Most people travel to Shirahama, Japan, for white beaches and hot springs. But some come for another reason: they plan to die.
Late at night, in a small church near the shore, a phone rings. Pastor Yoichi Fujiyabu answers with a simple “Moshi moshi?” On the other end is a trembling voice: “Please… help.” Within minutes, Fujiyabu is in his car, heading toward Sandanbeki—a towering cliff overlooking the sea and one of Japan’s most notorious suicide sites.
When he arrives, somewhere near the edge stands a solitary figure, frozen between life and death. Fujiyabu approaches slowly, speaks gently, and listens. His first goal is simple: get the person away from the edge, into the backseat of his car, into safety.
For nearly thirty years, Fujiyabu has answered those calls—more than 1,100 suicide attempts, recording each name and story by hand. Many rescues lead not just to survival, but to journeys of healing within a community shaped by prayer and Scripture.
Near the cliff stands an old public phone booth with a sign labeled Telephone of Life, bearing words from Isaiah: “You are precious and honored in my sight. I love you.” Beneath it, one plea: “Please call before you make this important decision.” Inside the booth hangs a cross, a worn Bible, and a bright green phone.
Japan’s suicide rate remains among the highest in the developed world. Fujiyabu believes the church must meet that despair face-to-face. “I wanted the church to be a place that mattered to the town,” he says.
