A retired soldier blew himself up in a park in the city of Utsunomiya in Japan, killing himself and injuring three other people in an apparent suicide. State broadcaster NHK reported that a second explosion caused a fire in a nearby parking lot.
Police said they have discovered a suicide note written by the man and were investigating the incidents.Suicide rates have declined in Japan in recent years, but remain among the highest in the world, with around 30,000 people a year taking their own lives. Experts have pointed to the financial stress of surviving on small pensions for pushing some retired people to end their lives.