Bizarre! Japanese man hides father's body in closet for years to avoid funeral fees, continues to draw pension

A man in Japan concealed his dead father's body in a wardrobe for over two years so as to avoid bearing the expenses of a funeral. Nobuhiko Suzuki, a 56-year-old restaurant owner in Tokyo, also allegedly continued to draw the pension of his father who passed away at the age of 86 in January 2023. He has since been arrested by police in Japan.

Neighbours contacted cops
The bizarre incident came to light after Suzuki did not open his Chinese restaurant in the Japanese capital city for a week, which raised concerns among his neighbours who subsequently contacted the police. Police officers then arrived at Suzuki’s house to check on him, where they discovered his late father’s skeleton inside a closet.

'Funeral was costly'
Suzuki has admitted to concealing his father's body, citing financial struggles. "The funeral was expensive," he reportedly told cops. While it remains unclear how his father passed, Suzuki claims he found his father lifeless upon returning home one particular day in early 2023. Suzuki also apparently continued to receive pension in his father's name, a charge that the authorities are currently investigating.

Similar incidents in past
Similar incidents have taken place in Japan in the past. In 2023, a 56-year-old unemployed man was held for having kept his 72-year-old mother's dead body at his home for three years to evade funeral costs while continuing to receive her pension, amounting to 2 million yen (or nearly Rs 12 lakh). Average funeral costs in Japan stand at 1.3 million yen (over Rs 7.5 lakh), according to a survey by San Holdings Inc.