Abandoned Japanese Boy Yamato Tanooka Found Alive After Six Days Alone In Forest


Abandoned Japanese boy Yamato Tanooka has been found alive, six days after he was left alone in an Japanese forest as a punishment. According to reports, the seven-year-old Japanese boy was left alone in a bear-infested Japanese forest by his parents as “punishment for misbehaving.” According to authorities, the parents made Yamato Tanooka get out of their vehicle as punishment for throwing rocks from cars. The Japanese boy’s parents say they left him alone for only a few minutes before coming back to retrieve him. When they got back, though, Yamato was gone.

As The Daily Mail reports, Yamato Tanooka was found alive and relatively unscathed on Friday by Japanese searchers. By the time that the Japanese boy was found, the Japanese military had joined hundreds of volunteers and members of law enforcement who were trying desperately to find him and hoping for the best possible outcome in an unbelievable situation.

Japanese searchers were fearful that seven-year-old Yamato Tanooka may have perished due to exposure to the elements. The area where the Japanese boy was abandoned and remained missing was hit by torrential rains while rescuers tried to locate him and bring him home safely.

When the boy’s parents reported his disappearance to authorities, they initially said that he’d vanished while the family was distracted picking wild vegetables.

After further questioning, however, the Japanese boy’s parents admitted that they’d deliberately left him behind in the forest in northern Hokkaido. Japanese social media users and those from around the world were quick to criticize Yamato Tanooka’s parents for their perceived neglect when the story broke.

According to a report by the BBC, Japanese boy Yamato Tanooka was not just found alive, he was found “alive and well,” and not far from the place where he’d last been seen.

Reportedly, Yamato Tanooka was found only seven kilometers from where he disappeared last Saturday. The Japanese boy was found in an abandoned military barracks near Shikabe, a town in northern Hokkaido. According to rescuers at the scene, in addition to being identified by his parents, the Japanese boy identified himself as Yamato Tanooka when he was discovered.

Authorities aren’t releasing exact details of Yamato Tanooka’s condition, however, it has been reported that he seemed “well,” but that he was transported by helicopter to a local hospital for screening and as a precaution.

“The boy was found alive, but we don’t have information on details of his condition.”

Local police have stated that Yamato Tanooka is in “good health.” The Japanese boy was reunited with his parents, who have been accused of neglect and abuse, when he arrived at a Hakodate hospital.

During the time that Yamato Tanooka was missing, his father Takayuki admitted to doing “an unforgivable thing,” adding that he just hoped his son was okay.

“We have done an unforgivable thing to our child and we have caused a lot of trouble for everyone. I just hope he is safe.”

During the time of the Japanese boy’s disappearance, hundreds of rescuers scoured the area he’d last been seen in a desperate effort to bring him home safe. While locals helped search, people around the world prayed for the safe return of the Japanese boy.

When the news of Yamato Tanooka’s disappearance broke, it garnered international attention. The Japanese boy’s parents were bitterly criticized. They were called neglectful by many, and a rampant debate sprung up on social media regarding whether or not their actions against the Japanese boy constituted abuse or good discipline.

“Making children obey by giving them fear or pain is bad parenting, it’s abuse.”

Prior to being found by diligent rescuers, there had been no sign or eyewitness reports of Yamato Tanooka.

While it’s obvious that locals and the international community are overjoyed that the seven-year-old has been found safe and well, what are your thoughts? Did his parents act appropriately? Was their form of “discipline” actually abuse? Should the parents of Yamato Tanooka face charges in the disappearance of the Japanese boy?

[Image via Shuttertsock]

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