Chapter 6

Doughty travels with her interpreter, Emily (Ayato) Sato, or Sato-san, through Shibuya station. They see glass barriers keeping people from the train tracks. Sato-san says that this is to keep people from dying by suicide. Doughty explains that the Judeo-Christian view of dying by suicide, which has influenced the entire West, is that it “is a sinful, selfish act,” despite increasing research establishing its “root causes in diagnosable mental disorders and substance abuse” (155). In Japan, dying by suicide can be honorable. Doughty discusses the samurai’s cultural “self-disembowelment by sword to prevent capture by the enemy,” called seppuku (155), and World War II-era kamikaze pilots. Doughty pre-empts any misconception that the Japanese “romanticize suicide, and that Japan has a ‘suicide culture,’” stating that it is more related to a cultural desire “not to be a burden” (156). She cites Japanese writers who say that foreigners can look at statistics but will never truly understand this from the outside. While most of Japan’s <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Index of Terms" href="https://www.supersummary.com/from-here-to-eternity-caitlin-doughty/index-of-terms/#674600">death</a> culture is as modernized and corporatized as that of the United States, Doughty is visiting Koukokuji Buddhist Temple, where a priest, <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Character" href="https://www.supersummary.com/from-here-to-eternity-caitlin-doughty/key-figures/#674596">Yajima</a>, is rethinking cremation practices. In Japan, 99% of people are cremated, more than any other country.

Chapter 6 Summary: “Japan: Tokyo”

Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Summary: “Bolivia: La Paz”

Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Summary: “California: Joshua Tree”

Epilogue

Epilogue Summary

Chapter 6-Epilogue

Chapter 6-Epilogue Analysis

Social Sciences

Anthropology

Gender

Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity

Society

Community

Emotions & Behavior

Grief

Race & Ethnicity

Indigenous People's Literature

Life & Time

Mortality & Death

Best Sellers

New York Times Best Sellers

Natural World

Science & Nature

Sociology

Caitlin Doughty

Adult

Book

Nonfiction

Guide

Study Guide

Book Brief

Explore From Here to Eternity reviews, reading age recommendations, and essential genre and thematic details before you start reading.

About From Here to Eternity

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore From Here to Eternity and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

From Here to Eternity Summary and Study Guide

Background

From Here to Eternity Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction-Chapter 2

From Here to Eternity Introduction-Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 3-5

From Here to Eternity Chapters 3-5 Summary & Analysis

From Here to Eternity Chapter 6-Epilogue Summary & Analysis

keyFigure

Key Figures

From Here to Eternity Key Figures

theme

Themes

From Here to Eternity Themes

Index of Terms

From Here to Eternity Index of Terms

quote

citation

character

Important Quotes

From Here to Eternity Important Quotes with Page Numbers

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

From Here to Eternity Essay Topics

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

Chapter 6-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses

Related Titles

Featured Collections