Japan let out a sigh of relief Friday after a 7-year-old Hokkaido boy was found alive following an intensive six-day search by hundreds of police, firefighters and Self-Defense Force troops.
But the case has spurred intense debate about parenting norms and the often murky line between discipline and neglect in this country.
Many parents and child care experts agree that the father of Yamato Tanooka, of Hokuto, Hokkaido, went way too far in leaving him alone in the woods, even for five minutes. The family said they briefly left him alone on a mountain road in Nanae, near the city of Hakodate, in punishment for throwing stones at cars and people. The area is thickly wooded and is known to have bears.