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Still no trace of 2-year-old boy missing for 9 days in Toyama Prefecture

34 Comments

Police, firefighters and volunteers resumed their search Monday morning for a two-year-old boy who wandered out of his home in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, nine days ago.

So far, no trace has been found of Reion Takashima, who is believed to have walked out the back door of his home at around 6:45 p.m. on Aug 20. At that time, the area was experiencing heavy rainfall.

Local media reported that on Sunday, about 500 people searched canals, rice fields, shrubbery and ditches within a 1.5-kilometer radius of the house, but with no success. Helicopters, drones and dogs have also been used in the search during the past week.

Reion’s mother told police she took her eyes off him just for a few minutes while she was drying her 4-year-old daughter’s hair, and he was gone. After searching the house, she called 110.

Reion is about 80 cms tall, has cropped hair and was wearing shorts and a pale blue. pajama top when last seen at home.

Police have asked anyone who might have seen the boy or have any information that might help locate him to call 0766-23-0110.

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34 Comments
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Michael MachidaAug. 29  08:23 am JST

Something does not make sense here. The boy walked out of him house and no trace of him? Heavy rainfall? Sorry, something is way off here.

If the door was open then it looks like at least a case of parental neglect. I saw a similar case of a baby in diapers walking out towards the street and nearly getting hit by a truck. Fortunately a neighbor caught the baby in time and gave the mother a good tongue lashing. Should've called the cops.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

How far could a 2 year old have gone if she just took her "eyes off him just for a few minutes"?

Oh, you must not be a parent. I don't know any parents who have been part of their kids lives who wouldn't answer that question with "pretty far".

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Start looking in the house and NOT outside!!?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

This is every parents worst nightmare. How far could a 2 year old have gone if she just took her "eyes off him just for a few minutes"? Two year olds can move but not fast enough to cover a 1.5km in minutes, no matter how you look at it. Either this baby is deceased and hidden somewhere or someone kidnapped him.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

What would the odds have to be for a toddler to wander outside AND just at the same time some sick molester happens to be driving by?

They say they checked the canals after the fact but there was heavy rain at the time that he went missing, so perhaps the canals were raging when he fell in and he got swept out into the local river the canals empty into?

Something doesn't pass the sniff test here.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

nine days :/

that’s not good

sighs

..

there’s the possibility of kidnapping (the odds of a child being kidnapped are about one in three hundred thousand) but

my guess is that his body is in the river; that’s why they still didn’t find him; there’s depth, currents, sand, mud, objects; it takes time.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I'm curious about the father. Is he in the picture? Could he have been watching the house and taken the son?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@rainyday I would tend to want to agree with your logic one being you mentioned more about the topographic lay out of the country side and the dangers that exist. I would tend to also think that kids will go off but are afraid to wonder to far from home expecially if it is raining they would want to get back in the house, perhaps it was a slight drizzle and the kid did wonder off and got caught in the heavy rains and got disoriented and stepped into one of the streams and or a irrigation ditch if that the case the current could carry his body far away, perhaps he could have fell in a rice field and got stuck in the mud and drowned keep in mind this is a 2 year old he's not that tall. Anyways I would go with the elements being the reason he is missing the mother would be a far far thought but as in detective work unfortunately they will not count her out.

While a lot of commenters are jumping to foul play, I’ve been watching news reports on TV about this and the kid lived in a rural area with a lot of streams and irrigation ditches for rice fields near his house. If he slipped and fell into any of these while it was heavily raining he could easily have been carried away by the current. This seems a far more likely scenari

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It feels disgusting but i feel like its either neighbourhood or even parent’s neglect...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Almost impossible ton believe or even accept, someone took this child away faster than hell, or the mother is not telling the full story, the time just don't add up, few minutes is probably an hour or so. or someone else is involved, sorry but a 2 years old can never disappear this fast with no trace.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

While a lot of commenters are jumping to foul play, I’ve been watching news reports on TV about this and the kid lived in a rural area with a lot of streams and irrigation ditches for rice fields near his house. If he slipped and fell into any of these while it was heavily raining he could easily have been carried away by the current. This seems a far more likely scenario.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Japanese children tend to have less "fear" than Western children since their are given far more independence and socialise a lot more. I have also been surprised at how social some Japanese children can be, though obviously they are taught to be scared of foreigners so foreigners get the wrong impression.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Heavy rain and childs body weight may be a factor.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

With great sadness but after nine days and nine nights unless someone abducted him.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Thomas Twatt

I think the comments arent as cruel as you think.

In most cases when someone is murdered, it is by someone they know well. The child has been searched for extensively within a wide perimeter, and we already know toddlers cant get too far too fast.

I wouldn’t put it past the parents or those nearby and neither are the cops I promise you.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Ally - If that were your kid, would you be saying that?

Not really sure what your point is..

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

His poor parents.

I hope he is found safely but after 9 days and he's 2...

not so optimistic

@Ally - If that were your kid, would you be saying that?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Thomas Twatt

Today 09:13 am JST

… the possibility of some sort of sinister parental involvement (or at least lack of diligence) here is understandable

Mocheake

Today 11:19 am JST

… the parents have to be included and cannot and should not be ruled out… the child was in their care and they were the last to see the child. This should be understandable…

Is there an echo in here?

TT

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Distasteful as such a knee-jerk reaction is, it is, alas, understandable and forgivable in 2022.

It’s been “understandable” for centuries. The family is the first to come under suspicion.

Reminds me of a story from Fresno, CA about 40 years ago. A child went missing then a local “seer” offered her assistance to the cops. Guess what? She was able to “see” where the child’s body was and lead the police to the exact spot. She was arrested and convicted of kidnapping and murder. BTW, she knew the family.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Poor little fellow. May God care for him.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

who is believed to have walked out the back door of his home

Of course this formulation gives quite a room for other thinkable options. There’s also no surveillance camera footage of that whole timespan in the whole neighborhood, or is it? We don’t know enough here on this issue as far away readers. The toddler boy could still be hidden in the house or garden or wasn’t even (still) there at all , and so on. Put yourself in mind into somehow being that toddler yourself. Would you , for example, use the mysterious and darker back door, you’ve never or not often gone through, and would you have courage and know how to open or handle it? No, it would fear you like hell to go that unknown way, and you would only try first the main door if you want to quickly make some discoveries outside, the brighter one, the door you also often have seen , know how it operates, and used it many times when going out with your parents, to the park or shopping or playground.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Gurumick

If taste, color and odor is not what it seems, then it is something else.

Indeed the possibility that the kid underwent a human intervention cannot be ruled out and is now more than a plain possibility.

Personally, I can´t even imagine a toddler going out if raining in all cases, especially if wearing pyjama.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Foul play and human involvement.

Sorry people, but after decades working with criminals I have to say their are some sickos out their, even in Japan... "maybe more ".

Unless the child has a history as a "wanderer " I'd be looking at the least palatable option of abduction or foul play by some person

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Poor angel

parents must be not at their right mind...

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Thomas Twatt

Today 09:13 am JST

@Michael Machida: Something does not make sense here. The boy walked out of him house and no trace of him? Heavy rainfall? Sorry, something is way off here.

You are, if I’m not mistaken, insinuating the possibility of some sort of sinister parental involvement (or at least lack of diligence) here: a degree of ‘foul play’?

Distasteful as such a knee-jerk reaction is, it is, alas, understandable and forgivable in 2022.

It says too much about our society, and about ourselves, that our initial thoughts are the dark ones they are.

Let’s hope the child is found safe and well, unlikely as that seems, that, once again, some of us might feel blissfully ashamed for so misjudging our neighbours

I don't think many people's initial thoughts were about the parents but they have to be included and cannot and should not be ruled out unless there is total proof of their non-involvement. That's just how things work and any policeperson worth his or her salt is going to take a hard look at them. It makes sense - the child was in their care and they were the last to see the child. This should be understandable in any year whether it was a thousand years ago or one hundred years from now. Highlighting one high-profile case doesn't change that situaton one bit.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

According to an NHK story, the door was left open.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

If there was a door knob I doubt the toddler would be able to open it. But if it was a sliding door left unlocked, it’s totally possible he could have opened it. It’s not uncommon for kids to wander off even if you take your eyes off of them for only a minute. I doubt there was foul play. But after 9 days… he could have slipped into a sewage drain, ravine, ditch, anything. Poor kid.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Take your eyes off,no child instincts would make him wonder in the rain, children can get away from their parents real quick and get hit by a car,I almost witness this last year

6 ( +9 / -3 )

‘vindictive’ (above) was a mistyping of ‘vindicated’.

TT

0 ( +4 / -4 )

@Michael Machida: Something does not make sense here. The boy walked out of him house and no trace of him? Heavy rainfall? Sorry, something is way off here.

You are, if I’m not mistaken, insinuating the possibility of some sort of sinister parental involvement (or at least lack of diligence) here: a degree of ‘foul play’?

Distasteful as such a knee-jerk reaction is, it is, alas, understandable and forgivable in 2022.

It says too much about our society, and about ourselves, that our initial thoughts are the dark ones they are.

Let’s hope the child is found safe and well, unlikely as that seems, that, once again, some of us might feel blissfully ashamed for so misjudging our neighbours.

TT

-6 ( +11 / -17 )

Something does not make sense here. The boy walked out of him house and no trace of him? Heavy rainfall? Sorry, something is way off here.

Um yeah, of course it is. If it wasn't way off, the kid would be at home, and this wouldn't be a story.

-6 ( +8 / -14 )

His poor parents.

I hope he is found safely but after 9 days and he's 2...

not so optimistic

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Something does not make sense here. The boy walked out of him house and no trace of him? Heavy rainfall? Sorry, something is way off here.

7 ( +17 / -10 )

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