I went out to buy some milk on Sunday morning and saw a dead body near the 4-storey office building next to our apartment. Some Police had half-covered him up with a plastic sheet.

There were Police on top of the building looking down to where he lay, so I presume that it was a suicide. By midday, there was no sign of what had happened and the event will go un-reported. With around 30,000 suicides per year in Japan (according to the W.H.O.), the vast majority male, this is sadly an all-too-common occurrence.
This morning a bunch of flowers and three cans of his favourite alcohol (beer and Chu-hi) were left out in remembrance.

UPDATE:
Just an update on this: the family doesn’t believe it was suicide and persuaded the police to launch an investigation, so there are posters up about it now. Apparently he was seen involved in an argument with a group of people the night before.
I hope they find out what happened.

Related posts:

1. Change of Seasons… from Sakura
2. Ueno Park
3. Trouble in Roppongi
4. I hate Valentine