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Dentsu Media employee Jiro Inao commits suicide in Indonesia

A Dentsu Media employee and general manager of a popular Indonesian girlband has taken his own life in Indonesia. Japanese national Jiro Inao, 47, was found dead in his bathroom at his home in South Tangerang, a suburb of the capital Jakarta, on Tuesday.

Jakarta police commissioner Argo Yuwono confirmed that Inao’s death was caused by suicide in the local press today. Originally from Japan, Inao is believed to have worked in Indonesia for nearly 20 years and was most recently the general manager of Dentsu Media-owned pop group JKT48.

A spokesperson for Dentsu Media Indonesia said: “We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of our friend and colleague. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that their privacy is respected.” Fans of JKT48 have paid tribute to Inao on social media under the hashtag #RIPJiroSanGMKT48.

Indonesian media has speculated that overwork contributed to Inao’s suicide. Mumbrella Asia has asked holding company Dentsu Aegis Network for further comment on these reports and whether an internal investigation will be held at Dentsu Media Indonesia, but has yet to receive an official statement from the firm.

Inao’s suicide follows two other recent deaths of agency staff members, at Ogilvy Public Relations in the Philippines in February and at Dentsu in Tokyo in December 2015The suicide of Dentsu’s Matsuri Takahashi eventually led to the resignation of the company’s  chief executive Tadashi Ishii. He was replaced by senior vice president Toshihiro Yamamoto in January, who vowed to “create a more flexible working environment” within Dentsu.

If this article caused you distress or you are feeling vulnerable, a list of helplines across Asia can be found here.

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