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Japan praises boy who survived after abandonment in forest

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Rescuers celebrate after a news that a missing boy was found, in Nanae town, on Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands Friday. Police say they have found the boy who went missing after his parents reportedly left him in a forest as punishment six days ago. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)

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Takayuki Tanooka, father of the 7-year-old Japanese boy who went missing nearly a week ago, bows in front of media after his son was found, in Hakodate, Hokkaido on Friday. The boy, missing since Saturday, was found unharmed Friday, police said, in a case that had set off a nationwide debate about parental disciplining. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)

TOKYO » Nearly a week after he was abandoned in the forest by his parents, the boy did not shed a tear when he was found safe Friday. The soldier who discovered him by chance in a military hut gave him two rice balls, which 7-year-old Yamato Tanooka ate ravenously. He looked a bit worn out but was “genki,” the military said, using a Japanese word describing healthy children.

The boy’s safe return was welcomed in a nation riveted by his disappearance and undergoing intense soul-searching about how it raises and disciplines its children.

Yamato’s story, as pieced together from comments from the military and police, was admirable in resourcefulness and resilience.

His parents, trying to teach him a lesson for misbehaving and throwing rocks, made him get out of the car last Saturday on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido in a forest reputedly ridden with bears. They couldn’t find him when they returned several minutes later.

Apparently walking for several kilometers, the boy found the empty hut in a military drill area and entered a door that had been left open. It had no heat or power and no food, but Yamato huddled between mattresses on the floor and drank water from the solitary faucet outside the hut for several days, local media reported.

A massive manhunt, including 180 people and search dogs, had found no trace of him. The soldier who found him had not been part of the frenzied search effort, but soon the boy identified himself as Yamato Tanooka (Tah-noh-oh-kah).

Appearing outside the hospital where the boy was flown in by helicopter, his father apologized, bowing deeply, thanked everyone for the rescue and vowed to do a better job as his dad.

“We have raised him with love all along,” said the father, Takayuki Tanooka, fighting tears. “I really didn’t think it would come to that. We went too far.”

Military officials expressed admiration for the boy’s perseverance, as the building where he was found was far from where he had disappeared and involved a rigorous uphill climb.

The boy was dehydrated and had minor scratches on his arms and feet, but no serious health risks were found, a doctor who examined him said on nationally televised news.

Asked what he had told his son after he was found, the father said, “I told him I was so sorry for causing him such pain.”

The nation welcomed the boy’s safe return. Old photos of Yamato, wearing a cowboy hat here, holding up two fingers in a peace sign there, his bangs falling over a proud smile, were flashed across again and again on TV.

Daijiro Hashimoto, a former governor appearing on a talk show on TV Asahi, wondered how the boy had endured the loneliness, especially at night, and suggested that perhaps he had imagined he was on some adventure and was hiding in a secret camp.

“He had to keep a very positive attitude,” Hashimoto said, reflecting widespread sentiment here. “He is fantastic. He didn’t know how long it might take, and when he would ever be saved.”

The boy’s disappearance and the debate set off by the parents’ decision resonated in an aging nation with a dearth of children, where child-raising is expensive and often requires financial sacrifice. Japanese culture also is not seen as promoting individual rights of children, but rather to view children almost as family property. Abandonment and child abuse are far more common in Japan than the stereotype of the doting parent and stay-at-home mom would suggest.

Yamato’s parents are not officially under any police investigation for their actions.

A child welfare expert said abandonment of a child should be treated seriously. Tamae Arai, who heads a Tokyo ward’s family support operations, said though she does not know the specifics of this case an investigation would be likely in a similar case to ensure a child is protected.

“Beating and kicking are not the only forms of child abuse. There is also neglect. Of course, we are all thrilled he was found, but it is important to note that there could be a serious problem here,” she said.

14 responses to “Japan praises boy who survived after abandonment in forest”

  1. DeltaDag says:

    Good news in an otherwise tragedy-ridden day. Sometimes miracles do happen. I for one would like the kid to write a narrative describing how he coped for nearly a week. Many older kids and young adults may not have fared quite so well.

    • copperwire9 says:

      I’d love to hear from the keiki too. What a blessing that he’s alive.

    • WizardOfMoa says:

      Divine intervention and guidance! The built-in survival instinct within us by huddling between mattresses for warmth and water from the solitary faucet outside the hut! The body can endured without food for several days but not water! This story parallels to that of the gorilla/child moat incidence: the general public unification of caring, hope and love. Especially at a time when our world seems to be spiraling out of common decency with its wars, indifferences, and hatred among the inhabitants. Love and hope the common denominators for Peace On Earth!

      • HIE says:

        Wrong. Guidance by education and common sense helped this kid survive. Japan still touts & values education and intelligence as virtues. Whereas America has Trump, who professes his love of “the poorly educated”, representing one of only two major political parties.

        • d_bullfighter says:

          somebody had to turn this story into a political commentary; get a grip

  2. allie says:

    thank goodness!

  3. Tita Girl says:

    Good news!

  4. On_My_Turf says:

    Being ordered out of the car is actually a pretty mild punishment by Japanese standards. I had a Japanese father and his idea of a punishment would involve a belt or a bamboo cane.

    • copperwire9 says:

      When my Japanese friend was in his early teens, he told his father that he didn’t want to go into the family business. The dad tied him upside down in a tree in the back yard until he changed his mind.

      Unsurprisingly, my friend left home for good as soon after that as he could.

  5. lokela says:

    If this incident happened here in America the parents would be up the creek. Glad the boy made it out ok.

  6. Alohaguy96734 says:

    That’s cold blooded.

  7. teatime808 says:

    I’m glad he was found. I hope he learned his lesson not to throw rocks at people and cars. I wonder if he initially hid from his parents after they came back just to teach them a lesson…Japanese males can be very stubborn and prideful.

    • aomohoa says:

      My thought exactly, but I bet those parents were very scared. I am glad it all turned out well and he wasn’t found in parts after a bear attack. I believe in discipline but not when it puts the child’s life at risk.

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