Woman arrested over 12-year-old son's death

Sad and depressing...Japan has really fallen over the years when it comes to civility.

What is wrong with this country where is seems the number of parents Klingon their kids is massively on the rise? Where is the government who needs to do something about this? More support for single parents and mental issues are much needed.

Poor kid and poor parents who witnessed it :(

" more support for single parents and mental issues much need",,,,ah the Japanese authorities are still studying the case...oooooopppsss , meant, cases!!!!!For the moment, they want more babies, and children killed, abused or bullied for their future studies and then they will decide to make the changes..so this will be effective around the time my son becomes a grandfather...and that's a long while yet. Meanwhile let's continue to read the news, and share to the world to spread awareness..in our own little way.

due to mental health problems

One would question the child custody situation if this was known by the former husband. Poor kid.

after separating from her husband due to mental health problems.

I know she sounds like she is crazy now, but did her and her husband seperate due to her mental issues? Or her husbands mental issues?

No doubt I'll be criticized for being inhumane, but I a convinced that one reason that these types of incidents are increasing is that it's become more and more difficult to have people with mental problems committed to an institution.

Some people just aren't ready to be living with others without supervision.

And yes, I know a person who should definitely be in hospital. Maybe nothing will happen,but if a family member were attacked it wouldn't surprise me. But, it's not easy to have people hospitalized - esp when the hospitals are full.

That's the question - who had the mental health problems? Her or her husband? Either way it seems like a reg case of wife not having a job to support herself so moves back home with her kids. What a stressful situation for HER parents to have to deal with. Japan wants more kids but yet doesn't protect the ones it already has.

Klingon their kids

That should say kill. Iphone fail.

Sadly, these kinds of articles don't shock me anymore. I can only shake make head in disgust and disappointment. Every week there are at least one it two of these kinds of articles and nobody seems to care about it. Wake up Japan! There is a serious problem in the society and it has been going on for years.

i agree with tmarie. japan is soooo behind from the rest of the world when it comes to mental wellness and maybe even happiness. i mean they're bullied and little is done here, kids are forced to study sooo much just to get into the top univer. = stress. then the working long hours for the rest of their lives for the money and those must have brands so they can look rich or whatever lol. and they have to hide their true emotions?, be polite all the time thing. i mean no wonder people are going outta wack here. old japan has to go. A new westernized japan is needed. more emotions are needed here. more gaikokujins are needed to invade japan. so many problems in japan =____=

japan is soooo behind from the rest of the world when it comes to mental wellness

Not really. They are just soooo far behind in acknowledging and treating mental health. The Japanese medical insurance system only support 'basic' care. Mental health care is something that most people won't admit to needing and they just carry on in their little agoraphobic world slowly declining into madness. Sadly, I will see someone with an emotional disorder every damn day. Everything from smacking their kids across the head in an uncrontroled rage to having a fine old conversation with themselves. I think the problem is, most people think it is normal behavior and ignore it as such. But, the reality is completely different.

According to police, the woman and her two children had been living with her parents after separating from her husband due to mental health problems.

One Japanese source reported that it was the mother Mikiyo who "separated from her husband because she was mentally unstable." "逮捕された西田美紀代容疑者は精神的に不安定な状態だったため、夫と別居し、2人の子どもと共に実家に戻っていたようです。" http://news0718.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2012-11-07

I see so many unstable mothers in Japan these days, particularly among those who have children around 11-12 years old, especially when those children are being put through morning-to-night cram session hell in preparation for junior high school entrance exams. (which may or may not be the case here)

Rest in peace little boy, and I hope the other child is now placed safely back in the care of his/her father.

Anyway, the mother's name is Mikiyo Nishida and the boy's name was Shota.

Here is a news report on the crime by Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation: http://www.ytv.co.jp/press/y-movie/movie.cgi?movie=121107noon01.300k

Yasukuni: I totally agree. There should be a way to get someone commited if they seriously have a problem but are unwilling to do so themselves. I don't know if it would have helped in this case, but I know it would help some children out of bad situations. I wish I could have had my dad's girlfriend commited before she chopped down my brother's bedroom door in hopes to kill him (he escaped through a window and climbed down a tree).

I'm surprised nobody is lamenting the lack of shared parenting in Japan. Being a parent is very hard work yet somehow the concept of sharing the responsibilities between both parents hasn't gained much traction. A stumbling block to this is that most men are forced to work so long that they couldn't take care of a child if they wanted to. Another is not having daycares at companies. Another is the sexism that blocks women from working after a certain age.

It's like this country has created a type of perfect storm for itself and can't see the obvious steps that need to be taken to take the burden off of one single parent, while simultaneously ameliorating everybody's life by keeping both parents in the child's life.

I won't hold my breath for change.