What would you do if you received a letter like this?
Dear Citizen: You’ve no doubt noticed that the world is a troubled place. People are apathetic, lazy, unmotivated. You’ve probably asked yourself: Why isn’t anything being done to stop this systematic decline? Well, you’ll be happy to know measures are being taken. We, your government, have decided society needs a wake-up call. So beginning today, we will randomly select a different citizen who will be killed within 24 hours of notification. We believe this will help remind all people how precious life is, and how important it is to be productive, active members of society. Thank you for your attention and your cooperation and participation in this new program.
Welcome to the world of Ikigami, a place in the not-so-far-off future where the government sends out "death notices" to teach people to value life. As seen through the eyes of the government messenger who delivers these daily death sentences, and the desperate but doomed people who receive them, Ikigami offers dark and surprising stories about the last 24 hours of these people's lives.
Originally serialized in Young Sunday magazine, Ikigami has also been adapted into a successful feature-length, live-action film in Japan.