A 7-year old boy has disappeared into the forests of Hokkaido, a northern island of Japan. Yamato Tanooka was put out of his parents’ car as punishment for misbehaving and has been missing since late Saturday afternoon.
Tanooka’s parents had initially told police that their son had gone missing as they were picking wild vegetables. They later admitted that they made their son exit their family vehicle and had left him behind as discipline for throwing rocks at people and cars earlier in the day. When the father returned a few minutes later, his son was gone.
Tanooka’s father has expressed regret when speaking with Japanese media and stated that he initially lied to the authorities out of embarrassment. He was ashamed to ask for a massive search as a result of his punishment.
The forests of Hokkaido are known to be the habitat of wild bears.