A four-year-old girl died after she fell from the balcony of her family’s 25th-floor apartment in Osaka on Wednesday morning.
According to police, the body of Kanon Hayashi, wearing pajamas, was seen on the roof of the first-floor entrance to the apartment building in Kita Ward by another resident at around 6:10 a.m., Fuji TV reported. The child was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival due to severe head injuries.
Police said Kanon lived with her two-year-old sister and 41-year-old mother.
Police said Kanon’s mother told them she had gotten up early to do some housework and thought her daughter was in her room at the time of the accident.
The balcony has a 130-cm-high glass railing. There is a chair on the balcony which police believe Kanon climbed up on before falling over the railing.
© Japan Today
35 Comments
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Fighto!
Absolutely horrible news. Rest in Peace. The parents will never forgive themselves.
I've said it before - why not make it compulsory to install netting enclosing the balcony in high rise buildings to prevent these tragedies? I lived in a high rise apartment building in Japan where every balcony has netting to prevent pigeons getting in - not too different in effect if the netting was made stronger.
Mr Kipling
I really can't understand anyone with young children choosing to live above the second floor. Why take the risk?
NOMINATION
I am with you. I chose to live in a house rather than remain in a building as the kids got older mainly because of tragedies like this. However, for those that can't afford a house, they have to live in high-rise low income apartment buildings and you have to take what you can get as it is hard to get in some places.
WA4TKG
…again.
Mat
Fighto!Today 05:15 pm JST
I've said it before - why not make it compulsory to install netting enclosing the balcony[...]
Because I live in a tall building, have no kids, and dont want to be forced to have a cage around the balcony.
Horrible news though, such a loss.
Cricky
Again, might be time to review building codes. Or education.
Fanny Greene
What I don’t get is people’s inability to see danger. Any object that could be climbed upon shouldn’t have been there on a balcony . Very sad.
John Noun
So terribly sad. Rest in peace little one.
miss_oikawa
JHC, who the heck puts a chair on a balcony when living with a 4 year old???
Mr Kipling
Letsberealistic........
That was my first thought too...
When looking for a place to live I excluded anything above 2 floors, for safety and also high rises are not a good environment for children or adults (in my opinion), unless we are looking at silly money places.
Paul
A chair on the balcony???? Are they frigging serious with a 4 year old in the house????
Sanjinosebleed
if you have young children living in an apartment with a balcony who the hell wouldn’t lock the door to the balcony??? Tragedy but sadly for everyone concerned it was an avoidable one!
RIP Little one
ListenTheTruth
Again.
Yasuragi
I have stop locks on the sliding doors and windows to prevent my cats from sharing the same fate. Why aren't these standard for houses with children?
So awful all around.
3RENSHO
"who the heck puts a chair on a balcony when living with a 4 year old?"
A cigarette smoker puts a chair on a balcony because they cannot stand while smoking.
Steve
Tragic news. Although living so high is dangerous with toddlers around, why did they leave a chair next to the balcony wall? No chair and this wouldn’t have happened.
purple_depressed_bacon
This is horribly tragic but also, why was there a chair on the balcony?? Also, why wasn't the balcony door locked and childproofed? You can't watch kids 24/7; the least you could do is to minimize danger and risk in the home.
smithinjapan
So tired of hearing this kind of incident so often, and the complete neglect -- whether it be not watching your kids, or the open windows and clutter on balconies that lets them climb up and over. I'm going to guess there is little to no child-proofing in the residence, and now their child is gone. Sigh. Would be nice if high rises starting putting up protective nets. I know it's not pretty, and that's why they won't do it, but the number of lives they'd save in one week alone would easily make it worth it.
ReynardFox
No everyone has that choice. It’s possible that this apartment was what they could afford. Or what was available. Or they were living there before they had their kid and couldn’t afford to move for one reason or another. Not everyone can have the luxury of being choosy with where they live or are able to afford to move once they have a child.
Mr Kipling
You can't be on guard 24 hours a day, accidents happen..... that's why you probably be better off not living on the 25th floor with toddlers.
John Noun
I do wonder about people when they downvote my comment above. Good lord.
Lindsay
There is a chair on the balcony which police believe Kanon climbed up on before falling over the railing.
Just plain stupid!
Kumagaijin
Whenever there is a news report about a small child falling from a tall building, I'm reminded of Eric Clapton and his Tears in Heaven song he wrote after losing his son to a similar tragedy. RIP
miss_oikawa
It's amazing how many people seem to think it's not a moronic idea to put a chair on a balcony when living on the 25th floor with a 4 year-old...
Hope they never become parents.