Last month, a 2-year-old girl was left alone on a bus for about one hour at “Kamiishizu Children’s Forest,” a certified children’s center in Kamiishizu-cho, Ogaki City. The temperature in Ogaki City at that time exceeded 30°C.

“To stop the buzzer installed at the very back of the vehicle, one normally needs to walk to the rear, but on that day, it was stopped using a remote control located next to the driver’s seat.”

The sequence of events leading to the discovery of the abandoned child is as follows. The school bus arrived around 9:30 AM with 14 children on board. At this time, the 2-year-old girl was sleeping, so the other children were let off first, and the principal moved the bus to the parking lot. About one hour later, when it was noticed that the girl was not inside the facility, her homeroom teacher found her on the bus. There were no health issues.

According to the center, there was an alarm at the back of the vehicle designed to prevent children from being left behind, which activates when the engine is turned off. However, the principal had deactivated it using the remote control, so no interior check was conducted. Furthermore, the principal explained that the headcount check upon arrival, which is a standardized rule, was neglected because “it was a day with overlapping irregular schedules.”

“We must sincerely continue our fundamental responsibility of caring for children from morning until evening, as we always have, and work to regain trust.”

Following an incident in September 2022, three years ago, in Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture, where a 3-year-old girl was left in a school bus and died, childcare centers and similar facilities were required to install safety devices and conduct headcount checks. However, at this center, the rules were not properly followed.

Kamiishizu Children’s Forest

Kamiishizu Children’s Forest is a natural park and recreational area in Japan designed to provide children with hands-on experiences in nature. It was established as part of a broader initiative to foster environmental awareness and outdoor play among youth. The forest typically features walking trails, observation points, and educational programs that encourage exploration and learning about the local ecosystem.

Ogaki City

Ogaki City is a historic castle town located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, which flourished during the Edo period as a vital post station on the Nakasendo highway. Its centerpiece, Ogaki Castle, was originally built in the 16th century but was largely destroyed in World War II and has since been reconstructed. Today, the city is known for its water-filled moats and its association with the haiku poet Matsuo Basho, who began his famous journey recorded in “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” from here.

Makinohara City

Makinohara City is a municipality in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, formed in 2005 from the merger of several towns. It is historically significant as a major center for green tea production, with its vast tea fields cultivated since the Edo period. The city’s landscape is dominated by the iconic, rolling hills of the Makinohara Plateau, which are a defining feature of the region.

Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Prefecture is a scenic region in central Japan, nestled along the Pacific coast and dominated by the iconic Mount Fuji. Historically, it was a significant political and cultural center during the Edo period (1603-1868), as it was home to the Tokugawa shogunate at Sunpu Castle. Today, the prefecture is renowned for its green tea production, stunning views of Mount Fuji, and its historical connections to the samurai era.