▁one ▁of ▁his ▁last ▁pat rol s ▁before ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁he ▁met ▁an ▁elder ly ▁Tokyo ▁couple ▁who ▁owned ▁a ▁pub . ▁They ▁had ▁major ▁deb t ▁problems ▁and ▁were ▁suic idal . ▁They ▁planned ▁to ▁throw ▁themselves ▁into ▁the ▁sea ▁at ▁sun set . ▁He ▁convinced ▁them ▁not ▁to , ▁and ▁called ▁a ▁pat rol ▁car ▁to ▁take ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁w elf are ▁b ureau . ▁The ▁local ▁authorities ▁simply ▁gave ▁the ▁couple ▁enough ▁money ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁the ▁next ▁town . ▁He ▁received ▁a ▁letter ▁from ▁them , ▁sent ▁shortly ▁before ▁their ▁suic ide ▁in ▁a ▁neighbour ing ▁pre fect ure , ▁five ▁days ▁after ▁he ▁had ▁encountered ▁them . ▁He ▁was ▁off ended ▁by ▁the ▁cold ness ▁of ▁the ▁authorities , ▁and ▁after ▁his ▁ret irement ▁began ▁to ▁pat rol ▁the ▁cl iffs ▁to ▁try ▁and ▁prevent ▁suic ides . ▁ ▁Su ic ide ▁prevent ion ▁N PO ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Sh ige ▁founded ▁K ok oro ▁ni ▁H ib iku ▁Bun sh u ▁H ens h uky oku '' ▁( Pub lish ing ▁b ureau ▁for ▁collection ▁of ▁writ ings ▁that ▁reach ▁the ▁heart ), ▁which ▁has ▁continued ▁to ▁work ▁to ▁prevent ▁suic ides ▁around ▁T ō jin b ō . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁it ▁saved ▁its ▁ 5 0 0 th ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Sh ige ▁reported ▁a ▁sp ike ▁in ▁suic