Sapporo woman confined to home by mother for 8 years

Friday 31st October, 07:30 AM JST

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pointofview at 12:12 PM JST - 31st October

Why didnt she just walk out of the house. Wasnt she 21? If students arent going to school should there not be more detail put into inquiring about the reasons why? Just remember, in Japan when you belittle, brainwash and intimidate young people its considered normal which is probably why the idiot teacher said they found nothing wrong with the situation. Every adult in this case should be punished severely for being incredibly stupid...
WilliB at 12:26 PM JST - 31st October

Where are the pictures and names of the Sapporo government workers who knew about this and sat on their butts for 3 years?
Eizenhauer at 02:15 PM JST - 31st October

Just another horror story...so common in Japan...
CavemanLawyer at 02:36 PM JST - 31st October

And if the daughter's mental problems get her confined to a mental hospital, then what will you all say? The mother might be nuts, but then again, it is just possible that the mother was doing the right thing and the authorities will be doing much the same from now.

Two things you have to note: 1) there is nothing in the article about the daughter being beaten, tied up, or locked in a room 2) the daughter was not a mystery. A whole bunch of people knew about her, as she had attended school albeit for only a few days. The teachers investigate these things, and if they did not act, they might have had a reason. As always, I am wanting more details.
dennis0bauer at 03:18 PM JST - 31st October

Saving a human being means filling out many, many, many, many, many, many forms. it is just a hassle so sweep it under the carpet as long as possible.
BBLeo at 04:54 PM JST - 31st October

This woman should be Japanese mother of the year. Overprotected mother must be still in 'stone age,' or she is a nut, with missing bolts. Is she able to show her face in the streets? Some parents all over the world are very cruel to their children, and every country around the globe should take different views about such issues. The trouble is, if all parents will be placed behind the bars, who will look after all such children?
anonymouswoman at 05:49 PM JST - 31st October

this is very sad. i pity the 21 year old. i do hope she will recover and have her life back.
browny1 at 06:09 PM JST - 31st October

Shame on the govt & welfare authorities,

Shame on the teachers, school and education dept.,

Shame on the neighbours and those who knew or suspected such.

No Excuse. Compassion in this country is so paper thin at times.

And I'm not generalizing.
TokyoXtreme at 07:22 PM JST - 31st October

On a meta-level, anyone notice how clumsy the article's opening sentence is? It suggests that her being an elementary student was THE reason why she was confined to her home.
jonobugs at 10:54 PM JST - 31st October

I find it really disturbing how so many people on this site quickly and decisively condemn people, especially officials without even knowing the basics of the stories printed. Unless you have more information, it's really sad that you say for certain that everyone knew about the situation, etc. Perhaps only the father really knew what was going on. Yes, it is strange how the government took more than 3 years to act, but to blindly suggest that all the people involved are stupid is quite presumptuous.

I would like answers to why it took the father about 5 years to realize his daughter was not going to school. Was he just that far removed from her life? That would just be sad. Once he knew or found something odd, why didn't he follow up?

As for the teacher in this case, if anything, he/she shouldn't be judged. As a few of you pointed out, a teacher is not a social worker and may not have the necessary skills to determine if there was abuse or neglect going on. Was the call done on personal time, or was it part of the job description? If so, then perhaps they need to figure out what kind of qualifications are needed to make those types of visits. Also the procedures need to be looked at. If she did visit and the records indicate that the child had not been to school for a long time, why isn't it delegated to a more appropriate social service source? It's been mentioned by a few others that there is no such agency in Japan. Perhaps that's why this young girl fell through the cracks as there doesn't seem to be anyone responsible when parents aren't doing their job.

I can see how this could be bungled thoroughly if it just kept jumping from one agency or department to another.

How easy it is to blame after the fact. 20/20 vision is wonderful, isn't it?

I just hope that all you people who are pointing the fingers are willing and able to act in a quick and appropriate action when something similar happens to you.
usaexpat at 11:59 PM JST - 31st October

So the mother appears to be crackers and even when the husband brought the situation to light nothing was done? Good job, hats off to the boys down at social wellfare and every other government goon who didn't lift a finger. Wasn't the girls abscense from school enough reason to investigate?
cuddles20008 at 10:26 PM JST - 1st November

"acknowledging that the city was partly responsible for the situation."

Haha what a joke, just another case of Lazy officials, this is what happens when morons are in charge.

And where the hell where you Dad, shame on you to, you should be charged with failing to provide the necessities of life.

pathetic situation all round.
airrunwesker at 05:27 AM JST - 2nd November

Who needs the latest J-horror movie or anime when we have articles such as this one! Truely sad :(
browny1 at 10:47 AM JST - 3rd November

jonobugs - I agree with the sentiment of your post - that is, we don't know all the details so we shouldn't be shifting blame. True, but no truer than any news article, on any topic, anywhere.

I stand by my "shame on..." statements as too often over the years, lack of will/hesitancy/indifference/indecisiveness by people connected (including those who have a "duty" of care), have seen deplorable cases of social abuse go unattended to.

Less than 2 kms from my house - in a model regional city - a 6yr old girl was starved to death by her mother. The neighbours knew something was strange, the school authorities knew something was strange, the visiting welfare authorities knew something was strange BUT inaction killed the poor child.

No one wants to get involved. This exists the world over, but not minding others business for fear of ...? here is sad cultural baggage. Too many are dying to take a tread softly softly, maybe, perhaps, oh well approach.
Azrael at 03:20 PM JST - 3rd November

The article mentions that the 21 years old woman has mother also has been found to have a mental disability.

When city welfare officials took her into protective custody, the woman showed no** signs of physical abuse and was in good health**, but was barely able to speak, Sapporo government officials said.

She has been diagnosed as suffering intellectual disabilities and is now receiving treatment at a care facility.

Since the mother has also been diagnosed as having a disorder, she is receiving treatment at a hospital, the officials said. The city government took the daughter into protective custody after neighbors reported to it in August 2006 that the woman might be subject to abuse by her mother.

"Ijime" is a powerful social ill in Japan. Perhaps the mother, having a disability herself, was afraid her daughter would be bullied to death in a common everyday Japanese school. Apparently the father of her child divorced her (maybe due to the implications of her disorder?) and the mother risked sending her child to school only a few times. However, the daughter passed from Elementary to Highschool (at least, the article seems to suggest so). The daughter was barely able to speak. That may be due to lack of company OR her intellectual disability itself. It was apparent by now that the culture of Ijime in Japanese school is merciless on the weaker, let alone the weakest of the weaker: the mentally disabled. If social workers, despite being alerted by the father, did not interfer - what could have been expected from teachers? There are many stories of healthy Japanese children committing suicide with bullying as the main reason - bullying that took place in school, under the noses of teachers, and even in some cases teachers have been found to actively participate and/or encourage the bullying. I think perhaps the mother was trying to protect her child from this, maybe from her own experience.

Anyway, she could also be a heartless monster. Choose your pick.