national

7-year-old girl missing in Nagano town

28 Comments

Police in Otari, Nagano Prefecture, on Sunday resumed their search for a seven-year-old girl who went missing on Saturday. However, by nightfall, no trace of the missing girl had been found.

About 110 police and other rescue personnel searched thick forests and a river for Rina Machida who was last seen at around 11:40 a.m. Saturday heading to a local festival with her mother and older brother, Fuji TV reported.

According to police, the trio were staying at Rina's grandparents' home in Otari, a small mountain community of about 75 residents. Rina's mother and brother left the house to go help with preparations for the festival at a shrine compound about 100 meters from their house. Rina followed after her mother and brother and was about 30 meters behind them when she dropped out of sight.

Rina's mother called police at around 1:40 p.m. after she and local residents were unable to find the girl. About 70 police and firefighters searched for Rina without luck on Saturday afternoon. The search resumed again at 6 a.m. Sunday.

Police said a witness saw Rina walking near the shrine gateway at around 11:40 a.m. Another witness said he saw a girl who looked like Rina carrying a stuffed toy.

Her sandals were found in long grass by a narrow road about 300 meters from her grandparents' home.

Rina is 130 cms tall, with shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a pink T-shirt and gray shorts.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


28 Comments

Comments have been disabled You can no longer respond to this thread.

I certainly hope they find this young girl. Thirty meters is less then a 100 feet... I let my daughter separate from us a bit just to build her confidence up but, you can be sure I keep a very watchful eye on her. but, in a small rural town and the fact she was 7.... Most Japanese children, by age 7 are walking farther then that on their own when they go to school. That being said, it doesn't take much for a child to avert their attention from the initial plan and be sidetracked by a bird or butterfly.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I hope this is just a case of a child that wandered off and got lost and she is found quickly.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

30m? I'm worried if my child is 1m behind me and most of the time I make him walk right next to me.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

OMG..I hope they find her. She must be terrified if shes lost

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Strangerland

As discussed before, a nation that investigates so few unnatural deaths can not be called safe.

It is extremely likely that the mother of the missing child would have kept her daughter much closer were they touring overseas. It is thus less likely that this girl would have gone astray.

The false sense of security that most demonstrate here and you promate leads people to be less careful than they should be.

I pray she is found safe and sound, but even if she is, it can not be said that all is well. There is a family worried sick right now, and possibly a little girl too. The loss of time of all the volunteers and emergency service personel looking for it is not to be taken lightly.

And it all could have been avoided if people placed less belief in the safety of Japan and more in their own responsibility to look after themselves and those they love.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I hope you are wrong, but the slippers in the grass are not a good sign.

May our fears be unmet.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

30m is a long way behind. Was it crowded? How long had they been walking when she disappeared from view? The comment about the sandals being found 300m from the grandparent's home has no context otherwise.

I do hope that she is found safe and sound.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

JapanT - 30m is not all far. Remember, Japan is safe.

Yeah, Japan is safe if you are a middle aged man. However, if you are a child or a woman (or both) the statistic is very different. Unfortunately, there are too many creeps around yo let your young kids walk around unsupervised. Let's hope she hasn't fallen prey to a creep and she is found safe and well.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Strangerland: "That said, Japan is safe."

So, again, where is she?

"And before you all jump to conclusions, let's wait and see what happens. Remember the kid who was waiting it out in the JSDF hut for six days before they found him a couple of months back? The kid half of you said was killed by his parents, and another third of you said was killed by someone else?"

He was found alive; I would hardly call being a child left while your parents drive ahead, abandoning you, and then having to spend the better part of a week in an abandoned building "safe". And in any case, calling this neglect, which it is, is not 'jumping to conclusions' any more than saying she is missing as a result. We don't know what condition she is in by any means, but the negligence is a given.

Japan T: "And it all could have been avoided if people placed less belief in the safety of Japan and more in their own responsibility to look after themselves and those they love."

Exactly. How many times do we have to read this kind of article before that sinks in for some people? I guess the myth is nicer than reality.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

They waited 2 hours before calling the police?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Rina’s mother and brother left the house...Rina followed after... and was about 30 meters behind them when she dropped OUT OF SIGHT.

Unless the mother was walking backwards, poor Rina was ALWAYS OUT OF SIGHT!!

Her sandals were found in long grass by a narrow road about 300 meters from her grandparents’ home

That is not a good sign...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I hope and pray she is found unharmed because this sounds like she was taken if the sandals were found and she was not. Because i don't think she would just leave her sandels if they had fallen off she would have put them back on and continued walking. And i understand this is a small town but if they are preparing for a festival then there are people coming from different parts of the island to participate in it. So in a small town everyone knows everyone but if there are different peoples family members attending then it would be hard to tell what type of people are in the extended family's and what type of mind set they are in.

But again i truley pray with every fiber of my being that she is found alive and safe not to mention unharmed.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

My prayers are that this child is found safe and well. My fears for her safety, however, are grave.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Smithinjapan

"Exactly. How many times do we have to read this kind of article before that sinks in for some people? I guess the myth is nicer than reality."

Precisely.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

30m is not all far. Remember, Japan is safe. tell that to the parents who have had kid abducted and murdered. Japan would be a lot safer if parents watched their children at all times, or are with someone they trust at all times.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Another witness said he saw a girl who looked like Rina carrying a stuffed toy

I just saw this "witness" on the TV news, and as the last person to see Rina alive he would be the prime suspect.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

All readers back on topic please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This are the very reason I scream and panic if my energetic daughter runs away from me, some people would look at me like I'm a crazy exaggerated mother but better be safe than sorry.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

There's still no sign of her, but here's hoping she can be found alive.

The place is in the far north-west corner of Nagano. It's a tiny inaka community on a hillside up from the main road through the Hakuba valley. The turn-off is between the Otari michi no eki and Niigata border. Even if they have a "festival", it will be tiny, just a few dozen people sitting at or near a shrine or kominkan eating and drinking. An outdoor company runs wilderness first aid courses at what looks like an old school building, but other than that there is no through traffic or outsiders there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I hope they find her alive and well. As for why we went missing... Why would you let your child lag so far behind? 30 meters is pretty far.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

30m is not all far. Remember, Japan is safe.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

She was only a hundred meters behind her mother in a smallish town. It's very suspicious that she could just disappear without a trace without some kind of foul play. I'm still hopeful she is found safe and well, but I, and many others, have doubts.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

quiquejpAUG. 28, 2016 - 05:18PM JST 30m? I'm worried if my child is 1m behind me and most of the time I make him walk right next to me.

Obviously you're not Japanese then. I'd bet her phone wasn't even 30cm from her face tho...

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Japan T: "Remember, Japan is safe."

So where is she?

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

As discussed before, a nation that investigates so few unnatural deaths can not be called safe.

You know, other than the fact that it can be called safe.

The false sense of security that most demonstrate here and you promate leads people to be less careful than they should be.

The fear mongering you promote leads people to be helicopter parents so that their kids don't grow up learning how to think for themselves.

I pray she is found safe and sound

Me too.

So, again, where is she?

Oh, are you under the impression that 'safe' means zero incidents ever? I didn't realize that when you say 'safe', you were speaking about a utopia that has never existed, and likely never will exist, ever.

He was found alive; I would hardly call being a child left while your parents drive ahead, abandoning you, and then having to spend the better part of a week in an abandoned building "safe".

Why? What specifically was unsafe? No one had any bore him any ill will, nor harmed him in any manner. His parents, who were obviously loving, made a mistake and paid for it.

Your comments make me unclear on what you think 'safe' means. Can you please clarify? What exactly would have to be the circumstance for you to be able to call a place safe?

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

However, if you are a child or a woman (or both) the statistic is very different.

Is it now? Pray tell, what are these statistics you are comparing?

Unfortunately, there are too many creeps around yo let your young kids walk around unsupervised.

And yet thousands and thousands and thousands of children walk to school and back every day without incident. Please explain how they are able to do that if it's so dangerous?

Let's hope she hasn't fallen prey to a creep and she is found safe and well.

This I can agree with 100%. Fingers crossed.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

So where is she?

You missed his sarcasm.

That said, Japan is safe.

And before you all jump to conclusions, let's wait and see what happens. Remember the kid who was waiting it out in the JSDF hut for six days before they found him a couple of months back? The kid half of you said was killed by his parents, and another third of you said was killed by someone else?

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites