This probably has a lot more to do with the extreme measures of bullying in Japan than "personal choice". There was one case where one schoolkid committed suicide after breaking his leg. When he came back from the hospital, there was a shrine on the teacher's desk designated to remembering the dead. It had his name and photo on it, and greetings such as "We're happy you're dead" had been signed by all his class-mates, AND his teachers. He saw it, turned around and went to the bathroom and hung himself. This was after a long time of bullying.
There are a lot of cases like these. Most Japanese people I know don't want to discuss it. Most of them have been on one of the sides of the issue.
The schools does nothing to prevent this, and honour-issues prevents kids from telling their parents about their problems. To treat cases like the kitchen-kid like a problem is wrong; it's just a symptom.
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The above was written by a true prophet. Trust me.
"What doesn't kill you, makes you bitter and paranoid". - SB2000
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