Corpse at busy intersection in Osaka, Japan ignored for two months

Canadian Press

Thursday, December 18, 2003

TOKYO (AP) - Police in western Japan said Thursday a man's dead body was ignored by crowds on a busy downtown street corner for two months before a taxi driver finally alerted authorities.

The body, believed to be that of a homeless man in his late 60s or early 70s, was found in front of a popular department store in the crowded downtown area of Osaka, Japan's second-largest city. A police official said it was partially decomposed by the time authorities collected it earlier this month. The official said the deputy chief of the local police precinct reported the corner is among the busiest in the city, with about one million people passing through the area each day.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the cause of death had not been determined but foul play was not suspected.

He said the taxi driver reported finding the body Dec. 4.