A seven year old Japanese boy that went missing since Saturday after his parents abandoned him as punishment in the bear inhabitant jungle in northern Japan was “found alive” today by the soldier and the boy was reunited with his parents.
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A boy who identified himself Yamato Tanooka, the missing child, was found at about 7:50 a.m. Friday local time at a former Japanese air force base in the town of Shikabe, on the northern island of Hokkaido.
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.
The child was left alone for a few minutes by his parents who discovered that he was missing after they returned to look for him in the woods – which is home to many brown bears.
Over 180 rescuers had been searching for Tanooka in the past week, with the Japanese military finally joining the search on Wednesday after days of fruitless searching.
His parents initially said he had got lost, but eventually admitted briefly abandoning him for being naughty. While experts say a water-only diet for so long must have been painful, they boy apparently stayed at the hut for much of the time.
The base is reportedly located some 5.5km (3.4 miles) northeast of the site where the child went missing.
The parents originally told authorities on that Yamato disappeared while picking wild vegetables with his family.
He was found by a soldier Friday, who said the boy quickly ate two rice balls offered to him but did not cry, the Associated Press reports.
Yamato was found by a soldier on a parade ground at a military barracks.
The search had gripped Japan, with news programs offering hourly updates, and thousands took to the internet to both pray for the boy’s survival and excoriate his parents for what is seen as neglect.
The boy’s father told reporters: “I feel very sorry for the boy as I came down hard on him”.
The case had set off a debate in Japan about parental disciplining.
According to local officials, Tanooka’s parents could face charges for negligence.
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The details of how the boy had survived were still unclear, she said.
