3-year-old girl dies after fall from 5th-floor apartment balcony in Hyogo

Not much that can really be said about this one, save that the woman should have taken the kid with her. I'm actually surprised this kind of thing doesn't happen more often, with families all living in high-rise apartment buildings, etc.

Still, it's a very sad holiday all around for a LOT of families this year, it seems.

So Sad, I know this type of chair my kids have one too, im sure the little girl used it to prop herself up to see where daddy went and sadly fell over the edge, common parents there is no excuse to leave a child alone not even for a second, anything can happen, fire etc...leaving children alone in this country is epedemic and parents should be charged as child abondoment, I see it also when im shopping and kids are crying out for their parents or grandparents and their somewhere else in the store.

-children fallin' to their deaths from high-rises in Hawaii happen, too, although infrequently.

In some cases, they climb over something already propped against the lanai railin', and in others parents don't realize their toddlers can manage to squeeze the bars.

How can anybody leave a 3-year-old child alone anyway? I don't buy that "I just went out to mail my New Years cards" line either.

I leave 3 year olds unsupervised sometimes. At school, when I'm changing one kid's diaper the other children know to prepare for the next activity and sit in the classroom. But that's at school, where things are kid-proofed and there is always an adult within earshot. I wouldn't think to leave a kid alone in a car in a parking lot full of strangers, alone in the house for 10 minutes, etc. Just the other day I saw a kid left in a child seat on a BIKE outside of a supermarket here.

I wouldn't think to leave a kid alone in a car in a parking lot full of strangers, alone in the house for 10 minutes, etc

Absolutely Right! I don't know what these parents are thinking... It's so tragic, every other week, sometimes every week, you read about some innocent toddler, falling from a building, getting hit by a car or train, or something else, because of not being supervised.

her father had popped out of the apartment for 10 minutes to post New Year cards and a small play chair was found on the balcony outside her parents’ apartment on the fifth floor.

It does seem a little to convenient. Maybe the guy snapped, killed her, and cast her off, then set it up to make it look accidental.

I would not be surprised if the charges are upgraded to murder anytime soon.

I suspect the more you see you child as an accessory, or a burden, or a tool to rope in husband, or a response to the social demands of society, rather than a CHOICE full of infinite value that you choose to raise with love and attention, the more stuff like this is bound to happen.

I'll bet this same father that went out, had he had a lotto ticket in his apt that he thought was worth potentially millions, he would have taken the time to make sure THAT was safe before he left....

I hope the father feels really bad.

Parents were very careless that a little girl was left alone in room.

That's exactly why you don't leave 3 year old kids alone. Unfortunately, the father is gonna have the rest of his life to ask himself, "Why didn't I just take her with me?" (As any normal parent would have done)

I know this little girl is now safe and happy.

With the slack attitude of moms in Japan, it is amazing this type of tragedy doesn’t happen more often. I watched in horror one day as a J-mom using an ATM allowed her toddler to play on the side of the road while cars zoomed by only feet away. I confronted the little girl and told her it was dangerous. I was glad when she fled away from the scary gaijin back to her mother.

With the slack attitude of moms in Japan, it is amazing this type of tragedy doesn’t happen more often. I watched in horror one day as a J-mom using an ATM allowed her toddler to play on the side of the road while cars zoomed by only feet away. I confronted the little girl and told her it was dangerous. I was glad when she fled away from the scary gaijin back to her mother.

Hmm. Maybe these types of tragedy doesn't happen more often because majority of the Japanese parents are indeed responsible? I can go to any country and witness unsupervised children in dangerous areas but I don't go out of my way to characterize the entire populance by concluding that (name a country here) mothers are slack.

nigelboy- Have you ever found a fault in anything in beautifull Japan? You seem to live in some kind of different dimension than most of those on here.

Japanese parents are pretty useless. I saw a family in Harlow, god!!! the kids were screaming and shouting and bthe parents did nothing. I shouted at the parents "stupid, stupid stupid"!

Just the other day I did have to swerve to avoid hitting a two year old girl running out onto the main street while her father was busily texting away on his keitai. I stopped and abused him and he just looked at me as if I was wrong. I guess I was wrong to abuse him cos if I was Japanese I would have just kept going without even giving it a thought.

I hope family feels sad on this incident and take care in future

MikeBarrymore and 30061015 are right. After almost 8 years in Japan I saw kids in potentially hazardous situations at least once a day, compared to NYC for instance, where I see this maybe once a year. It doesn't take a scientific survey to notice either. Just someone with an inkling of awareness and concern for the safety of others. My money is on Bobbafetts theory;

It does seem a little to convenient. Maybe the guy snapped, killed her, and cast her off, then set it up to make it look accidental. I would not be surprised if the charges are upgraded to murder anytime soon

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Geeze! I hope the parents are alright!