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12-year-old girl missing in Osaka since Jan 5

34 Comments

Police in Osaka said Thursday that a 12-year-old girl has been missing from her home in Tsurumi Ward since Jan 5.

Japanese media reported Thursday that the girl, Mirai Atarashi, went missing around 6:15 p.m. on Jan 5. On the morning of her disappearance, she met up with five friends through the instant message application LINE and they went to an indoor leisure center in Sakai.

The girl's mother said she received a text message from her daughter at around 2:30 p.m., saying she was about to return home. Atarashi and one of her friends went as far as Yada train station where they parted ways at around 6:15 p.m., and that was the last place the girl was seen, Fuji TV reported. Her cell phone was not accessible after that, police said.

The parents contacted police on Jan 7 to report her missing.

Prefectural police have released photos and information to the public, seeking help. Atarashi is a first-year municipal middle-school student, approximately 157 cm tall, with short black hair. She was last seen wearing a green coat with black sweatpants, and a white face mask.

Anyone with any information is urged to call 06-6913-1234.

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34 Comments
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Apparently she ran away from home after all. They found her in a parking lot of a family restaurant. She said that her parents yelled at her so she ran away.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Judging by the heavy make-up she is wearing in the photos, she probably dresses older than her young age. I hope that she didn't get taken advantage of by some pervert or something along those lines.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The interview with the mother on FNN seemed a bit odd....If my child were missing I would be absolutely distraught. I would either be out and about looking vigorously for her, trying to find her, or in a fetal state underneath my bed. This mother was too calm and cool, and just said "Oh, I think she was involved in some incident..." Either she doesn't really care or she is the coolest calmest person ever.

see for yourself:

http://www.fnn-news.com/news/headlines/articles/CONN00261357.html

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Readers, no more discussion about the parents please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Do not blame the parents

Can we at least strongly suspect? There are general trends in this country, like them or not. Although I would not suggest that the parents of the typical dyed-haired kids are bad people. I just find them to be a bit inattentive and lacking in some certain parenting skills. They also tend to be less affluent, and while I cannot fault a parent for that, it does come with problems.

That said, they all probably parent better than I do. If not for my wife....

2 ( +2 / -0 )

As a teen rebel, I am betwixt and between on this one. Do not blame the parents - mine were loving and caring, and I was an ass**le. Sympathize with the child for what's she's doing to herself. Get her some help.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Xinef

Very sorry for the completely news-unrelated talk here, but I just wanted to voice some support to the shrinking population of people that feel that providing a $500 iPhone with a $80 monthly plan to 12 year-olds should not be the norm.

Really?, My Nephew who is also my godson is 12 and he owns a motorola defy mini, he doesn't use LINE but he uses whatsapp, is a pre-paid cellphone and the cost is about 100 USD. While I do think that an expensive phone and expensive plan shouldn't be the norm for a 12-year old I don't think that you cannot get a great deal o bargain in simpler and cheaper products, in the case of my sister it is more practical to communicate with my nephew via whatsapp rather than calling him because of the cost of the call.

Now, back into topic, this is suspicious, I was inclined to think that the girl is a runaway but what confuses me is that she called her mom to tell her she was going home. I do hope she appears and be ok, even if she ran away, she's still a child and i do hope no harm comes to her...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow people bashing the parents. First I would like to say no one knows what has happened in this girls home so how could you blame the parents. For all we know the parents could be good parents and kids do rebel regardless of what parents try to say or do. Remember we are in the internet age and kids these days just don't have school friends they have friends from far away but also at the touch of their finger tips. People are making generalization about many things, just assuming things. Again we the readers don't know and I am with ElBuda Mexicano this time whom I can TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS TIME saying "No idea what is going on but do hope this girl down in Osaka is not in danger!! I do hope she is found safely and ASAP!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Japanese news is reporting that the parents didn't report her for two days because she has gone missing for a couple of days in the past.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Way to many if's, but's and how comes in the comments. Just let the hope of her safe return be on everyone's minds and not what I listed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I really hope she will be found safe.

people who are saying her parents are not good parents... well, they might not have been wise not to report to the police immediately, but to call them BAD parents.. we do not know anything about the family, this is not the time to judge her family but let's just hope that she will be found very soon.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

hell I'm 26 and I love the stickers.

It is not about Line itself or its stickers, it's about the implications: 12 yo and owning your very own smartphone.

So now it's my turn being a parent and sound like an old schmuck, but at 12 having direct unsupervised access to social platforms and whatever is out there on the internet... Hell I'm 31 and I am still regularly shocked at what I come across on there...

Very sorry for the completely news-unrelated talk here, but I just wanted to voice some support to the shrinking population of people that feel that providing a $500 iPhone with a $80 monthly plan to 12 year-olds should not be the norm.

I have no idea how can anyone judge her family condition or anything from the pictures. Let's just hope she finds her way back home safe and sound ASAP. Japan is usually a very safe place, so I really wish this story ends up confirming its reputation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just what the heck is going on !! Too many children disappearing recently ! I hope this one too comes home unharmed...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Smith, hate to say it but you're wrong. "Good" schools still have extremely strict dress codes and hair dye is certainly not okay. I believe it might be okay at some public ele schools - have seen little yankii kids in Osaka who have matching tea hair like their mom - but any "decent" public school it is not okay and certainly isn't okay for a good private school. For the lower level schools who just want bodies in the seats? Fine. They don't really care what the students look like or do, as long as the school doesn't get closed.

I think this girl is a runaway. Her parents clearly aren't the best parents in the world when you look at all the facts laid out. Poor thing. Kids deserve to have parents parent them.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

No idea what is going on but do hope this girl down in Osaka is not in danger!! I do hope she is found safely and ASAP!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

ReformedBasher: "I was wondering about the dyed hair but maybe she did it during the holidays? (Won't she need to dye it back to attend school?)."

It's 2014, as you pointed out. These days it's more an exception than the norm that students be forced to keep their natural (or re-dyed to black) hair color. My niece (in-law) has colored hair and nothing has ever been said about it. I don't think, aside from graduation and opening ceremonies, it's strictly enforced anymore.

Anyway, hope they find this young lady safe as they did the 11-year-old.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My niece-in-laws went "fashion mad" during the holidays. Both are very well brought up. Ex-yanki parents who worked their rear ends off to give their daughters the best upbringing they could.

reformed basher - sorry, didn't mean to give the impression that I have anything against "Yankii" types at all. My hub is the biggest Yankii of all. And I am of the firm impression that much of the time they do a better job at bringing up kids than the "normal" Japanese types. They tend to show emotions and emotions much more strongly than other Japanese.

However there are some parents who just don't give a damn. Like this girls. Poor girl...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

From the information I see on the police report, I am more inclined to think that this one ran away.

-Police say that they are not sure if this is a run away, an abduction incident, or an accident.

-On the date she went missing, the family had plans to visit relatives, but she let just the house, so the mother was angry.

-The girl's phone was shut off at 18:40 on Jan 15th.

-She belonged to her school's volleyball team, but quit before summer break last year。

-She hasn't been to school since November.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Wherever she is I hope she's not held against her will.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

2 days to report a missing 12 year old...now that's WAY TOO LONG. Parents should have been talking to the police that evening. Hope she returns safely like the other girl did...and I hope this isn't turning into an epidemic.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

According to news reports, she is often late to school or absent ... perhaps she's gotten in with the wrong crowd, and is now hanging out with them? I hope she comes home soon.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Something is wrong, why so long for this info to come out?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Perhaps she has gone missing before, which is why her family didn't report it right away.

A few years ago I was walking in a park in a not-very-nice part of town at 11PM, and struck up a conversation with two girls walking a dog. Pretty girls, with dyed hair and rather flashy clothes. I asked them why they were out so late, and they told me that their parents didn't mind them staying out on weekends and never asked any questions, as long as they were in school by Monday morning. So if they had gone missing on, say Saturday, their parents wouldn't have raised the alarm until Monday.

How old were they? Twelve years old, and stil in elementary school!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

mirai atarashi... "New future". I wonder if she ran away from her family so she could start again with a normal name?

If that isnt the case, then i hope she is found safe. There is a possibility she is just staying with an older boyfriend.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

12 years old and already using LINE?

Not strange at all. This is 2014.

@kimuzukashiiiii

I was wondering about the dyed hair but maybe she did it during the holidays? (Won't she need to dye it back to attend school?).

My niece-in-laws went "fashion mad" during the holidays. Both are very well brought up. Ex-yanki parents who worked their rear ends off to give their daughters the best upbringing they could.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I guess better way to phrase my question would have been why are we only hearing about this now, after ten days?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Please do not make judgements about the family.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I know its hard to judge from photos, but you can kind of tell (coloured hair, make up) that she is possibly not from the best family. Perhaps she has gone missing before, which is why her family didn't report it right away.

Regardless, it was reported on the 7th, it is now the 16th. I saw this on TV last night, which is still over a week.

I have to wonder why the "nice little Japanese girl" who went missing (while walking her dog) was all over the press right away, but this girl (maybe kind of Yankii) doesn't get any media attention for a week. . . They are about the same age.

I hope they find her very very soon.

-14 ( +4 / -18 )

She didn't come home the night of the 5th, the parents and friends probably decided to do their own search on the 6th, and they finally reported to the police on the 7th

But, why did they wait 36+ hours or so to report it, especially after she told her parents she was on her way home and her cell phone had been turned off? It just doesn't make sense.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

So people know, depending on where it is, some cops won't do anything till a person is missing for 42 hours, because the person can show up within that time and all they're resources would be wasted (money spent doing over time for nothing). And to papigiulio- so what shes using LINE? Its the same as texting with regular SMS, but with stickers and young girls like the cute stickers that app has to offer, hell I'm 26 and I love the stickers.

On another note, I pray for her safe return.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Uhhh.... what took the parents so long to report this girl missing? Did she make a habit of disappearing for 10 day >periods before?

She didn't come home the night of the 5th, the parents and friends probably decided to do their own search on the 6th, and they finally reported to the police on the 7th. No ten day time frame.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Uhhh.... what took the parents so long to report this girl missing? Did she make a habit of disappearing for 10 day periods before?

She went missing on the 5th and the parents reported it on the 7th, still too long but not 10 days.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

12 years old and already using LINE? Lets hope she turns up alive like the other girl this week.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Uhhh.... what took the parents so long to report this girl missing? Did she make a habit of disappearing for 10 day periods before?

-5 ( +7 / -13 )

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