Two children perish in residential fire in Asahikawa

Every year, the samey sad scenario. Isolation, death. Most people cannot ask a neighbor to help out, and must go alone. Add to that, ridiculous heating systems in most homes, and this situation is perennial.

Same as scenario

Oh dear, auto correct strikes again this year

Another stupid crime, what the hell was this idiot mother thinking! Leaving 2 small children ALONE! RIP little boys now dead up there in Hokkaido. Now maybe this stupid idiot mother is happy??

What a stupid mother! No matter what reasons she tries to come up with non of them will mean s*** nor will they bring back these poor innocent children. I might sound harsh here but I hope this eats at her conscience for the rest of her living life!

Poor little boys. Life curtailed short by a person who didn't deserve them at all. Who leaves a 2 and 4 year old at home alone? And to go shopping? What excuse is that? It makes my blood boil thinking about what those poor little mites last minutes must have been like.

RIP! Yet another bad parent never leave young ones home alone. common sense!

Groundhog day scenario to these types of tragic stories in this country, especially around this time of year. This from 4 days ago; http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/4-year-old-girl-dies-in-gunma-house-fire

As someone mentioned in the comments following that case, these types of stories really should be in the crime section for very obvious reasons.

WHEN??? is it going to become illegal to leave these helpless little ones home alone?

That is so sad. We had something happening here close to our house last winter. Also two small children burnt to death. It is hell for everyone involved... the victims, the mother, the rescue people and the neighbours.

@Nicky

It wouldn't be "hell" if people help each other. Asking for someone to watch over your kids is considered bothersome to most people. It is very shameful to ask for help. Having one's children die in a house fire is seen as "shouganai" instead of bothering someone with such burden. Better "shouganai" than to asking for help. Japanese culture is too embedded in the minds of these people. Can you really blame them? I am certain some people would let their children die in an accident rather than ask for help. I remember my husband telling me how his mother would leave them alone as children to go to the market to buy food. We would never do such thing back home but here, I guess their cultural traits are too different. That said, I feel so sorry for these two angels left alone to die.

I get a thumbs down for my comments. Jeez.... So someone out there thinks it's okay to saunter off shopping and leave toddlers at home alone, strewn with rubbish and a heater o ! ( According to the gore brigade report).

And yes Tandoorinacho. It should be in the Crime section. Wonder if this actually goes down as child abuse? RIP kids. I am so sorry this had to happen to you.

Sorry IPhone spellcheck again.

Should read 'According to the Fire Brigade's report)!

@ Franchesca. Exactly. That is a part of the problem here. Taught from a young age not to bother others. Keep your problems within the family even if you basically don't have family to help. Neighbours too busy or don't want to infringe on others privacy. Unfortunately, you also get parents who despite having great support systems choose to ignore basic safety guidelines and play Russian roulette with their children's lives.

'It takes a village to raise a child is so true' because no matter how confident, resilient or strong a person you may be, at some point in your lifebas a parent, you wil need help. That isn't a cultural thing, it's worldwide. That's One lesson amongst the thousand I have learnt since becoming a parent. And I am still learning.

We had another quake only this afternoon. Does anyone think it's okay to leave their kids alone during something like that?

These stupid idiots should not be allowed to have babies?? I do not know if we should have an IQ test?? Some kind of psychological test?? This is just so SAD! WRONG!! RIP little angels!!