Tajimi Hospital, however, did not remove the respirator or terminate injections of a heart stimulant, as the Gifu Prefectural Government said it was "too premature" to do so because the central government had not mapped out guidelines for this action, the officials said.

The man, who was in his 80s, had choked on food at a nursing care facility. He died naturally two days after he was hospitalized.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 13, 2007
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