Humorous Posthumous Online Post Draws Donations in Japan

Tokyo, Oct. 26 (Jiji Press)--A 22-year-old Japanese man who suffered from a rare cancer died in October last year, leaving a social media post reading, "Guee, shindango," an internet slang expression used to make light of a shocking situation, to be published after his death.

The post, combining "guee," a dramatic cry of shock or distress, and "shindango," a humorous way of saying "I'm dead" using the playful suffix "ngo," drew widespread attention and helped spur support for cancer research. Donations to the National Cancer Center Japan reached record highs in both value and number in fiscal 2025, which ended last March.

The man, Kanaru Nakayama, was from Tsubetsu, Hokkaido, northernmost Japan.

After entering Hokkaido University, Nakayama was diagnosed in 2023 with epithelioid sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. After he underwent surgery, doctors found a recurrence and metastasis in 2024. He continued chemotherapy treatment but died on Oct. 12, 2025.

The following day, a friend reported on Nakayama's social media account that he had "passed away peacefully." But the next day, a post reading, "Guee, shindango," appeared there.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]