Chiba man arrested for kicking 2-year-old son in head

Fukui lived together with his ex-wife and four children.

not a good situation. Hope the kid is ok.

Early contender for 'Father Of The Year 2010'.

This absolutely beggars belief.

He is an animal with zero emotional maturity, and should be locked up and treated as such.

On a side note, why on earth are the 'FIRE' department involved? Unless they were planning to waterboard this scum.

i hope the mother will finally kick the guy out of the house.. 2 year-olds don't always listen to what parents or anybody say to them.. they are busy thinking about other things and being fascinated by so many other things.. it is just wrong to kick small kids' in the head no matter what. hope this guys gets kicked in the head in the police investigation room.

"he wouldn't listen to what I said"

I wouldn't listen to what he said either.

That is not child abuse. That is attempted murder. There is no reason to believe that a kick from a grown man would not kill such a small child. Put him away. There is no justification for this.

He will do it again.

I don't understand people who harm children, especially for stupid reasons like "he wouldn't listen to me" (of course all child abuse is horrible, for any reason). They either forget or don't care that children do not think the same way adults do. That's why they're children! Beating them or kicking them in the head is just... Ugh. Lock him up and throw away the key.

5SpeedRacer5 - it's hardly attempted murder. It is child abuse. There is no indication that he was trying to kill the child.

Granted, the guy is scum, and probably deserves a few swift kicks to the head himself, but attempted murder? No.

chotto: I write from personal experience, was myself assaulted, kicked the head many times by a J thug, witnesses called 119, AZABU FIRE DPT dispatched the ambulance, for our area Meguro there are 4 different providers of ambulance services, 55SpeedRacer5; you are correct; kicking someone in the head, no matter how many times and how savagely, as the court proved in my case, is only assault, not attempted manslaughter. Such is the Japanese mockery of justice.

The child survived so I don't think he will stay in front for "Father of the Year 2010". Mother of the Year for 2009 has to be Sharon Hinojosa. She set her trailer on fire,got her 1 year old child out, but purposely left her 3 and 4 year old behind to burn to death. Her reason was because they were not fathered by her current boyfriend who was the father of the youngest, but had recently split up with her citing he didn't want to raise another man's children. She's my vote for mother of the year 2009!!

This is something to remember those living in Japan.

110- is the gnrl emergency number. Set up by the Police, but any emergency, crime, ambulance, fire.

119- is the Fire emergency number. They will dispatch or forward your call as necessary for ambulance or crime.

Why two numbers? I don't know the history, but in such crowded metro areas as Jpn maybe just the regularity of emergencies necessitated two for faster reaction. Get confused which to call in an emergency as this lady did and it's ok, they will contact the necessary place to deal w/ your emergency.

2 more numbers for you.

104- information. (as in, In Tokyo, meguro ku, what's the number for the xyz Italian restaurant?)

118- Sea emergency #. (Coast Guard? I don't know).

He wouldnt listen???! Of course he wouldnt, hes 2! So you find ways to get him to do what you need him to. Its called "parenting". And last time I checked, kicking children in the head is most definitely NOT on the list of possible options.

My husband is 37. We have 3 kids. There is no way in a gajillion years he would ever lay a finger on them, never mind a foot (other than tickling them with his toes which they seem to love!)

So I hope this animal, and anyone else who abuses children like this burns in hell.

5speedracer - I am not sure if it is attempted murder or not but I see what you are saying and have to say I agree with you. Anyone with any sense would know kicking a child in the head could kill them. And there in is the issue - does this guy actually have any sense - my guess is not.

I have to add I was sitting waiting in a restaurant for a table the other week and there was another family there waiting too. The kids were bored and acting up a little, but nothing major - the daughter (about 6) was just not sitting upright.

Suddenly, right in front of me, the mother leaned across and literally punched her in the face! I was SO shocked! The rest of the family saw my shocked face and my sons equally horrified one (he`s 3 and saw the whole thing) and just started laughing!

The girl didn`t even react - obviously used to it - and everyone thought it was funny! So my question is: is violence against children more socially acceptable here or something?

I just said to my son in loud Japanese the equivalent of "there but for the grace of god go YOU, buddy!" and threw the mother a disgusted look and walked away. She thought that was funny too....

kirakira: This was a statistic I found on child abuse in Japan: 'According to the rationale given by the abuser for the abuse, 38.6% stated 'discipline & education' as the reasons or used the child's behavior as their excuse'. Or in other words, a large percentage of abusers think that physical punishment is okay.

We seem to hear about a case of child abuse every week and there are likely lots of cases that we never hear about and tons of others that are never reported. Children's rights and protection still has a long way to go here, I think.

It's really too bad that this woman didn't pack up and leave with her child sooner. Staying with an ex is never a good idea. This man will hopefully get the same sentence as any assault case would warrant but I have my doubts. Japanese law doesn't punish parents harsh enough for abusing and assaulting their own kids.

My comment is going to be very arrogant but I need to say it. No bias, love Japan and its people. But why is there a huge difference in culture, ethics, values etc among the people of this country. Is the gap getting larger with the economic crisis?

So the father is divorced and he probably spends the weekend and holidays with the son. This is the quality time he has with his son?

The younger people have set their priorities wrong. Materialism and selfishness is what I see more often. Maybe, the schools should incorporate this into the curriculum. The lady mentioned by kirakira should know the physical damage and the mental damage that she could have caused the little child. kira that reaction was excellent. I think there is nothing wrong if foreigners show their disapproval in situations like this. Someone has to teach them. In situations like this, I really don't care what others around me think. ( so far no bad experiences, but I do point out in deed or action).

So the father is divorced and he probably spends the weekend and holidays with the son. This is the quality time he has with his son?

Actually he lives with the ex-wife and their four children (that son included).

I used to be really shocked here at the amount of times that I would see mothers smack their kids on the head when they were being naughty. I have gotten used to it mainly because I soon came to realize it was usually just a gentle tap along with a scolding. There are lots of occasions though, when you can see a mom losing her cool and gives her child a true, painful smack. I usually just stop in my tracks and stare and they do everything they can to avoid eye contact, that's for sure.

But a man kicking a tiny child in the head???? He deserves a little of his own medicine.

I understand cultures vary with their discipline and all that but if a parent wants to be physical (a small tap on the head or a slap to little fingers that are reaching toward a hot stove), they really need to know how to draw the line between discipline and abuse, because it is a very thin one.

Maybe many Japanese are not exposed to what it is to take care of a child until they actually have one themselves. Maybe kids growing up need that experience or at the very least, an education about it in school for both girls AND the boys! Might help lower the number of baby-head-kickers.

“I did it because he wouldn’t listen to what I said.”

Don't worry fella, the Police will listen to you.

wow what a stud...japan's bs bushido culture again ?

peachy: Nice idea. A mandatory class in how to care for children for all high school students. It certainly couldn't hurt. Even if they don't have children of their own, they will most likely have close contact with kids in their life at some point.

Also made me think that teens here don't get the chance to try babysitting. When I was my teenage years, me and many of my friends babysat to earn a little cash. And most of us took a babysitting course first. It's a great way to find out what taking care of a child is all about before you have them!

i have seen a family of 4 in a restaurant recently where the girl wasn't sitting upright and the mother pulled the girl's hair real hard that the girl almost fell off the chair.. then smacked her in the head real hard. the father was right there but didn't say a word.. the mother kept complaining out loud how her kids cannot behave and yadda yadda yadda.. i gave the mother a nasty look but she didn't care.. the girl had tears in her eyes but didn't talk back or anything.. she just kept eating quietly. i noticed that there were other people giving the mother a dirty look, too, and the father actually looked a little embarrassed.

I was gonna say something to the mother if she did it again but she didn't.. she just kept complaining out loud and I am sure the dinner was so "pleasant" for the whole family (NOT!!).

The way the girl reacted gave me the impression that somehow she was being used to hit and smacked in the head, pulled hair and etc.

What a shame..

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic.

“I did it because he wouldn’t listen to what I said.”

Don't worry fella, the Police will listen to you.

LOL @ S7ro9kGm3aQ!! Well said!!

This is going to open a can of worms, but

In answer to kira's question, is there more tolerance of violence against children here? I would rephrase it and answer yes. I believe there is a big difference between discipline which it sounds like what you saw in the restaurant, and real violence, ie bullying, like what is in this article. I think physical discipline here is not looked down on as much as in the US for example. However I don't know anyone (Japanese, I live here) who would say that the kind of thing that happened in this article is forgiveable, anyone I know would say it is disgusting. In fact when I first came here, 15 yrs ago now, ppl here were still shocked about stories of violent crime from the US-- what a dangerous country, they would say. Sadly times have changed and there is more ugly violence here now. Still, not comparable to discipline, whether you agree or not.

I would not make surprised faces or shocked faces , or make comments, or have an attitude that you know better how children should be raised. For one thing, you could offend them and if they are the wrong person they may choose to attack you. In that case you have put yourself and your child at risk. For another thing, in this countyr, some use physical punishment here and some do not, it has been that way for 100s of years, and they haven't had any problems as a viable country. So I don't think "they" need any "education" from you (dolphingirl or woman I forget which.)

....they need to tie this guy behind a horse and let the horse kick him in the head a few times.....

I will repeat, maybe rephrase. If I were a prosecutor, I would make the argument that an adult who kicks a 2 year old repeatedly in the head is showing intent to murder the child. I could convince a jury of that.

This is not a spank, slap, punch, stab, cut, scratch or push. A kick is taking the most powerful muscle in your body and putting it behind the club that provides the highest angular velocity because of its length. That is then aimed at perhaps the most vulnerable part of a toddler, whose skull is not even fully hardened. The contusions show external damage and broken blood vessels. There is no reason to believe that the inside of the head looks better. The man did it several times. The boy had no plausible means of either fleeing or defending himself.

You can settle for "assault" or "abuse" if you want to. If I were the prosecutor, I would go for the gold on this guy just based on the eyewitness accounts and medical evidence. Nobody seems to dispute any of that.

I would definitely agree that it is either more acceptable to hit your own kids or else there is less awareness that you shouldn't be hitting your kids.

I remember one time near Tokyo Dome there was a father with his two daughters going to or leaving a baseball game. One daughter was 12ish and the other was 8ish. The father and the older daughter were walking REALLY fast, obviously trying to leave the younger one behind. The dad's expression showed that he was pissed off and the other daughter's face was pretty neutral. Naturally, the younger one tried to catch up with them. The father stopped suddenly, whipped his head around and back-kicked her in the stomach! She stopped suddenly because she'd just been kicked in the stomach, and dad and the older daughter continued hurrying away.

It was pretty shocking. I don't know if anyone else was as surprised as I was. But I had to wonder, who thinks it's okay to kick your 8-year-old daughter? Even if she's being a brat? Japan really needs to educate people that kids aren't punching bags. And particularly fathers, who seem more liable to blow their tops for a variety of reasons.

I have to agree with most people here　（kira, dolphin, woman, monkeyz, etc.) My husband would never lay a finger on my children. I can't believe some women(men) are so cheap and disgusting as to sleep together(still) with these abusers. As someone stated before, honestly, Life is japan is so CHEAP! Children are like animals in here, to kick, punch, to make fun of, to belittle, to kill!?...Child Abuse is so common already most people don't give a crap. In my 5 years here, I have seen it often but just once right in front of me. Some woman beating the hell out of a crying 5 year old boy inside a Yamada denki store. I yelled at the woman "mushi-kera!"(虫けらscum)and she stopped right there in shock. "Well deserved" I thought. Other people were giving her ugly looks also. I despise people who abuse children, anywhere in the world. Here is no exception. Poor cowards those who just walk by without even looking.

I lost any expression! How materialistic and selfish a human can be! The situation in Japan is going out of control. Oneday I saw a mother with two kids slapping on the daughter's head and the poor doll like girl was looking so helpless. The girl (I would say the victim) was also giving a disgust look at her mom. Any foreigner living in Tokyo would hardly see any parents adoring their children. As if, they are just doing their routine duties to bring up their children, that's all.

Kyokosmile

quote I can't believe some women(men) are so cheap and disgusting as to sleep together(still) with these abusers.

Well you've said it right there. The victim is as low or perhaps lower than the abuser. Just a bug. Which is funny, because that's usually how victims feel. It is a very big problem for the person and not at all easily overcome. Which is why they are "together (still) with these abusers." Luckily it seems you are much smarter and therefore better off than these lowlifes and you don't have to deal with their everyday problems. If you ever do run across someone else's problem you can always solve it with a well-deserved mushi-kera to restore your rightful pecking order.

“I did it because he wouldn’t listen to what I said.”

Ugh!! Why are there so many selfish, irresponsible, child-like parents in this world today?

thank goodness the kid survived, what a sick b*stard. i dont know, i havent seen children being abused firsthand, but from what ive seen i would say its already uncomfortable to see people frowning at kids making noise here. you should see the look in their faces, and you almost never see them outraged at anything, but that look i see when they observe other peoples children acting out on public, its almost murderous and it makes me scared to be near those people actually.

acting out in public

look on their faces..

If this bastard doesn't get hard time, then there's something more-than-wrong with Japan's judicial system.

Sadly, those children may pass on the same type of behavior to their children, and so on.

People hit their children the world around, especially in private. If you think it's not happening, it's because they're doing it in the privacy of their own home.

The lesson here is many people have children but don't want them and perhaps never did. So it's not surprising that they are bad parents.

Warped NG (no good) must be supervised in an institution not free to vent angst against sundry

You piece of CRAP! You deserve nothing short of life in Jail or a Bullet which may be too good for you. You should NEVER EVER EVER be allowed near that or any child EVER again. ROT IN HELL SCUMBAG.

I am betting he was quite drunk at the time and yelled something incomprehensible at the kid in some mucky guttural dialect....Korah!! blah blha blah. Kid being a 2 year old thought it was game/ couldnt understand and kept doing what he was doing and the next his history.

They didn't list his job, no 'company employee' as the usual goes in these reports? no job?

Guy sounds like true winner. I pity his four children, especially the one he using a kicking bag

How could he do this to a 2 year old baby? He should be "practiced" on by Thai kickboxing students with repeated, precise kicks to his head!!!

Child abuse is rampant all over the world, not just Japan, but that doesn't make this case any less awful. I hope the mother takes the children and moves the heck away from this guy. This is one time when I wouldn't have a problem with alienating the father from the childrens' lives.

There's a difference between discipline and abuse. A sharp smack to a child's hand and a stern, "Don't touch," when they've been playing frisbee with grandma's antique china is one thing. Mercilessly wailing on a child for acting LIKE A CHILD is completely different. It's disgusting, and a betrayal of the parent/child relationship. If your child is acting up in a movie theater, restaurant, supermarket, friend's house, then leave. Take them home. Send them to their room without dinner, or sit them in a corner for a "Time Out." Giving children reasonable consequences for misbehavior and applying those consequences FAIRLY, UNIFORMLY, and FULLY, will contribute much more to the child growing up to be a high-functioning, productive member of society. Simply trying to beat the "disobedience" out of a child isn't going to do anything but breed distrust and apathy.

Can kids be frustrating, noisy, and aggravating as heck? Absolutely. Do they make the adults around them want to scream sometimes? You betcha. But that's part of being a kid. It's up to ADULTS to model proper behavior and decorum. In no way is kicking a two-year-old in the head a demonstration of anything other than crass arrogance and stunted morality.

Sheesh, 2 years, thats a baby. What a scumbag.

The suggestions some of you say to punish this man makes you sound worse and more violent than the man. Seriously, think about what you say before you say it. You know this man is not going to be beat in the head like some of you barbarians want.

This man should be punished to the extent of the law and that's it.

There was an incident in USA of a woman whose 2 yr old was not "behaving" and the mom beat the child to death...in public! No one, not other customers in the mega store she was in nor did the security man do anything. They all thought it was just her business. I would have MADE it my business. She would be the one who needed stitches in the head. I have children and would NEVER hurt a child, even if tired, frustrated, having a bad day...whatever. They are TOOOOO precious for that! He needs to have his manhood removed. No more child for him!

send him to jail for a long time.

Some mistakes are forgivable and some are not. Kicking a 2 year old in the head is unforgivable. People like this are not able to function normally in society therefore should be removed from it permanently.

Terrible thing to do to anyone, let alone a child. I've seen it everywhere in the world I go and it never fails to horrify me. One thing that is different though, is that this kind of abuse is so common in the U.S. and several other countries I've been to and lived in that it never makes the headline news.