Spouse and Child Abuse in Japan - 2006 and earlier

Please refer to this current year's page for more information regarding the issues, recommended solutions, and so on.

Related Pages

Child Prostitution and Pornography in Japan

Bullying, Racism, Child Suicide, School-related Crime/Sex Offences in Japan

Articles on Child Abuse for this year

Articles on Child Abuse for 2007

Media Coverage of Child Abuse in Japan

These articles are intended to illustrate child abuse occurring in Japan with two purposes in mind.  First, we want to correct the perception that Japan has less child abuse than other countries, or perhaps less severe abuse.  Therefore we are willing to cover any reported incident of child abuse, child murder, etc, by a Japanese parent.  We also hope to illustrate that child abuse is more likely to occur in one of the following situations::

• When one natural parent appears to not be part of the abused child's life.
• When one natural parent appears to have not been having frequent and meaningful contact with the child.
• When the abuser/murderer is not the natural parent.
• When a foreign parent is under visa related pressure.

(EJ) means the article is available in both English and Japanese. 

2006

• Gifu firms warned on Brazilian child labor; (E) December 30, 2006; The discovery highlights a serious problem: An increasing number of immigrants in Japan are sending their kids to work, rather than school, due to language problems and economic hardship.

• Kanagawa: bodies of mother and her 2 children found in burnt-out shed in apparent murder-suicide; (J) December 28, 2006.

• 5-year-old boy dies, older brother survives after being throttled by father; (EJ) December 28, 2006.

• Ex-child center worker handed 4-year prison term for molesting girls; (EJ) December 26, 2006; Mori fondled the bodies of several girls aged 6 to 10 who were asleep at the facility where he worked between March 2005 and March 2006.

• Newborn baby left at Gifu supermarket; (EJ) December 24, 2006; The baby boy, still with its umbilical cord and wrapped in a brown blanket, was on the staircase on the fourth floor of a Jusco supermarket when a shopper found him.

• Brazilian man put on wanted list after Shizuoka murder of woman, sons; (EJ) December 23, 2006; The suspect once lived with the Brazilian woman and her family at their home. "A man who didn't belong to the family had often come to the room and I heard what sounded like an argument," said one of the woman's neighbors. The woman and her two sons lived together while her Japanese-Brazilian husband lives elsewhere in the prefecture.

• Abusive mother arrested for cracking 18-month-old daughter's skull; (EJ) December 23, 2006; Ito hit Ayaka's head against a table and a futon mat several times since mid-December. Police are grilling her, suspecting that she also abused her 3-month-old son. Update (J); The abused baby girl died in a Gunma hospital on Jan, 7, 2007.

• Wife of convicted killer gets compensation over murder of her parents, son; (EJ) December 21, 2006; The murders occurred on July 31, 2002, at the home of Ujigawa's parents in Yokohama's Tsuzuki-ku, where Ujigawa was hiding from Furusawa because she couldn't stand his violent behavior. Furusawa entered the home through a window and fatally stabbed Ujigawa's 71-year-old father Masayoshi, her mother Fumiko, and her 12-year-old son, who was born to her in a separate marriage.

• Woman faces murder charges for strangling 2-year-old son; (EJ) December 20, 2006; The 39-year-old woman had been worried that her son's physical development was too slow.

• Nara: Mum stabs teenage daughter to death then hangs herself in murder-suicide; (J) December 19, 2006.

• Miyagi woman arrested for dumping newborn baby in storage shed; (EJ) December 19, 2006.

• Man arrested for assaulting 10-year-old son of live-in girlfriend; (J) December 16, 2006.

• Court orders pair to pay ¥ 70 million in damages to parents of daughter they fatally abused; (J) December 15, 2006; According to the ruling the 5-year-old's mother entrusted her friends to look after her daughter. But the girl was beaten every day and left on a balcony for more than 2 weeks.

• Update: Dad gets 10 years for starving tot to death; (EJ) December 15, 2006; Isao Shirahige, 40, and his wife, Wakako, 33, who is being tried separately, neglected to provide meals to their three children, including their son, Hiromu, 3, who died around May 28 from pneumonia triggered by severe malnourishment. In addition to the boy's death, Shirahige's second-oldest son, who is 6, suffered severe developmental problems as a result of malnourishment, while his 8-year-old daughter sustained serious arm injuries after Shirahige assaulted her with a bread knife. Update: (J) December 21, 2006; Mom sentenced to 6 years in prison for starving son to death.

  • Parents arrested after their 3-year-old son dies of malnutrition; (EJ) July 29, 2006; Two other children were abused daily - often with a hammer - and were so famished they sometimes ate dog food. The parents had previously lost custody of a 2-year-old son child through abuse and a fifth child died 3 months after birth. A complete failure by the authorities to protect the children despite the father's history of child abuse.

• Abuse suspected in death of bruised, underdeveloped 3-year-old girl; (EJ) December 15, 2006.

• Authorities abandon intervention in 20 child abuse cases in 2005; (EJ) December 13, 2006; In some cases, parents locked their doors or refused to respond to visits by welfare officials even when they were accompanied by police officers, the ministry said.

• Update: Woman gets four years in killing of 3-year-old; (EJ) December 11, 2006; The Mito District Court convicted Akiko Kikuchi of assault resulting in the death of her granddaughter, Kiseki Higuchi, who died Aug. 6 from colon necrosis after Kikuchi wrapped the girl in a blanket and tied her up with an electrical cord.

  • Grandmother suffocates 3-year-old granddaughter with blanket and electric cord; (EJ) August 6, 2006; In the Japanese article it is noted that the parents divorced earlier this year although the child, her father and Kiseki's maternal grandmother continued living together.

• 2 boys found dead in Hokkaido; mother hospitalized; (EJ) December 11, 2006.

• Head of mentally disabled facility arrested for fondling teenage resident; (E) December 6, 2006.

• Kobe: parents arrested for abandoning newborn baby; (J) December 6, 2006

• Mother, live-in boyfriend arrested for assault of the woman's 11-year-old daughter; (J) December 5, 2006; The girl suffered serious injuries to her face and head which took a month to heal.

• Father, 2 daughters found dead in car in apparent suicide; (EJ) December 5, 2006.

• Man faces murder charges for fatally hurling baby son to floor; (EJ) December 5, 2006; At about 11 p.m. on Monday, Egi threw his son onto the floor of their home in Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, because he would not stop crying, investigators said. The victim was rushed to hospital after he fell unconscious, and died in the predawn hours of Wednesday.

• Mie woman held over arson death of her 10-year-old son; (EJ) December 5, 2006; Ito is suspected of pouring kerosene in the second-floor room of her second son Masato, setting fire to it and killing him at around 8 a.m. on Feb 13.

• Woman arrested for abandoning her baby daughter on a path in Mishima, Shizuoka; (J) December 3, 2006.

• Couple arrested for physically abusing and seriously injuring the woman’s 5-year-old daughter; (EJ) November 29, 2006.

• 8-year prison sentence sought for woman who fatally abused her 3-year-old son; (J) November 28, 2006; The boy died from head injuries due to severe beatings.

• Osaka woman gets 5 years for mutilating her baby son's genitals with a razor; (EJ) November 27, 2006.

• Osaka man busted for beating up live-in girlfriend's daughter; (EJ) November 27, 2006.

• Newborn baby dies: mother, grandparents arrested for abandonment; (J) November 27, 2006; After giving birth the baby boy was wrapped in a blanket and hidden at their house. Cause of death was determined to be suffocation. The three are also being investigated on suspicion of murder.

• Akita: 2 children die in separate cases despite authorities being aware of previous abuse; (J) November 27, 2006; The article says the child-welfare authorities knew the mothers lacked the ability to raise their children properly and that they had a history of abusing their kids.

• Man gets 25-year prison term for stabbing wife and 3-year-old son to death; (J) November 27, 2006; According to the ruling the man killed his wife and child because he was confronted with talk of a divorce. He later planned to commit suicide.

• Two brothers aged 7 and 4 strangled, mother arrested; (EJ) November 24, 2006; The woman divorced 6-months ago and was receiving payments for child support.

• Anti-child abuse law failing to achieve aims; (E) November 23, 2006.

• Three people die, one in serious condition in family murder-suicide; (J) November 22, 2006.

• Workers accused of beating children at Osaka welfare facility; (EJ) November 20, 2006.

• Body of newborn baby found abandoned in company dorm toilet; (EJ) November 20, 2006.

• Man arrested for abusing daughters aged 8 and 10; (J) November 18, 2006.

• 7 and 8 year prison terms sought for mother, brother-in-law for assaulting, killing 2-year-old girl; (J) November 17, 2006.

• Baby's corpse discovered in coin locker at Kyoto train station; (J) November 15, 2006.

• Man arrested for burning his girlfriend's 6-year-old daughter; (J) November 14, 2006.

• Woman, boyfriend arrested on suspicion of murdering her 4-year-old son; (EJ) November 13, 2006; At about 4 p.m. on Oct. 23, the two suspects hit Ryosuke in the head and face in a car parked in Daisen, and covered his mouth in a bid to suffocate him, local police said. They abandoned him in an irrigation canal that was 74 centimeters deep at around 5 p.m., causing him to die, according to investigators. He was subsequently found dead in the canal. The woman had sought help from child welfare officials in 2004, saying she was emotionally unstable and feared she might hurt her child.

• Mom, son die as car falls into sea; (EJ) November 11, 2006; Possible murder-suicide; because there were no skid marks at the site, the police said they suspect it was a suicide.

• Iwate to strengthen support for prevention of child abuse; (J) November 11, 2006; A chart shows nationwide and Iwate prefecture rates for reported numbers of abused children. According to the article child consultation centres dealt with a 25-fold increase in abuse cases between 1996 and 2005.

• Boyfriend arrested for repeated violence to live-in lover's 6-year-old son; (J) November 10, 2006.

• Woman drowns 2-year-old daughter, arrested on suspicion of murder; (J) November 10, 2006.

• 18-year-old youth busted for abusing his 5-month-old son; (EJ) November 8, 2006; The victim suffered a brain hemorrhage and remains unconscious.

• Two adults, 3 girls die in suspected murder-suicide; (EJ) November 8, 2006; Police believe the man and woman were in their 30s and the girls were aged 10 years or younger. A charcoal stove was found inside the car, suggesting the five died in a family suicide pact.

• Plasterer nabbed for abusing stepson; (EJ) November 7, 2006; Sugioka abused the stepson for about an hour, kicking the victim and hurling him against the floor, according to investigators.

• Man arrested after kicking 6-year-old son, rupturing his liver; (J) November 7, 2006; The man kicked his son several times to discipline the child when he spilt his lunch.

• Sapporo court sentences man to 12 years in prison for repeated rape of daughter; (J) November 7, 2006; The man's sexual assaults against his daughter started when she was 9-years-old. Unable to bear the violence anymore the girl ran away from home in March and reported her father to the police.

• Recidivism rate of sex crimes against children younger than 13 exceeds 20%; (EJ) November 8, 2006; Of the 1,534 inmates surveyed, 218 committed their crimes on children under 13 years of age, with 34.9 percent of those being repeat offenders. Those who committed sexual offences while still minors was 6.9 percent of the overall inmates surveyed. But the ratio was higher at 13.3 percent among those who committed their crimes on children under 13 years of age.

• Woman in Hiroshima Prefecture strangles her two sons to death; (J) November 6, 2006; The children were 5 and 3 years of age.

• Man arrested on charges of indecent assault after invading homes to molest young girls; (J) November 6, 2006; Posing as a gas inspection man and using a knife to threaten the victims the suspect carried out the attacks over a one year period from summer 2005. In his deposition he admitted to targeting and carrying out 20 attacks on girls of primary school age.

• Dad arrested for abuse of his 5-month-old son; (J) November 4, 2006; The father, a 22-year-old university student, flung his son against a futon dozens of times. The boy survived but suffered internal injuries that took 3 months to heal.

• Almost 30 percent of children admitted to homes have history of child abuse; (EJ) November 4, 2006; In fiscal 2005, 3,209 infants aged up to 3 years were admitted to these homes. Of them, 926, or 28.9 percent, were admitted to the facilities because they were subjected to child abuse at their homes, compared with 27.5 percent the previous year.

• Mum arrested after fatally strangling her 4-month-old daughter; (J) November 2, 2006; Emergency services were alerted after she called to say she'd killed her child. The mother also required treatment for self-inflicted wounds.

• 98 reported cases of abuse in Tokushima for the first half of 2006; (J) November 2, 2006; The main abusers were biological mothers in 70 cases, biological fathers in 19 cases and non-biological fathers in 5 cases.

• Man handed life sentence for attacking ex-girlfriend, fatally stabbing her 4-year-old daughter; (EJ) November 2, 2006.

• Man arrested for choking disabled daughter; (EJ) November 1, 2006.

• Man gets 15-year prison term for fatally abusing girlfriend's 2 children; (J) October 31, 2006; The children's mother was also found guilty and sentenced to a 12-year jail term for the 1999 murders of her 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.

• Record number of child-abuse reports, consultations in fiscal 2005; (EJ) October 31, 2006; Local governments received reports about suspected child abuse and requests for consultations with guardians 38,183 times in fiscal 2005. But officials in about 80 percent of the municipal and other local governments cited inadequacies in providing professional consultations to prevent the abuse of children, the government survey showed.

• Man arrested for beating 7-year-old son, 5-year-old daughter;　(EJ) October 30, 2006; The children were living with their father who was divorced although the children's mother was still involved in her their lives. She alerted the police after calling her ex-husband and hearing the children crying in the background. (Note: The non-custodial parent having post-divorce contact probably saved the children from further abuse.)

• Loose laws leave adoption trade vulnerable to sexual predators;　(E) October 30, 2006; Unwanted Japanese babies are being sold for huge prices to rich foreigners and, thanks to a lack of laws, possibly even paedophiles, according to Josei Jishin (11/7-14)

• Man beats and seriously injures 3-year-old son of wife's friend;　(J) October 29, 2006; The Japanese report says that because of family court mediation the mother and her son were living together with a friend and her husband.

• Woman arrested for attempted murder of her 1-year-old son;　(J) October 28, 2006; The woman called the police to report she'd killed her child. When the police arrived they found the child floating in a bathtub but still alive. The mother and son were living with her parents. Update: October 31 (J); the child died at hospital on Oct. 30th.

• Man arrested for beating his 8-year-old son around face and head;　(J) October 28, 2006; Because he was thin and unhealthy the boy's elementary school had previously contacted the childcare authorities in June after it was suspected the child was being neglected.

• Reported cases of child abuse up in Hiroshima and Chiba prefectures;　(J) October 24, 2006.

• Two children aged 5 and 6 severely beaten, father and grandmother arrested on assault charges;　(J) October 23, 2006.

• Woman disappears after giving birth to baby boy at Sapporo hospital;　(EJ) October 23, 2006; Local police are searching for the woman, believed to be in her 20s, on suspicion of abandoning her child.

• Parents overruled by court on surgery for baby;　(EJ) October 22, 2006; A family court ordered an operation on a newborn baby with a brain illness despite the parents' objection after a hospital filed a child neglect report against them.

• Worker at children's home busted for molesting high school girl; (EJ) October 18, 2006.

• Mie Prefecture: Increase of 54% in child abuse cases reported between 2000 and 2005; (J) October 17, 2006.

• Mother strangles her 2 children to death, then commits suicide; (J) October 16, 2006.

• Aichi man sentenced to life in prison for killing 6 relatives; (EJ) October 16, 2006; Two of the victims were children aged 11 and 9.

• Eight month-old baby in serious condition after assault by mother's boyfriend; (J) October 16, 2006.

• Mother given 12-year prison term for starving 19-year-old son to death; (EJ) October 12, 2006.

• Dad arrested for assault after beating 9-year-old daughter; (J) October 12, 2006.

• Man commits suicide after killing his two children; (EJ) October 10, 2006.

• Daughter, husband, mom-in-law found stabbed to death at home with nails in heads; (EJ) October 6, 2006; An apparent suicide note was also found at the home. It was signed by the husband's 45-year-old wife, who had been treated for a mental illness. She was later found dead in a river not far from the family's house.

• Parents get suspended sentence over fatal abuse of 6-year-old daughter in December, 2003; (J) October 6, 2006.

• Takamatsu City plans countermeasures to prevent recurrence of abuse cases like that of a 3-year-old who was starved to death in February this year; (J) October 5, 2006; It's noted that last year Kagawa prefectural child-abuse centres dealt with 400 cases (compared to 22 cases in 1995). Of these the main abusers were found to be: mothers in 272 cases, fathers in 84 cases, and stepfathers in 26 cases. Between April and June of this year 148 cases were reported. This number exceeded by one third the number of cases reported during the same period last year.

• 197 reported cases of child abuse in Yamaguchi Prefecture last year; continual rise in cases each year; (J) October 4, 2006.

• Mum fatally abuses 10-month-old daughter; (J) September 30, 2006; The mother was irritated at her daughter's crying and relationship with her husband.

• Teen mom arrested for vicious attack on 19-day-old baby son; (EJ) September 28, 2006; In November last year authorities suspected the eldest son had been abused and placed him in a home, where he remains.

• Man arrested for kicking his son in the face; (J) September 28, 2006; The boy required an operation for injuries sustained in the assault.

• Couple in common-law marriage use knife to slash newborn-baby's throat, then bury him in garden; (J) September 27, 2006.

• Hokkaido man held over murder of wife, 8-year-old son; (EJ) September 27, 2006.

• Police urged to check child abuse cases more actively; (EJ) September 24, 2006.

• Man admits to fatally abusing girlfriend's 2 young daughters; (EJ) September 24, 2006; After beating 4-year-old Seina chan unconscious the couple abandoned her to take their dog to the vet. By this stage Hina chan, 3, was already dead. The mother was later arrested for helping her boyfriend dispose of her daughters' bodies.

• 5-year-old daughter seriously injured after abuse, mother and her live-in boyfriend arrested; (EJ) September 24, 2006.

• In Mie Prefecture a child abuse help-line set up for children aged 18 and under receives 5,740 calls in it's first year of operation; (J) September 23, 2006.

• Woman's live-in boyfriend arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of her 6 year-old-son; (J) September 20, 2006; The child sustained severe injuries in the attack and bore multiple burn marks and bruises from previous beatings.

• Father kills teenage son then himself in murder-suicide; (J) September 18, 2006

• Child abuse deaths vary greatly by region; (E) September 17, 2006; The offenders were mothers in 177 cases and fathers in 173 cases, including cases in which both parents were charged. A remarkable number of cases perpetrated by mothers occurred when they were alone with their child. Many of the victims were infants and toddlers, suggesting the cases often were caused by mothers' stress from parenting. Among the cases caused by fathers, 45 percent were committed by common-law husbands. Many offenders cited hatred for the children as they did not feel a strong parental connection. The study found that during the 11 years, the incident rate of child abuse deaths tripled.

• Update on Oct. 2004 story about 2 young sisters who were abducted and brutally murdered; (J) September 13, 2006. The girls' parents had divorced and they were apparently living with their mother until February 2004. At this time the father regained custody by taking the girls from a nursery school. For a while the sisters, aged 3 and 4, lived together with their father and his friend. At some point the friend began abusing the girls as bruises were noticed on the girls bodies. Although child welfare authorities were involved in the case the man managed to take the girls during a home visit and threw them to their deaths from a bridge in Tochigi prefecture.

• Tokyo woman held over 4-year-old son's death from malnutrition; (EJ) September 13, 2006.

• Mother strangles 14-year-old daughter following 'bullying' at school; (EJ) September 10, 2006; "My daughter had been worried about educational problems, and I wanted to put her out of her misery," law enforcers quoted her as saying. The woman had been in and out of hospital over the past five years to be treated for serious depression.

• Father in common-law marriage arrested for abduction of 4-month-old daughter ; (J) September 10, 2006. The man and the infant's mother had been living together for a year but separated at the end of August. 

• 17 cases of children being left in vehicles at Pachinko parlour car parks within 5 month period; (J) September 9, 2006; To prevent heatstroke and other harm coming to children pachinko shop staff doing the rounds of car parks took action to help 27 children out of trouble between April and August this year. In 2 separate cases a 9-month-old infant in Nagano and a 2-month-old baby in Aichi succumbed to heatstroke inside cars while their parents were playing pachinko. In another case 3 children aged between 4 and 6 years old were left in a vehicle while the engine was running. One of the youngsters was found in the drivers seat playing with the steering wheel. 

• Woman attempts to kill her 2-year-old son by shoving him into a kitchen door; (EJ) September 9, 2006.

• Woman arrested for abuse of her 8-year-old daughter; (EJ) September 8, 2006.

• Three family members found dead in murder-suicide; (EJ) September 8, 2006.

• Child abduction: Grandparents claim their innocence in appeal to Supreme Court (J) September 7, 2006; Following a divorce the couple's daughter and her 2 children moved back in with them. However, in late 2001 the daughter left her parent's house along with the 2 children and went to live in Sapporo with a man who'd promised to marry her. Her parents were against this second marriage and visited her new residence. A quarrel ensued and it was at this time they took their 3-year-old granddaughter. Even after being indicted the grandparents failed to return the girl. In defence they claimed their daughter didn't carry out her parental duties and as 'acting guardians' decided to take the girl back. There is no mention in the article of the children's father.

• Woman gets 13-year prison sentence for drowning 3-year-old son in bathtub; (J) September 7, 2006; The judge pointed out that the mother selfishly thought she could live together with her boyfriend if her son were not around. She'd also twice attempted to kill the child by throwing him down a stairwell in her apartment complex.

• Parents sentenced to 4 years in prison for strangling daughter to death with electric cord; (J) September 7, 2006.

• Boyfriend arrested for fatally abusing 10-month-old infant; (J) September 2, 2006; The infant's mother had recently met the man through a telephone dating service.

• Trial starts for parents accused of abusing and drowning 9-month-old daughter; (EJ) August 30, 2006.

  • Parents drown 9-month-old daughter in bathtub; (E) July 05, 2006; Authorities made "terrible blunder" in returning infant to abusive parents.

• Parents abuse 13-year-old daughter through beatings and cigarette burns; (J) August 30, 2006.

• Parents in court for abandoning newborn; (J) August 30, 2006.

• Woman arrested for strangling her 4-year-old son and 4-month-old daughter to death; (EJ) August 28, 2006.

• Father loses appeal after being sentenced to 10 year prison sentence for fatal assault of daughter; (J) August 24, 2006.

  • Man handed 10 year prison sentence for fatally abusing 1-month-old daughter; (J) March 30, 2006; The father repeatedly submerged his daughter's head under bathwater and regularly hit her. She died of brain injuries on September 23 last year after he beat her head against a refrigerator door.  

• Mother strangles her 2-month-old daughter to death; (EJ) August 24, 2006; The woman was reportedly undergoing psychiatric treatment for neurosis.

• Baby dies of heat exhaustion in car while parents play pachinko; (EJ) August 23, 2006.

• Mother fatally abuses 2-year-old daughter; (J) August 23, 2006.

• Children's home warned over nurse's sexual relationship with boy; (EJ) August 21, 2006; This was the second of two sexual misconduct cases at the foster home.

• 'House of Horrors' trial begins; (EJ) August 21, 2006.

  • Woman held over bizarre house of horrors case; (EJ) May 3, 2006; Chizuko Okamoto, 54, is arrested for murdering her 19-year-old daughter. The corpses of 2 babies, a child and a man were also discovered at the apartment. One of the bodies was that of Okamoto's son, on whom she filed a missing person's report 22 years ago.

• Newborn abandoned outside clinic - Sendai; (J) August 21, 2006.

• Newborn abandoned outside clinic - Aichi; (J) August 18, 2006.

• Baby suffocates at home. Mother living alone abandons her 4 month-old infant for 5 hours of entertainment; (J) August 17, 2006.

• Boy named 'Devil' rises up from hell after parents abandon him; (E) August 15, 2006.

• Husband and wife arrested for stabbing 'violent' daughter to death; (EJ) August 14, 2006.

• Boyfriend arrested for lethal abuse of 19-month-old infant; (J) August 11, 2006.

  • Mom questioned on suspicion of abuse leading to 19-month-old son's death; (EJ) June 2, 2006.

• Teen accused of leaving newborn daughter to die in toilet; (EJ) August 10, 2006.

• Mother held after 2-year-old daughter beaten unconscious"; (EJ) August 9, 2006.

• Man gets 7 years prison for fatal abuse of girlfriend's 10-year-old son; (J) August 9, 2006; According to the court, the live-in boyfriend 'disciplined' the child on behalf of his pregnant girlfriend from around the beginning of January this year. The child endured regular beatings and was repeatedly made to take cold water showers while also being deprived of food.

• Man's past captives include mother and her 2-year-old child; (EJ) August 8, 2006.

• Mother jumps from condominium holding her 2 young children in suspected murder-suicide; (EJ) August 6, 2006; On Friday, the woman was briefly placed in the custody of the police after attempting suicide in a different Prefecture.

• Stepmother arrested for assault to husband's son; (J) August 4, 2006; When the boy failed to complete the assigned homework she attempted to strangle him.

• Record number of child abuse victims reported in first half of 2006; (EJ) August 3, 2006.

• Gangster arrested for attempted murder, abduction of infant son; (EJ) August 2, 2006; The 9-month-old infant was hospitalized last year because of severe burns from boiling water. In March 2006 the child's parents and other family members forced their way into the hospital and took the boy after failing in repeated requests to have him released.

• Mother gets 3 years in prison for starving her 7-month-old daughter to death; (J) July 28, 2006.

• Father inflicts serious injuries on 10-year-old son; (J) July 27, 2006; The father hit his son with a metal bar and used a thumb tack to prick the boy's feet. Injuries caused to the child took 2 months to heal.

• Couple given 6 and 7 year prison terms for fatal abuse of 3-year-old son; (EJ) July 27, 2006;

• 2-year-old toddler in serious condition after being beaten by mother; (J) July 25, 2006.

• 6-month-old baby boy dies after abuse; (J) July 22, 2006; The child was killed through a blow to the head and his body was covered in bruises. A man living with the infant's mother was arrested.

• Mother kills her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old neighbour; (EJ) July 17, 2006; The divorced mother found child-raising troubling and often neglected her daughter. In a magazine interview the left behind father says that he thought about his daughter every day since the divorce and wishes his ex-wife had given him custody.
  

• Mother arrested for throwing daughter to her death from overpass; (EJ) July 16, 2006.

• Father murders 2-year-old son, then kills himself; (EJ) July 14, 2006.

• Man kills wife in front of children; (E) July 13, 2006; The couple were divorced but living together.

• Mother and daughter found dead in suspected murder-suicide; (E) July 12, 2006.

• Father arrested after 3-year old son's intestine ruptured; (J) July 06, 2006; The father stuck his son several times on the pretext of disciplining the child for making a noise while eating dinner. The child's condition is serious.

• Couple held over fatally abusing 2-year-old daughter; (EJ) July 06, 2006; The divorced mother and stepfather poured boiling water on the child's head and beat her. The family counseling centre knew there was a problem but failed to protect the toddler.

• Woman strangles daughters, leaps to death in murder-suicide; (EJ) July 04, 2006.

• Update: Mother sentenced to 7 years in prison for fatal abuse of son; (EJ) June 30, 2006;

• Japan hit by huge rise in child abuse; (EJ) June 27, 2006. International attention on child abuse in Japan. One of the measures in the govt. white paper calls for more "parenting supporters" with experience in parenting skills. Reasons cited for the worsening situation include the rising cost of bringing up children and the increase in single-parent families.

• Body of newborn baby found on garbage-collection ship; (EJ) June 20, 2006.

• Newborn baby abandoned in front of house; (E) June 19, 2006.

• Woman sentenced to 2 years prison for abusing stepdaughter; (J) June 16, 2006; The defendant showered the 5-year-old girl with boiling water causing scolding injuries to 1/3 of her body. According to the prosecution, regular food deprivation, beatings and strangulation were also used to abuse the youngster. The birth of the defendant's own child was the trigger for the abuse.

• Mother gets 4-year prison term for fatal abuse of her daughter; (J) June 15, 2006.

• Mother with history of psychiatric problems strangles 11-year-old son with belt; (EJ) June 13, 2006; It states in the Yomuri Shimbun article that the mother suffered from depression. This case is significant because the Japanese courts barely acknowledge mental illness as a factor in disputes over custody. In fact, in cases where a parent has been diagnosed with mental illness court officials have been known to ignore the rights and safety of children while opting to cling to biased and outdated ideals instead. 

• Common-law husband abuses 8-year-old boy; (EJ) June 12, 2006;

• Aichi: 2-month-old boy dies in car while parents played pachinko for 5 hours; (EJ) May 29, 2006; Rio Takeuchi died at a hospital of heat stroke and dehydration after being left in the car in the parking lot of a pachinko game parlor from around 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday while his father Masato, 24, and mother Rie, 23, were playing pachinko, the police said.

• Mother slashes 3-year-old daughter's hands with scissors; (EJ) May 23, 2006; The parents of the woman's ex-husband discovered that the little girl had been abused after talking with the victim. Police suspect she was abused regularly.

• Man finds dead baby in bag he discarded from daughter's bedroom; (EJ) May 11, 2006.

• Woman and her son die in murder-suicide; (EJ) May 2, 2006; Investigators said that the woman had been worried about childcare.

• Boy survives after mom leaps with him to her death from high-rise building; (EJ) April 3, 2006.  Mom attempts murder suicides, son survives.

• 58 children died from abuse in 2004 in Japan, govt reports; March 31, 2006; This page raises a suspicion that some cases go un-reported.

• Woman burns down home in murder-suicide attempt; (EJ) March 6, 2006.

• Man who finds fatherless homes through registry jailed for molesting 7 girls; Friday, March 3, 2006.

• Man, woman and young boy die in an alleged murder-suicide; (EJ) March 3, 2006;  Note that the Japanese version says that the man was her husband and the boy was her oldest son.  It also says that in November of last year, due to things like her becoming violent at home, she was involuntarily admitted to a mental hospital.

• Nara man gets 20 years for killing wife, 2 children with dumbbell; February 25, 2006.

• Kanagawa woman gets 4 years for strangling 7-year-old son; February 25, 2006.

• Mother strangles 7-year-old son for skipping cram school; Mainichi Shinbun; April 6, 2004.

• 53-year-old woman arrested over death of grandson in Iwate; February 24, 2006.

• Woman stabs son, self in failed murder-suicide bid;  (EJ) February 18, 2006.

• Mom, foster dad arrested for pricking her daughter with needle for horses; (EJ) February 17, 2006

• 母親「育児煩わしく」３歳男児放置死; 2006年2月10日; Mother finds caring for baby troublesome and abandons it to die.

• Parents held in beating death of 3-year-old son; (EJ) February 10, 2006

• Mie woman held on suspicion of strangling children, aged 1 and 3; (EJ) February 10, 2006;  This is not the woman in the February 10, 2006 or the November 11, 2005 article.

• Woman who fatally stabbed her 2 children ordered to spend 8 years behind bars; (EJ) February 10, 2006.   [FYI This is a different woman who stabbed her two year old son to death than the woman who stabbed her two year old son to death on November 11, 2005.]

• Kagawa Mom arrested for starving her 3 year old son to death; (EJ) February 8, 2006; Ai Yamashita, 25, living with her two sons and her mother admits to police, "I loved my elder son more than the younger one."

• Woman fatally clubs son, bungles own suicide; (EJ) January 31, 2006.

• Daughter dies after mom sets apartment on fire to attract dad's attention; (EJ) January 27, 2006.

• Man arrested for pinching face of girlfriend's daughter ; (EJ) January 14, 2006.  While single mother is out, boyfriend abuses the daughter.  It took two weeks for her face to heal.

• Man held over beating of 8-month-old boy; January 8, 2006. Drunken boyfriend punches and kicks girlfriend's son in the face causing injuries that will take 3 months to heal.

2005

• Mom confesses to fatally dropping her 2 children into dam; Mainichi Daily News; December 22, 2005. (cached copy)

  • 子ども２人殺害：主婦を逮捕「ダムに落とした」徳島; 毎日新聞　2005年12月22日; (cached copy)
• Mother locks teenage daughter in home for over 10 years.  An 18-year-old girl who was locked in her home for over 11 years without attending school because "she had trouble fitting in" as an infant.  School authorities knew she was missing, but a child consultation center couldn't prove abuse, so decided not to search for her.  The mother was initially arrested, but was released.
  • Abused girl a captive almost in plain sight; Japan Times; December 20, 2005.  (cached copy)
  • Bizarre case of 18-year-old girl confined at home; CrissCross News Japan; December 14, 2005. (cached copy)
  • Case of girl locked in home for over a decade raises social questions;  Mainichi Daily News; December 7, 2005 (cached copy)
    • 福岡少女軟禁：子供の障害案じる親の複雑な感情; 毎日新聞; 2005年12月7日 (cached copy)ss
  • Girl kept in house by mother for 18 years; The Yomiuri Shimbun; Dec. 7, 2005 (cached copy)
  • Woman locked teenage daughter at home for 10 years; Mainichi Shinbun; December 6, 2005; (cached copy)
    • 未就学：１８歳女性を１１年以上、自宅に閉じ込め…; 毎日新聞 ; 2005年12月6日(cached copy)
• Yuki Yoshimura, a 26-year-old housewife, arrested on suspicion of fatally abusing adopted son, Ryuya.  The Japanese article clearly says that her husband took the child away from his ex-wife.  The son died from loss of blood and injuries all over his body.  A child consultation center knew about the abuse 6 months earlier, but did not feel it urgent enough to deal with.  Ryuya is survived by a 3 month old brother.
  • 幼 児の腹けり死なす、２６歳母親に懲役７年の判決; 2006年6月30日
  • ５歳男児死亡、虐待か　愛知; 2005年12月08日
  •  Aichi woman arrested on suspicion of fatally abusing adopted son; Japan Today; December 9, 2005.
• 母親が２歳の息子を刺殺、自殺図る　大阪・高槻; 2005年11月11日; 朝日新聞. Japanese; Mother stabs to death 2 yr old son (cached copy)
• 18-year-old mother busted for abusing baby daughter; November 12, 2005; Mainichi Daily News (cached copy)
• Kyoto Woman Arrested for Stabbing 4 Year Old Son; Japan Today; November 1, 2005.  (cached copy)
• 死体遺棄容疑で２１歳の母親逮捕、ミナミの乳児放置事件; 朝日新聞; October 12, 2005.  (cached copy)
• Mother gets 7 year prison sentence for death of 3 year old daughter by abuse. (japanese only) Asahi Shinbun; September 13, 2005.  (cached copy)
• 12-year-old boy suspected of beating mother to death in Osaka; Japan Today, October 20, 2005.  Actually this one would be parent abuse, but its hard to believe that a child would do this without some long term provocation resembling abuse in the first place.  Parents were divorced, boy living with mother, father off working in Tokyo.  (cached copy)
  • ＜母親暴行死＞中１男子　学校と家庭の暴力、同じ時期に激化; 毎日新聞; 2005年10月20日. (cached copy)
  • ＜大阪＞母親暴行死　中１生徒を児童相談所に通告; 朝日放送; 2005年10月20日. (cached copy)
• Child Abuse Deaths -  Care centers aware of abuse in most cases of child deaths; Mainichi Shimbun, Japan April 29, 2005; A government research panel investigating cases of child abuse resulting in death has revealed that in most cases local child consultation offices and public heath centers were aware of the abuse but failed to stop it. (cached copy)
• Pair accused of slaying seven face gallows; (EJ) March 3, 2005; The following year, six members of Ogata's family -- her parents, Takashige and Shizumi, sister, Rieko, and brother-in-law, Kazuya, and their two children, Aya and Yuki -- were forced to live with the couple in the Kitakyushu apartment. Matsunaga and Ogata murdered all six between December 1997 and June 1998, according to prosecutors.

2004

• 長女暴行の母親、執行猶予３年－－地裁判決／岡山; 毎日新聞; 2004年10月22日; (cached copy)
• Stepson abuse gets man 22 months; Japan Times; October 22, 2004. Man kicks stepson, then swings around and bangs head causing child to go into a coma.  He then gets a shorter sentence, because according to the judge, his wife did not care about her family.  Huh? (cached copy)
• Mom arrested for starving 16-y.o. daughter to death; Mainichi Shimbun; Oct. 20, 2004; Divorced woman living alone starves 16 year old daughter over a period of nearly a year. Why wasn't her father around? The daughter had not attended school for several years and it took the police two years to do an autopsy plus three more to get her convicted. (cached copy)
• Jobless man gets 13 years for fatal abuse of stepson; Mainichi Shinbun; Japan, Oct. 18, 2004. Live-in boyfriend abuses girlfriend's son.  Mother also gets 11 years in jail.  But where was the natural father in June 2004 when it happened? (cached copy)
  • 同居の男に懲役１３年　村山男児虐待死 山形地裁判決; 2004年10月18日月曜日;( cached copy日本語版).
  • 山形・５歳児虐待死： 板垣直樹被告に懲役１３年－－地裁判決; 毎日新聞; 2004年10月18日; ( cached copy日本語版).
  • 村山の長男虐待死　板垣被告に懲役１３年－－検察官が祖母の手紙朗読　／山形; 毎日新聞　2004年10月19日; (cached copy日本語版).
• Hokkaido mom abandons naked daughter in field at night; Mainichi Shimbun; Oct. 15, 2004; Mother, living alone with daughter, abandons daughter in field for complaining after a bath.  (cached copy)
• Killer stepfather kneed boy in stomach after losing temper; Mainichi Shinbun; October 9, 2004. Stepfather', Kota Ueda's initial defense was that even though he had beaten his wife's child in the past, he didn't do it the day of his death.  Where was the natural father after all the other beatings?  (cached copy)
  • Killer stepfather initially blamed boy's death on inhaled altar ashes; Mainichi Shinbun; October 9, 2004.  (cached copy)
  • Osaka man arrested for kicking 2-year-old son to death; Japan Today; October 9, 2004. (cached copy)
  • 大阪・高石の幼児死亡：「線香の灰吸った」－－父、警察にうそ毎日新聞; 2004年10月10日; (cached copy日本語版)
  • 死亡２歳児に多数の打撲跡、父親の新聞店員を逮捕へ; 読売新聞; 2004年10月8日;( cached copy日本語版)
• Mom arrested for strangling young daughter; Mainichi Shimbun; Sept. 11, 2004; Mother Momoe Kano, living with mother, strangles daughter, Rina.  Reason unknown.  (cached copy)
  • Infant girl strangled suspiciously in sleep; Mainichi Shimbun; Sept. 10, 2004; (cached copy)
• Baby killer handed 8-year jail term over fatal abuse; Mainichi Shimbun; Sept. 9, 2004; Masahiko Shibata and girlfriend Kotomi Manda abused her 1 year old son and 3 year old daughter for weeks until the son died. An involved father might have stopped this. (cached copy)
  • 'Exorcist' abuse couple more interested in love life; Mainichi Shimbun; March 19, 2004; (cached copy)
  • 126 cigarette burns found on sister of slain baby; Mainichi Shimbun; March 17, 2004; (cached copy)

  • Couple fatally batters baby to 'exorcise evil spirits'; Mainichi Shimbun; March 16, 2004; (cached copy)

• Man gets 8 years for fatal assault of girlfriend's baby; Japan Today; August 18, 2004.  Boyfriend of mother living with 2 infant children convicted of deadly assault on 8 month old daughter. ( cached copy English)
  • 乳児虐待の男に懲役８年の判決; August 17, 2004; Asahi News.  ( cached copy 日本語版)
• Stressed mom drowns 2-y.o. son in bath; Mainichi Shinbun; August 13, 2004; (日本語版). Divorced mother, living alone gets stressed and drowns 2 year old son. (cached copy English) (cached copy 日本語版)
  • Woman held over death of son, 2, by drowning; Yomiuri Shinbun; August 14, 2004;  (日本語版)  (cached copy English) (cached copy 日本語版)
• Japan rocked by soaring child abuse; (E) August 8, 2004. 23,738 cases of child abuse in 2003, up almost 2% from 2002. Quotes from Japanese experts, like "Japan will have to brace itself for more horror stories until it ditches its traditional reluctance to interfere in others' 'private' lives." and "We just do not know what the real figure is" of number of abuse cases per year.
• Mom suspected of abuse in death of baby; Yomiuri Shinbun; June 1, 2004.  (日本語版) Divorced mother  suspected of abusing 10 month old baby to death. English version says she divorced a year ago and has 3 other children. (cached copy English) (cached copy 日本語版)
• Mom, friend plead not guilty to starving boy to death; Mainichi Daily News; April 16, 2004.  Mother who allegedly starved 12 year old son to death goes on trial. Why wasn't the father allowed to see his son for 18 months? (cached copy)
• 129 serious child abuse cases found at 65 medical facilities Japan; Yomiuri Online; April 7, 2004. 129 deaths and 1452 injuries reported over 5 years in a survey of Japanese hospitals by the Japan Pediatric Society.  Only half of the hospitals responded.  (cached copy)
• Dealing with child abuse; (E) April 6, 2004; Kwansei Gakuin University Professor, Masaaki Noda, author of "The Utter Poverty of Child Welfare," says that "Japan has historically had a tendency to condone violence against children as something ingrained in human nature even as it sheds tears over the cruel treatment, and this tendency has not disappeared."
• Mom held for slicing 4-month-old son's genitals with razor; Japan Times; April 6, 2004. A 24-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of cutting off part of her 4-month-old son's genitals. The mother, who has one other child, was living alone or with a boyfriend. (cached copy)
• Mother strangles 7-year-old son for skipping cram school; Mainichi Shinbun; April 6, 2004.  (cached copy)
  • Kanagawa woman gets 4 years for strangling 7-year-old son; February 25, 2006.
• Women neglected to give bath, haircut to malnourished child; Mainichi Shimbun; March 7, 2004.  More details on neglect of the 12 year old child. (cached copy)
• Two women charged with starving boy to death in '02; The Japan Times; March 6, 2004.  Mother living separately from father confines 6th grade son in home for a year and a half after deciding he had mental problems because he spoke too slowly.  School officials were repeatedly denied visiting him, yet reported nothing. (Can we confirm that the father was also denied visitation?) (cached copy)
• Horrific child abuse case highlights wider problem in Japan; ABC News; February 8, 2004; Abuse rising fast in Japan.  In 1990, 1,000 reported abuse cases in Japan. In 2002, 24,000.  In 2004, 35,000 and probably many more.  Story of a 15year old boy locked in a closet for two years by his Japanese parents.  He was only fed every third day, regularly kicked, hit and burned with cigarettes by his father and stepmother. Teachers were turned away from visiting and contacted a local child guidance centre who had the power to enter the boy's home -- but decided not to.  Other horrible stories and many good quotes. (cached copy)
• Child abuse victim fights for life; Mainbichi Shimbun; February 8, 2004.  Mother's boyfriend abuses 3 year old girl.  (cached copy)
• Mom drops girl from 5th floor, botches suicide attempt; Mainichi Shinbun; January 25, 2004.  Mother, Hitomi Tamura, living alone, allegedly attempts to kill 3 year old girl by dropping her out a fifth floor window. The mother was living alone with her daughter.  (cached copy)
• Osaka Kishiwada Case (from Jan 25, 2004 to May 11, 2004)
  • Osaka couple denies intent to starve boy death; Japan Today; May 11, 2004. Trial coverage. (cached copy)
  • Legislators demand public to expose child abusers; Mainichi Shimbun; February 02, 2004.  Details of how the public and Family Law failed to prevent this.  Proposals for changes by politicians.  (cached copy)
  • Saving Abused Children; Asahi Shimbun; January 28, 2004. Another summary in this editorial.  (cached copy)
  • Child abuse breeds excuses, finger-pointing; The Japan Times; Jan 28, 2004. A good summary of this case, indicting neighbors and school officials who ignored the problem as well as Japan's Family law which kept the mother away from her child. (cached copy)
  • Sinister stepmother led brutal abuse of boy; Mainichi Shinbun; January 26, 2004.  Article claims the stepmother led the abuse.  I can only assume that the natural mother was not allowed visitation rights.  (Anyone know?)   (cached copy)
  • Skeletal teen starved, bashed by parents; Mainichi Shimbun; January 25, 2004.  A horrible case of child abuse by a father in Osaka, when the mother was obviously not visiting the children. (cached copy)

2003 and earlier

Child Abduction within Family, Other Family Related Crime in Japan

2007

Articles on Child Abduction and Other Family Related Crime for 2007

2006

• 14-year-old girl arrested for attempted murder after stabbing father; (EJ) December 26, 2006; She had expressed her dissatisfaction with being unable to meet her divorced mother. "I want to see my mother, but can't," she reportedly complained to school officials.

• Murderer of stepson's wife and child sentenced to death; (EJ) December 15, 2006; Takemitsu Mori, 49, strangled Mayumi Mori, 28, and caused her infant son to drown in the bathtub in their apartment before setting it ablaze in April 2002, according to the ruling at the Osaka High Court.

• Junior high school boy busted for stabbing father after row over school grades; (EJ) December 6, 2006

• Teenager gets 14 years for murdering parents; (EJ) December 1, 2006;

• Teenager beats and kicks father, the man dies 12-hours later; (J) November 25, 2006.

• Update: Trial starts for man accused of abducting 2 sisters; (J) November 11, 2006; The Japanese article notes the man who abducted the children was the ex-lover of the girls' mother. The 2 sisters were living with their Japanese father and he had stopped all contact with the their mother, a Filipino.

  • Man arrested for abducting lover's estranged children; (EJ) September 2, 2006. The article says the parents were separated, not divorced, and does not mention whether the children's mother had anything to do with the abduction. However, from the investigation the Japanese press report that the man "thought if he abducted the girls they would be able to meet their mother."

• 15-year-old boy who stabbed and wounded his older brother is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder; (J) November 4, 2006; In apparent revenge for beatings he'd received the boy used a kitchen knife to stab his 17-year-old brother. A point to note is that the father, a company employee, was absent due to a long-term work posting elsewhere so only one parent was there to raise the boys.

• Youth who killed step-mom, siblings in arson attack sent to reformatory;　(EJ) October 26, 2006; A youth with a development disorder who set fire to his family home, killing his mother, brother and sister, was ordered into the custody of a juvenile reformatory in a ruling at the Nara Family Court. The court's decision said the teen had been subjected to severe violence from his father from a young age.

  • Boy kills stepmother and 2 siblings in arson case; (EJ) June 22, 2006; To pressure his 16-year-old son into becoming a doctor the father forced the boy to study and ill-treated him over a 10 year period. The boy's parents divorced when he was young so he was suddenly separated from his mother and sister. According to reports in the Japanese media, he embraced his sister at family court mediation and wouldn't let go. Under the terms of the divorce his mother got custody of his sister while he went with his father. Visitation between mother and son was not permitted. His mother moved to an adjoining prefecture although she did occasionally return to meet with her son in secret meetings. Eventually his father found out about these meetings and in a rage, beat his son. Had Japanese divorce and custody laws been adequate this tragedy would probably not have occurred.

• Dramatic rise in number of children murdering or attempting to murder their parents; (EJ) October 14, 2006; The article reports that the number of cases shot up sharply last year (17 cases) from the average 3 ~ 10 cases in any given year before 2005. This year shows signs of equalling or topping last year's troubling figures.

• Teen held after mother slashed in girlfriend row; (EJ) September 27, 2006.

• Boy burns down home - angry with parents for picking his career path; (EJ) September 13, 2006.

• 15-year-old boy arrested for stabbing mother; (EJ) September 6, 2006.

• Boy, 13, attempts to kill his mother with baseball bat; (J) September 4, 2006.

• Woman kills husband for trying to stop her committing suicide; (EJ) August 27, 2006; The couple's younger daughter saw her father trying to stop her mother from killing herself with a small knife, Sakata said. Soon the parents of the husband joined him trying to stop the woman from jumping from a window on the second floor of their house, the police official said.

• 13-year-old torches house, kills stepbrother; (EJ) August 25, 2006; The junior high school boy has admitted to the arson attack. "My father had been strict with me, and my mother had been cold," officers quoted the boy as saying. "So, I decided to set fire to my home in a bid to embarrass my parents." The boy was born between his 35-year-old father and his former wife. His brother who died in the fire, and another brother and sister, were born to the current wife of the 35-year-old man.

• 16-year-old boy held for stabbing, seriously wounding his mother; (EJ) August 23, 2006.

• Teacher arrested for strangling his former wife's mother; (EJ) July 17, 2006; The man's wife took custody of their children after they divorced in May. An argument over the children of the divorced couple led to the murder.

Media Coverage of Spouse Abuse

• Woman wanting divorce frames husband with drugs so she can get child custody; (EJ) September 20, 2006.

• Spousal abuse victims to get protection; Yomiuri Shinbun; May 27, 2004.  (Japanese) Changes to the spousal abuse law and associated restraining orders.  (English cached copy)  (cached copy 日本語版)

• Japan's domestic abuse cases rise; (E) March 10, 2006; Police received 16,888 complaints of incidents of abuse, a 17% increase on 2005. The national police agency said this included 87 murders and attempted murders, an increase of 16%. For years Japan failed to confront domestic violence; the crime is referred to in the media as "DV" because no satisfactory word exists in the Japanese language. Although the law protects abused women and their children, the country has a shortage of shelters and counselling services for those seeking refuge.

Other Media Coverage

• Critics: Child-abuse bill lacking; Asahi Shimbun; March 13, 2004.  Authorities must now report suspected abuse, but the police aren't allowed to enter a home to investigate.  Lawmakers will review again in three years.  (cached copy)
• Spate of abuse cases prompts gov't crackdown on parental rights; Mainichi Shinbun; January 26, 2004.  Slight change to regulations about removing parental rights from abusive parents.  (cached copy)

Personal Stories

Just as we document denial of access to children, we will document personal experiences of child and spouse abuse.  Actually I would like NOT to [have to] do this, but it appears necessary in order to show that the problem is much bigger than Japanese authorities let on and than the Japanese press reports. I expect most if not all of these would be anonymous. If anyone has any information or stories or other info they would like to contribute, please contact the webmaster of this site.

• TBD

Other Information

From the interpol version of the child abuse law referenced above comes these other laws:

III.Other forms of child sex abuse

he Child Abuse Prevention Law and the Anti-Stalker Law were enacted. In 2001

'Indecency through compulsion', Art. 176 Penal Code

'A person who, through violence or intimidation, commits an indecent act upon a male or female person of not less than thirteen (13) years of age shall be punished with imprisonment at forced labour for not less than six months nor more than seven years. The same shall apply to a person who commits an indecent act upon a male or female person under thirteen (13) years of age.'

Common articles to rape and indecency

'Constructive compulsory indecency and rape', Art. 178 Penal Code

'A person who commits an indecent act upon or has sexual intercourse with another by taking advantage of loss of consciousness or inability to resist, or by causing a loss of consciousness or inability to resist, shall be punished in the same way as provided for in the preceding two Articles.'

'Attempts', Art. 179 Penal Code

'Attempts of the crimes provided in the preceding three Articles shall be punished.'

'Complaint', Art. 180 Penal Code

'(1) The crimes provided in the preceding four Articles shall be prosecuted only on complaint.
(2)The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply when the crimes mentioned in the preceding four Articles are committed jointly by two or more persons who are on the scene of the action.'

Article 12 of the Yamanashi Prefecture Ordinance concerning cleanup of neighborhood moral environment for the protection and caring of minors 'Any person shall not have indecent sexual activities or obscene conduct with minors.

'A person should not give instructions in or show activities given above to minors.'

Article 13 of the Yamanashi Prefecture Ordinance

'Any person shall not offer or make arrangements for a place knowing that assaults, indecent sexual activities, obscene acts or gambling targeting involving minors will take place in the place,…'

Article 34 of the Child Welfare Law

'Any person shall not do any of the following acts:

1) Making a public show of deformed or crippled children;

2) Forcing children to beg or to utilise a child while begging;

3) Forcing or inducing child under 15 years of age to perform acrobatic feats and circus riding for public entertainment;

4) Inducing children under 15 years of age to sign, play or perform from house to house, on the streets, or in similar places as business;

4)- 2 Inducing children to engage in selling, distributing, exhibiting or collecting any article, or to provide services from house to house, on the streets, or in similar places as business during the hours from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.;

4)-3 Inducing children under 15 years of age to engage in selling distributing, exhibiting or collecting any articles, or to provide any services from house to house, on the streets or in similar places, or to enter, for the purpose of conducting such business, any establishments where such business as listed in Article 1 of the Control Law for Business Related to the Public Morals are practiced.

5) Inducing children under 15 years of age to engage in occupation which require them to wait at banquets or dinners where liquor is served;

6) Inducing children to practice obscene acts;

7) Acts transferring custody of a child to a person who is liable to practice any of the acts described in the preceding items, or who is liable to violate any of the penal laws and regulations concerning children, knowing such fact, or acts transferring custody of such a child to any other person, knowing that the child will be handed over to others for such purposes;

8) Offering services for the upbringing of children for the purpose of profit to be gained of such action by persons other than legally authorised employment agencies for both adult and children;

9) Keeping a child under one's control for purposes harmful to the child both in mind and body, except in cases where the child is within the relative in the fourth degree, or in cases where the control over a child is based on legal employment relations or has been authorized by a family court, the governor of prefecture or the superintendent of a Child Guidance Center.

2. Children placed in home for dependant, neglected and abused children, a home fro mentally retarded children, a mentally retarded chidren's day- care center, a home for blind, deaf and dumb children, a home for physically weak children, a hospital home for crippled children and a home for training and education of juvenile delinquents shall not be exploited contrary to the stipulations of Articles 41 to 44.'

To Lookup - please send me other recommended article with different viewpoints and I will reference them here.

Gender Difference in Mentally Ill Offenders: A Nationwide Japanese Study

Liya Xie

Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, 3500 26th Ave., NE, Calgary, Alberta, T1Y 6J4, Canada

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 44, No. 6, 714-724 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/0306624X00446007

The entire population of 2,094 mentally ill offenders who were adjudicated as partially or fully not criminally responsible on account of mental disorders during the years of 1980 and 1994 throughout Japan were studied. Men were predominant. More than 60% of the participants had previously received psychiatric treatment. Schizophrenia and other psychoses were the most common diagnoses among both males and females. Females were more likely to be charged with violent crimes, and half of them committed homicide. Females attacked family members more often, and they were diagnosed with depression more often than were males. In contrast, males were more often charged with nonviolent crimes and had a greater number of criminal records. Despite the fact that persons diagnosed solely with personality disorders were largely excluded from the study, male mentally ill offenders still shared more negative demographic factors with male criminals in general, such as being unmarried, having a lower educational level, a poorer employment history, chaotic lives, and substance abuse problems.

How much of the child murder in Japan is caused by mentally disordered mothers?
L Xie, A Yamagami - International Medical Journal, 1995