8-year-old girl drowns while trying to save brother in Kagoshima river

I don't know how many more times I can post this. When are parents in this country going to learn to keep an eye on their children? This story and the one above about the boy being hit by a train make me furious. Children should never be left unwatched near water, railways tracks and platforms, balconies, on sidewalks and numerous other places.

And please, don't anyone else post a message saying I'm overacting because these accidents happen overseas. I know they do, and I couldn't care less about such comparisons. Besides, the moderator wouldn't allow us to debate it anyway. But I stand by my opinion. I've been in Japan more than 20 years and I still say parental supervision in this country is appalling.

parental supervision in this country

There is such a thing, who supervises the parents. Tomorrows tragedy will be a baby in a parked car in the pachinko parking lot.

Bless her heart she loved him so much to go after him. This is truly sad.

Smartacus, a similar story happened to relatives. That was worse because the parents were there and could see one of their twin boy die while they were rescuing the second one. There is water, kids run, the bank is not that steady, whatever surprising happens, they fall. Parents are not gods. Having children = having the risk of losing them. I see unlucky families, nothing more.

What do you propose actually ? Parents should do like that Austrian weirdo and keep the children in a safe cellar ?

Prevention! Its not a matter of parents being gods its a matter of them being responsible... Some parents are just plain negligent... I know a girl in Japan who said when she was 5 yo she went from door to door asking if she could play! Complete strangers! She did this everyday... eating and coloring books at their houses. What the hell were her parents doing and what the hell are other Japanese parents doing? Too busy worrying about work?

When are parents in this country going to learn to keep an eye on their children?

They did buddy. millions of parents kept an eye out today, and their kids didn't die b/c of it. You can't take isolated incidences like these and blow things out of proportion. All you're going to read in here are negative articles, when are you going to learn?

This young girl was a hero, gave her life to save this poor little boy. It's apalling they treat children many times like pets or an object. Rest in peace to the young girl.

Cos

What do you propose actually?

How about the parents being in the vicinity if not within sight for one? Too much to ask?

"Bless her heart she loved him so much to go after him. This is truly sad."

Agree 100%.

"Having children = having the risk of losing them"

What the hell!?

Cos

What do I propose? Exactly what I said in my first post. That parents supervise their children when they are near water, railways tracks and platforms, balconies, on sidewalks and numerous other places. That means watching them, not reading a book, chatting on a cell phone, window shopping or whatever. It's not hard to do. What you don't do is say to a child, "Don't go away. I'll be back in a minute," or the three most common expressions used by Japanese mothers to their children: "Dame," "Abunai" or "Yamenasai."

Well then, I guess you are just the perfect parent. Let's all follow your perfect lead.

These parents have just learned a horrible lesson. But as smartacus points out:

"When are parents in this country going to learn to keep an eye on their children?"

This sickens me to no end, but I'm afraid that this will continue, as long as Japanese parents selfishly focus their lives on themselves instead of their children. Make no mistake, these "accidents" are 100% preventable. Time for parents in Japan to pull their heads out of their collective arses ! I have nothing but condemnation for the way things run here in Japan !

I am surprised that many of these posts focus on "Japanese parents", as if other parents of different nationalities don't have this kind of problem. Also people on JT love to blow things out of proportion, quite frankly, and it gets annoying. There were probably thousands of kids playing today but it just so happened that a horrible accident occurred and people here immediately jump on the boat railing against "dumb" parents. I used to play with my brother unsupervised when I was a child and the worst I got was stitches. Parents can't supervise their kids for 4 hours while they run around outside. And for the smartasses who might reply, if you had a mom who could follow you around all day while you rode your bike or explored the neighborhood, good for you. Not all people are blessed with such circumstances.

I love the self annointed perfect parents who lay all the blame on these poor children's parents or should we call it for what is "Irresponsible Japanese Parents" because some how things are different here than anywhere else. Does the article say the parents weren't present or that the river wasn't just out the family homes back door? No it says nothing about the situation except that two children died. "Gee maybe they were at the Pachinko parlour" Get off your high horses and realise that if you turn around for a second a child can wander off. This is a terrible tragedy and sadly showed how much this little girl cared for her brother. I don't think anyone needs some oppinionated foreigner condemning the parents. O.k. this concludes rant

usaexpat pretty much summed it up.

It is Golden Week. Kids are playing here and there outdoors as they should. Sometimes accidents happen. Kids need to learn how to do things without Mommy and Daddy controlling each and every one of their actions. Don`t blame the parents. This is sad, but it is simply reality.

Yes you dont always watch children all the time eg. If they are in the back yard. But these children were at a river... what parent would let their kids who cannot swim play by a river? Would you let your children play in the bath tub with a hairdryer? No!

um...well i wouldn't "let" my children play in a bath tub with a hairdryer. your comparison is a little exagerrated.

how do you know they couldn't swim? maybe they could, but the river current was just too strong? i got swept away by the current in hawaii body-boarding when i was a kid and the lifeguard had to save me. my parents weren't two feet away from me to save the day. Do you even have kids Jerome? I'm just wondering.

You don't need to have kids you just need something called a brain. I have had a younger cousin fall into a pool and if I was not in the water with her she would have drowned. So it shows you must always supervise young helpless children when they are around hazards.

So thee is a women drives pats my house twice a day with her 3 yr old son on her lap. Should i call the police or what? Parents slip up. Sadly sometimes their kids get into trouble 99% of the time nothing happens

I just have one thing to say. You can't expect parents to do everything. Kids have to learn certain things by themselves. For example, if this river in Kagoshima was flowing like the Niagara, a kid has to learn someday that its not a good idea to go near there. Based on your opinion, it seems like you have to supervise your children 24/7 for the first 8 or so years of their lives. And thats definitely not necessary.

isn't this news the same with a news just this month wherein a little boy of quite the same age died when he tried to save his younger brother who had fallen off a river bank? this gives me chills... nway, parents could fail on their supervision of their children, but they should not fail to forbid their children on playing near river banks.

Truly a sad story, and like many here have said where were the parents?, but sometimes children are gonna play outside or where ever without the supervision of the parents. Parents can't always be everywhere! i am no parent....(yet) but i have a high enough IQ to know its impossible to prevent these things from happening 100% even with parent supervision.

I hope the parents did however learn a valuable lesson that they should take better precaution and/or have a better understanding of their children's whereabouts.

Brave little girl. RIP ;;

Apparently all the folks here who have raised the question of how well Japanese parents supervise their children stuck a chord at JT... it is the new topic @ "Have your Say"

http://www.japantoday.com/category/have-your-say/view/whats-your-impression-of-parental-supervision-of-children-in-japan

Sad story...

She is a Lionheart

This is not just a tragic accident. As there is no info on the parents or where they were its pretty easy to assume they were off getting lit BSing around the hibachi. Just go to the beach how many kids are in the water unsupervised. In fact go anywhere there should be close parental supervision and you wont see to much of it.

I just read an article about a mother in another country who was driving with her daughter and the car careened into a river or body of water. She managed to escape, while her daughter was trapped inside and the car filling with water. She made it to the bank and there she repeatedy told onlookers that her daughter was trapped. Finally a complete stranger dove into the water to save the girl.

Now here's what I find striking with this story. This 8 year old girl, raised by parents in a Japanese society that is supposedly negligent and uncaring towards their young, took it upon herself to try and save her brother. She performed a heroic act that countless adults anywhere in the world would not even do. So, that alone defeats the notion that parenting is bad in Japan, as this brave girl must have been raised by some mighty fine parents to have such an amazing character.

Rest in peace little girl.

What kind of Love did this young girl show for her brother!!! My goodness, this girl dearly loved her brother insomuch that she jumpedi n to try and save him!! Whwen I heard this story on the 9 o'clock news last night, I nearly cried! Here is a nexception, at least, to what I've seen with regards to parenting and raising children in Japan!! This little girl was taught rightly: to look to others before herself! Prasie the LORD for such an example!!!! Though her family has suffered a terrible loss, I know that this young lady is in heaven!!!!

This girl is a hero! In todays! world there are very few. Even among the power politicans you can find known. But this little girl did good! and God! in the end has blessed her endeavor.

Seek not the gold! of the world but seek the truth and goodness! that God! gave us. In the future all will slaves to evil!, so every good! deed done should be honored.

Jerome I appreciate your passion on the subject but while you have a brain as you say what you do not have are children so you are not qualified to judge.

And who are you to judge and say in your own judgement that I am not qualified to judge?

I am quite impressed that the daughter instinctively saved the son, knowing that in this present society he was more important than she. It is a wonderful example of sororital devotion to her brother. She learned to put her brother before herself. Her parents taught her right. When I read this story, my heart swelled with respect for this young lady. I know that in this world SOCIETY will praise her. Her actions will forever be enshrined as data flying around the INTERNET.

smartacas is correct! This hero girl must have amazing parents who instilled proper survival values into their children.

Hmm,

"This hero girl must have amazing parents who instilled proper survival values into their children."

Sorry, I somehow doubt it. I'm more inclined to think that the girl was scared out of her wits and simply jumped in without thinking ! I did the same thing when I was 9 ! Ran through fire to get my dog... didn't feel a thing ! God bless this little girl !

I think it's a bit rash to point the finger at the parents. As a parent of a seven & eight year old myself I can not imagine the pain they are going through.

I don't know, but chances are these two kids walked along this riverbank everyday on their way to school / shops / juku... and one mis-step and this tragedy has befallen the entire family.

Mum, Dad, Brother, Grandparents - everyone will carry this for the rest of their days and under-informed strangers standing in judgement will only make that burden greater...

No matter how you look at it, something like this, really hits the heart of any sensible human. Makes you pause a bit & give it more thought as to why, how, & just so much more.

No one wants to see or hear/read about the death of a child for any reason.

Yes that is my feeling even as an old bachelor all these years.

This story is brutal. Heart-breaking. Poor little ones!

Happens too much here.

I hope that boy makes something of his life in memory of his sisters brave attempted sacrifice.

When are parents in this country going to learn to keep an eye on their children? This story and the one above about the boy being hit by a train make me furious. Children should never be left unwatched near water, railways tracks and platforms, balconies, on sidewalks and numerous other places.

When are parents in ANY country going to learn........

3-4 and year olds yes but these two were 7-8, at that age they can have a bit of freedom to play. When I was 7 or 8, I was playing near creeks and rivers, climbing trees, swing from vines, climbing small hills and little cliffs...all unsupervised - shock horror my parents were terribly negligent weren't they? Some of you posters need to get real, sometimes accidents happen and can't live you whole life in cotton wool.

anyway this is tragic and my thoughts go out to the family.