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Police release photo of missing 11-year-old girl in Kanagawa

38 Comments

Police in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday released a photo and the name of an 11-year-old girl who has been missing since Saturday.

About 250 police were mobilized on Tuesday to search wooded areas in the vicinity of where Michi Shinozaki was last believed to have gone.

Police said Michi had been playing with a friend at her home until 4 p.m. After that, she went for a walk with her dog. When the dog returned home alone 40 minutes later, her father went out to search for her. He notified police at 6:40 p.m., Fuji TV reported.

Police said Michi is 150 cms tall and was wearing a black sweater, blue jeans and white sneakers.

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38 Comments
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Hope she's found safe

5 ( +8 / -3 )

I cannot believe the cops waited until Monday to tell us about this.

-9 ( +9 / -18 )

And you know what else? We need a name and a picture. And we needed them Saturday evening on the TV.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

funny car, the English press is usually at least a day behind the Japanese press. I'm sure it was reported earlier.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I hope she's found alive and cuddled in her mother's arms again.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Every parent's worse nightmare...hope she is okay

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I cannot believe the cops waited until Monday to tell us about this.

NHK was reporting it yesterday.

I imagine it wasn't all over the TV on Saturday evening with a name and picture because the parents were waiting for contact from a possible kidnapper. In cases like this it's often the parents or family who hold back on making things public. An extensive search has apparently been going on in the immediate neighbourhood in case the girl met with an accident.

It's been so cold the past few nights, I hope she's OK.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

They started searching right away locally . The dog came home alone 10 minutes after they'd set out. There are some steep slopes and a river along her route and they first searched the slopes and the river below, the police were joined by local volunteers. They were on top of it right away.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Where does she usually go to walk the dog?? Take the dog back out there and retrace her steps - The pooch will help to find her

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Funnycar, I dont know why your getting so many "bads" for your comments... but remember that the English newspapers in Japan usually process information a good day or two after it is published in the Japanese press.

I agree though, " 11 year old girl, jeans, black sweater" "black hair" is meaningless... Poor girl, I really hope she returns home safe and sound soon.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

These are the scariest articles to read. I hope this little girl is found safe.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

She is more than likely dead. That being said, I hope I am wrong. This is the worst thing that can happen to a family...

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

I cannot believe the cops waited until Monday to tell us about this.

This was first reported y Japanese media about noon on Sunday....can't get too much earlier than that.

And you know what else? We need a name and a picture. And we needed them Saturday evening on the TV.

That would be really hard considering that her father reported his daughter missing at 6pm on Saturday. Kidnapping investigations aren't real time events. Got to give the police some time to open the investigation before reporting it to the media.

ANN's 5PM report:

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/ann?a=20140113-00000037-ann-soci

Here is a pic of the missing girl

http://matome.naver.jp/odai/2138953536662392101

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Seems like both the cops and the parents are doing the right thing. Hope the little girl comes home safe.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

She is more than likely dead. That being said, I hope I am wrong.

Then don't speculate about such things, especially when it is a situation like this.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

I will make videos for her on youtube. Really hope she just goes home. We all need to meditate on this one.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Funnycar, I dont know why your getting so many "bads" for your comments

kimuzukashiiiii, thank you.

NHK was reporting it yesterday.

cleo, yesterday was Monday. Today is Tuesday. The girl went missing on Saturday under circumstances that sure does not appear to be a runaway.

This was first reported y Japanese media about noon on Sunday....can't get too much earlier than that.

Mirai, we can get earthquake reports on NHK in the middle of the night. Are missing kids missing under very suspicious circumstances not worth an immediate response?

They started searching right away locally .

That is wonderful. But in ten minutes she could have been in the next town. In one hour she could have been in another prefecture.

Then don't speculate about such things

More than speculation, it is an unfortunate fact that in cases of abduction there is no time to waste. It might not be an abduction, but thinking the worst will happen if we wait is a good mode of thought. Just hoping she is okay and moving slow won't help her.

-15 ( +0 / -15 )

There is a great need for an AMBER ALERT type thing in this country.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I hope that she is safe & found quickly

2 ( +2 / -0 )

yesterday was Monday. Today is Tuesday

It was reported on Sunday the 12th.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/region/news/140112/kng14011221520004-n1.htm

8 ( +8 / -0 )

This kind of incident don't get reported immediately. Chances are that she has been kidnapped. We don't want kidnapper to know where police are searching, how many police are searching, etc. They don't want to give out information to kidnapper because they have more chance of finding her on the day or next day she went missing.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@Mirai Hayashi

Thanks for the links.

@spman2099

She is more than likely dead.

Some things are better left unsaid... Nobody cares what you think. Her parents are going through hell right now and I, for one, would hate to be in their shoes. We are all hoping she will be found safely.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It was reported on Sunday the 12th.

Article says Monday. That my fault now?

-15 ( +0 / -15 )

Japan used to be the safest place on earth for children, twenty years ago. What is going on in that society?

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

What do you mean? Japan is safer now than it has ever been at any time. Just because you are able to read about the bad incidents more, doesn't mean there are more bad incidents.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Mirai, we can get earthquake reports on NHK in the middle of the night. Are missing kids missing under very suspicious circumstances not worth an immediate response?

An earthquake can be reported in real time because it doesn't warrant any kind of investigation. Its a realtime reportable event like storms, floods, etc. It happens; it gets reported. When a person is murdered, assaulted, or in this case, goes missing, there needs to be an investigation. Police need to gather info and get a report together to make sure all of the info is correct and also that its also not a hoax. Once an investigation is underway, the police can ask for the media for help. The media reported the incident in less than 24 hrs which I think is good response time.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Every parent's nightmare! Let's hope and pray she isn't a victim of some psycho. Japan is no where near as safe as people make it out to be, especially if you are a young woman.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

That my fault now?

No, the fact that you did not notice that Mirai Hayashi and I both told you about it in this very discussion is though.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I hope they find her safe and sound very soon. I guess it proves how safe Japan usually is though that parents will allow an 11 year old to freely walk their dog on their own. Here in the UK I wouldn't dare let my younger sister out on her own at such an age, if she wants to play with friends she can do it just outside where my mum and I can see her or if it's walking the dog I'd join her and it'll be same when I have my own children.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No bickering please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

there needs to be an investigation. Police need to gather info and get a report together to make sure all of the info is correct and also that its also not a hoax.

I would not worry about hoaxes so much unless it became an epidemic. I would not worry about a bit of incorrect information. Perfection is not of the essence. Time is.

Another thing to consider is that this is Japan. I could be wrong, but I don't think children of this age go missing so often in Japan. Nor do I think there are so many false reports of children under 12 as missing. So I don't think so much caution and doubt by police is warranted.

I do not know if you are correct or the article is, but 24 hours is still too slow. Her face could have been in the morning paper on Sunday as just reported missing.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

we can get earthquake reports on NHK in the middle of the night. Are missing kids missing under very suspicious circumstances not worth an immediate response?

You want an alert on your mobile every time a teenager drops in at the conbini on the way home from juku and is 15 minutes late?

I don't think so much caution and doubt by police is warranted

Surely it's as well to make sure there is no 'We have your daughter, here is where you need to leave the money, don't tell the police if you want to see her again' message before they splash the news all over the media?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

She is more than likely dead. That being said, I hope I am wrong. This is the worst thing that can happen to a >family...

For future reference, thinking something doesn’t mean you have to then say it.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

funny car,

Didn't mean to seem snippy, I was just pointing out that we did tell you that it was announced on Sunday. I do agree with you that faster information would be better, we do not know the reasons why it was delayed. I do not think the police purposefully avoided making the announcement for no reason. Do you?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

You want an alert on your mobile every time a teenager drops in at the conbini on the way home from juku and is 15 minutes late?

She is 11, not a teen. Her dog came back without her which is highly unusual. A TV bulletin running across the screen is not the same as a cell phone alert. Neither is a name and picture in the Sunday morning paper.

Surely it's as well to make sure there is no 'We have your daughter, here is where you need to leave the money, don't tell the police if you want to see her again' message before they splash the news all over the media?

No its not. Kidnappers cannot be trusted to keep their victims alive in any case. Police need all the leads they can get even if kidnappers are involved. Besides, any kidnapper so worried about a missing person's report would surely contact the parents before the police are called. What is a missing person's report compared to police involvement? Seriously.

Considering all possibilities speed is paramount.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

@funny car

Just drop it. You argued that the media was not fast enough, and we told you that the fastest outlet reported it in less than 24 hours after the incident happened. Sure, in a perfect world, things would be reported immediately, but its not a perfect world. There are process that need to happen, especially in a bureaucratic society like Japan. And processes take time. Given that, I think word got out pretty quickly, and everyone did everything right.

I would not worry about a bit of incorrect information. Perfection is not of the essence.

That's you. The J-media don't like reporting false info and then having to apologize for it later. This hurts everyone's credibility. To the media, accuracy and credibility is everything. The police needed to make sure she isn't a runaway (which if you read or understand Japanese, was the question that media asked several times). Any number of things could have happened. For example the dog could have gotten away from the girl and she may have gone off to look for him not knowing that the dog returned home on its own. So its important that the police and the media get the info right, otherwise it would be a case of the boy who cried wolf if too many false reports are made.

Her face could have been in the morning paper on Sunday as just reported missing.

Again, it was in the Sunday afternoon news....

I could be wrong, but I don't think children of this age go missing so often in Japan. Nor do I think there are so many false reports of children under 12 as missing. So I don't think so much caution and doubt by police is warranted.

Kids run away every day, even in Japan. Need to find out if she has indeed gone missing or of this is a run away. That takes investigative work, which takes time. If the media reported every instance of a child not coming home at the time they are expected to come home, we would be flooded with missing person reports.

By the way...they found the girl...alive and well(according to this website....) so everything done right.

http://keimusho.net/crime/2014/01/13/kanagawa-10/

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They found her! She walked into a police box in Chigasaki this morning. No more details yet.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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