Abandoned Japanese Boy Who Went Missing in Forest, Found Alive

Takayuki Tanooka, father of the 7-year-old Japanese boy who went missing nearly a week ago. (Photo: AP)

Seven-year-old, Yamato Tanooka, the Japanese boy who went missing in a forest after being abandoned by his parents nearly a week ago, was found alive and unharmed on Friday, officials said.

The boy, who was abandoned as a punishment, was discovered at a military base, apparently unharmed and in good health. According to media reports, the boy had taken shelter in a hut and drank water from a tap he found there.

Rescuers search for the missing boy in Nanae town. (Photo: AP)

A Self-Defence Force official who was on a drill found a boy whose age appeared to be seven. There was no conspicuous external injury, and the boy introduced himself as Yamato Tanooka.

Tomohito Tamura, Police Spokesperson for northern Hokkaido island

He added that the boy’s parents were reunited with him.

The child’s father broke into tears after the reunion.“I apologised to Yamato,” his father said .“First of all, it’s really great he is safe,” he added. “I can’t find words. It’s good.”

Tanooka went missing on Saturday after his parents said they made him get out of their car on a mountain road as punishment for misbehaving, an action that has been severely criticised.

The parents originally told police their son had got lost while they were out hiking to gather wild vegetables, but later admitted that the decision was out of anger because he had been throwing stones at people and cars.

(With agency inputs.)