tell the kouban to check on him.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 1 point2 points ago

Done!

[–]myfeetstink[something fun] 2 points3 points ago

Updates tomorrow or soon please!

[–]fl8me[東京都] 1 point2 points ago

Climb in the open window and collect his gold!

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 0 points1 point ago

If by gold you mean heaps of hoarded plastic items, then I will pass on that one.
I don't have a good bow and arrow to even think about taking on the cockroaches that mat have been feasting on him :(

[–]randomjak[東京都] 1 point2 points ago

not a pleasant thought but.. well, if it's been 2 months, wouldn't it smell? Maybe he just upped sticks and left

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] -1 points0 points ago

Judging by the layout of the apartments the bedroom is on the far side, well away from the door.
When I was at the front door I could detect a faint smell of death, might have just been my imagination though.

I would say that with the cold weather and open windows decay would be slow and very few insects are around at the moment to take advantage.

If he upped sticks and left, why didn't the landlord close the windows? I mean, if it rains then the apartment gets fucked!

[–]godsdebris 1 point2 points ago

Well I hope he's all right but judging by your words theres a possibility you might be right. Let us know the results. Good luck at the kouban tomorrow (today).

[–]ogin 0 points1 point ago

He might've just skipped town in order to shake off debt collectors, etc.

[–]the_taco_man[栃木県] 1 point2 points ago

Call. The. Police. Seriously. Why does everyone on reddit seem to believe someone else on reddit will give them better advice than the police or a doctor.

It's not just Japan where this happens, it's all over the world. People are just reluctant to get involved if it doesn't directly involve them.

However, if he has been dead for five months with the window open... you'd be able to smell it. If you've ever been near a rotting corpse, you'll know that you can smell it for miles. I suspect it's something less sinister, but possibly equally dramatic (Fled the country? Got arrested? Went on an extended holiday?)

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]kylearm[神奈川県] 0 points1 point ago

1) If he's dead, it's not hurting him to not call the police.

2) If he's alive, it'll be embarrassing all round.

3) He is contacting the police. I think this post was just his way of kind of collecting his thoughts about it.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 1 point2 points ago

This was on the door earlier.

[–]KenYN[兵庫県] 0 points1 point ago

Going to be quite difficult for him to get in touch if he's dead... Did you tell them about the open window? There must be some regulation for how long they have to wait before kicking the door down.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 0 points1 point ago

I think they are covering the bases before going in!

[–]randomjak[東京都] 0 points1 point ago

the landlord should just open it there and then lol... Bet it turns out to be a drug farm or something. that'd be an interesting revelation

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 2 points3 points ago

I was present when the police officer asked to gain entry.
The Landlord's hands were shaking and he attempted to open the door starting with the key upside down three times in a row.
He put keys in the lock, done a limp wrist'ed turn of the key before going on to the next one. After 3 keys he gave up.
I am now of the opinion that the landlord really doesn't want this to be happening and may have had prior knowledge of the situation.

[–]n00binjapan 0 points1 point ago

<insert gif with guy eating popcorn and macro "This gets interesting now"

Perhaps the landlord is uttering under his breath, why you little....damn gaijin.But you did the right thing,looks like there is something fishy going on from what you have described.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 0 points1 point ago

I might go full on gutter press tomorrow and see if I can get some pictures through the open window using a camera on a stick.

[–]godsdebris 0 points1 point ago

That's what I would do.

His has also could have been shaking because it wouldn't exactly be a good thing to have a dead body in your apartment complex. It could be many things, so I'm trying to give the dude the benefit of the doubt.

The concern is the rent. Did he even mention that the tenant wasn't paying rent anymore? Or do they take the rent directly out of the bank account? It's also concerning that the person's employer didn't go looking for him either (if he had a job, that is).

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 0 points1 point ago

The tenant I remember there was an old guy. I guess about 65-70 years old. I am guessing pension into bank account and rent paid direct debit.

It seems like no electric is being used so it might just be a case of abandonment. I would assume that in the event of death the refrigerator would still be drawing power.

[–]n00binjapan 0 points1 point ago

What about the smell then? Take pics and keep us updated. Probably you want to make a new post.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 1 point2 points ago

My bad! I assumed no electric after the conversation between the landowner and police.
I checked today and the meter is spinning, so something electric is drawing power.

I don't know what pictures I could show? A full mailbox, and open window!

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 1 point2 points ago

Here are a few pics.

[–]godsdebris 0 points1 point ago

Any way you figure out how to look in the window. There was a sign on the door for the tenant to contact the landlord but under what time frame? If nothing is done soon or he doesn't open the door you really should go back to the kouban. I hate to say it but... What about his mail? Any over due bills in there? After so long the electric guys will shut him off so it is concerning.

[–]randomjak[東京都] 1 point2 points ago

well keep us updated!

[–]godsdebris 0 points1 point ago

What KenYN said. Basically the note says,

"Please contact me. If you do not contact me we will open the door. -Lanlord"

Japanese: 連絡ください 連絡なければ、部屋を開けます。 家主

[–]godsdebris 0 points1 point ago

Any update on the situation?

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 0 points1 point ago

Update at the weekend. Something happened today and I am just waiting on confirmation.

[–]godsdebris 0 points1 point ago

Any update?

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] -1 points0 points ago

I have been nagging the wife for the last few days but she is doing her best Japanese "ignore and it goes away" act.
I did tell her tonight that If she doesn't call the landlord or the police then I will.

Looks like I am going to have to google translate the basics before hitting the koban tomorrow.

I will post an update tomorrow. I kind of hope I am wrong!

[–]andoy[北海道] 0 points1 point ago

If you're right, it will probably hit the late night news tomorrow.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 1 point2 points ago

Not newsworthy. It happens all of the time in Japan.
Only makes the news if the children of the deceased are still claiming their pension.

[–]kylearm[神奈川県] 1 point2 points ago

I have been nagging the wife for the last few days but she is doing her best Japanese "ignore and it goes away" act.

Ah. That act. I know that act, too. Sometimes I push right through it, though.

I don't actually know if it's a Japanese thing. I think it's a female thing. Usually the safe option is not to get involved. Those of us blessed/cursed with testicles tend to charge headlong into trouble without thinking about all the angles.

I think this is something to charge headlong into, though.

[–]GaijinFoot[東京都] -2 points-1 points ago

What act? Hes doing the same thing. Badgering other people to do it and complaining that he will have to do it himself

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 1 point2 points ago

I don't speak Japanese well, so having to explain to the police (done) that I suspect the neighbor is dead is something best done by a native speaker!
Badgering other people to do their civic duty is fine in my book.

[–]Dirtyrobotic[千葉県][S] 0 points1 point ago

Nice that I am getting downvotes for being concerned about my neighbor!

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