The Japanese take great pride in having the most punctual train system in the world. If there is a delay on the Tokyo metro, more often than not it means that a suicide has just occurred. I can vouch for this first hand: As I walked into the Tokyo metro last week an announcement warned that the trains were delayed - I was facing a wait of perhaps an hour or more for a train that normally runs at 2 min intervals. My companion, who has been living in Japan for a year, told me quite matter-of-factly that someone had committed suicide by jumping in front of a train, “it happens at least twice a week.” It therefore comes as no surprise that the JR Yamanote metro line in Tokyo plans to install anti-suicide barriers on platforms at all 29 stations by 2017 in an attempt to prevent this nuisance. Meanwhile, the train companies have instituted a “dely fee” of approximately 100 million yen (1 million dollars) that must be paid by the families of those who chose to use the trains as their means of suicide. This fine was introduced in the hope that it would serve as a deterrent. After all, there are several less expensive and disruptive ways to commit suicide.