Japanese Boy, Left In Forest By Parents As Punishment, Found Alive: Officials

Tokyo, Japan: A seven-year-old boy missing since his parents abandoned him in a bear-inhabited forest in northern Japan as a punishment nearly a week ago was found alive on Friday, officials said.

The boy, apparently unharmed and in good health, was discovered inside a military base at about 7:50 am (2250 GMT Thursday), a police spokesman said.

"A Self-Defence Force official who was on a drill found a boy whose age appeared to be seven," he said.

"There was no conspicuous external injury, and the boy introduced himself as Yamato Tanooka," the spokesman said.

Manabu Takehara, a spokesman for the Self-Defense Forces, also confirmed that the boy was found.

"He looked in good health, but he was sent to hospital by medical helicopter" for a check-up, he told AFP.

The child had been missing since Saturday after his parents said they made him get out of their car on a mountain road as punishment for misbehaving.

He was reportedly without food or water.

The parents originally told police their son had got lost while they were out hiking to gather wild vegetables, but later admitted they became angry because he had thrown stones at cars and people.