“The Goal is to Walk to the Toilet Until the Day Before You Die!” Bestselling Palliative Care Doctor Ryokuhei Manda Releases Latest Book “Living Until Death”!
Kawade Shobo Shinsha has released "Living Until Death: No Medical Intervention Needed for a Peaceful Death," the latest book by home palliative care physician Ryokuhei Manda, on April 28, 2026. The book conveys messages and real-life examples for patients to decide their own end-of-life, avoid unnecessary life-prolonging treatments, and achieve a peaceful death at home.
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Kawade Shobo Shinsha (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director Yu Onozawa) released "Living Until Death: No Medical Intervention Needed for a Peaceful Death," the latest book by home palliative care physician Ryokuhei Manda, who gained attention with his sensational bestseller "Let's Walk to the Coffin" (Gentosha Shinsho), on April 28, 2026.
Decide your own remaining lifespan! The message embedded in "Living Until Death"
That the patient writes the scenario for the final chapter of their life.
That patients who have overcome tears can gain the strength to accept a happy death.
That the patient, not the doctor, decides their remaining lifespan. [...]
If it's "Congratulations" when you're born, then it's a happy ending when you die. We would be overjoyed if this book could be a catalyst for people to learn that home palliative care, living until death at home, is an option.
(From "Introduction")
"No unnecessary treatment"
"No becoming bedridden"
"Walking to the toilet on your own until just before you die"
That is truly having a happy end —.
This book, "Living Until Death," is a message from the author that thoroughly examines the reality of life-prolonging treatments such as "gastrostomy," "intravenous drips," and "chemotherapy," the reasons why hospital doctors oppose returning home, real-life examples of peaceful deaths achieved at home, and simulations of a terminal cancer patient's journey if they continued hospital treatment versus choosing home palliative care. It addresses "what a truly happy end is" and "how to achieve it."
If you can't walk, you lose most of what you can do today. You can't go to the toilet. You become dependent on diapers. This reality becomes the hardship of living.
That's why I encourage patients in outpatient clinics.
If you can't walk, you'll die. But if you keep trying to walk, you can walk until you die. As long as you're walking, you won't die. Let's walk until the day before we die. Let's walk into the coffin.
It's a barrage of "die," "die," but the patient's real fear is not that, but not being able to go to the toilet. The goal is to go to the toilet until the day before you die! When I say that, most patients' eyes light up. "That's possible!" they exclaim.
(From Chapter 3: The Power of Walking to Live, "The Goal is to Be Healthy Until the Day Before You Die")
This is a moving and empathetic book that serves as the origin of the bestseller "Let's Walk to the Coffin," with the unique perspective of home palliative care physician Ryokuhei Manda, who has overseen the final moments of over 2,000 people, and countless tearful and humorous episodes with the many patients he has met. You won't be able to stop reading.
Please pick it up and take a look.
The actual scenes of seeing someone off are much more peaceful. A grandmother who enjoyed her last home bath fifteen minutes before she passed away, laughing "Paradise~ Paradise~."
An old man, encouraged by me saying, "If you don't say thank you, won't God not come to pick you up?" immediately called out "Hey!" to his wife and, while making a gesture of shedding tears with deep emotion, confessed "Thank you!" drawing laughter from his family.
A father who received a "Letter of Appreciation! From your loving family" from his family the day before he passed away. A family where the wife, who refused chemotherapy and returned home, was surrounded by her two young children and husband, forming a circle for a solidarity ceremony.
Many thanks, memories, promises for the next life, and even apologies for secret mischief emerged, truly adorned with the warm love and history of the family. There are many scenes at home goodbyes that are much more wonderful than the final episode of a drama.
(From Chapter 4: Creating Your Own End, "Say Goodbye Before the Last Day Comes")
*This book is a revised and re-titled new edition of "No Medical Intervention Needed for a Peaceful Death," originally published by our company in June 2022, with a newly added Chapter 5 and additional revisions.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Prologue: Why I Quit Being a Surgeon
For hospital doctors, a patient's death is a defeat
Chapter 1: Wither Gracefully and Die Peacefully
Living peacefully "slowly" and "gently" / All treatments are life-prolonging treatments - gastrostomy / All treatments are life-prolonging treatments - intravenous drips / All treatments are life-prolonging treatments - chemotherapy / Medical care I would not want if told I had one month to live
Chapter 2: Home is Home, Hospital is Away
Reasons why hospital doctors oppose returning home / Peaceful death possible at home / Dying at home even alone / No doctor needed for a "true goodbye"
Chapter 3: The Power of Walking to Live
Outpatient clinic is Manda's dojo for walking / Healthy elderly people make an effort / Medical narcotics are not the last resort
Chapter 4: Creating Your Own End
Accept death, but don't trust life expectancy diagnoses / Say goodbye early / How people pass away
Chapter 5: Scenes of Death Past, Scenes of Death Future
Checklist for achieving a self-directed death at home
Decide your own remaining lifespan! The message embedded in "Living Until Death"
That the patient writes the scenario for the final chapter of their life.
That patients who have overcome tears can gain the strength to accept a happy death.
That the patient, not the doctor, decides their remaining lifespan. [...]
If it's "Congratulations" when you're born, then it's a happy ending when you die. We would be overjoyed if this book could be a catalyst for people to learn that home palliative care, living until death at home, is an option.
(From "Introduction")
"No unnecessary treatment"
"No becoming bedridden"
"Walking to the toilet on your own until just before you die"
That is truly having a happy end —.
This book, "Living Until Death," is a message from the author that thoroughly examines the reality of life-prolonging treatments such as "gastrostomy," "intravenous drips," and "chemotherapy," the reasons why hospital doctors oppose returning home, real-life examples of peaceful deaths achieved at home, and simulations of a terminal cancer patient's journey if they continued hospital treatment versus choosing home palliative care. It addresses "what a truly happy end is" and "how to achieve it."
If you can't walk, you lose most of what you can do today. You can't go to the toilet. You become dependent on diapers. This reality becomes the hardship of living.
That's why I encourage patients in outpatient clinics.
If you can't walk, you'll die. But if you keep trying to walk, you can walk until you die. As long as you're walking, you won't die. Let's walk until the day before we die. Let's walk into the coffin.
It's a barrage of "die," "die," but the patient's real fear is not that, but not being able to go to the toilet. The goal is to go to the toilet until the day before you die! When I say that, most patients' eyes light up. "That's possible!" they exclaim.
(From Chapter 3: The Power of Walking to Live, "The Goal is to Be Healthy Until the Day Before You Die")
This is a moving and empathetic book that serves as the origin of the bestseller "Let's Walk to the Coffin," with the unique perspective of home palliative care physician Ryokuhei Manda, who has overseen the final moments of over 2,000 people, and countless tearful and humorous episodes with the many patients he has met. You won't be able to stop reading.
Please pick it up and take a look.
The actual scenes of seeing someone off are much more peaceful. A grandmother who enjoyed her last home bath fifteen minutes before she passed away, laughing "Paradise~ Paradise~."
An old man, encouraged by me saying, "If you don't say thank you, won't God not come to pick you up?" immediately called out "Hey!" to his wife and, while making a gesture of shedding tears with deep emotion, confessed "Thank you!" drawing laughter from his family.
A father who received a "Letter of Appreciation! From your loving family" from his family the day before he passed away. A family where the wife, who refused chemotherapy and returned home, was surrounded by her two young children and husband, forming a circle for a solidarity ceremony.
Many thanks, memories, promises for the next life, and even apologies for secret mischief emerged, truly adorned with the warm love and history of the family. There are many scenes at home goodbyes that are much more wonderful than the final episode of a drama.
(From Chapter 4: Creating Your Own End, "Say Goodbye Before the Last Day Comes")
*This book is a revised and re-titled new edition of "No Medical Intervention Needed for a Peaceful Death," originally published by our company in June 2022, with a newly added Chapter 5 and additional revisions.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Prologue: Why I Quit Being a Surgeon
For hospital doctors, a patient's death is a defeat
Chapter 1: Wither Gracefully and Die Peacefully
Living peacefully "slowly" and "gently" / All treatments are life-prolonging treatments - gastrostomy / All treatments are life-prolonging treatments - intravenous drips / All treatments are life-prolonging treatments - chemotherapy / Medical care I would not want if told I had one month to live
Chapter 2: Home is Home, Hospital is Away
Reasons why hospital doctors oppose returning home / Peaceful death possible at home / Dying at home even alone / No doctor needed for a "true goodbye"
Chapter 3: The Power of Walking to Live
Outpatient clinic is Manda's dojo for walking / Healthy elderly people make an effort / Medical narcotics are not the last resort
Chapter 4: Creating Your Own End
Accept death, but don't trust life expectancy diagnoses / Say goodbye early / How people pass away
Chapter 5: Scenes of Death Past, Scenes of Death Future
Checklist for achieving a self-directed death at home