In the last six months," he went on, "there have been two deaths, apparently by suicide. The victims were both high-level banking executives in soon-to-be merged institutions. Each seems to have leaped to his death from the roof of a building." I shrugged. "From what I've been reading about the condition of the banks' balance sheets, I'm surprised only two have jumped. I would have expected more like fifty." "Perhaps twenty years ago, or even ten, that would have been the case. But atonement by suicide now exists in Japan more as an ideal than as a practice." He took a sip of his tea. "An American-style apology is now preferred.
( Barry Eisler )
[ A Lonely Resurrection ]
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