The December suicide of an Osaka high school basketball team captain who had been physically punished by his coach cast a harsh light on corporal punishment in Japan, and this week's admission by the All Japan Judo Federation that Olympic female judoka had been physically abused and harassed by their head coach served to underscore just how widespread the practice is.
Following are questions and answers regarding corporal punishment:
Is it legal to dispense corporal punishment against students and minors?